The Beginnings of Goulds
This article from the September 27, 1912, issue of the The Miami Metropolis amplifies the information provided by Jean Taylor in her book Villages of South Dade about the development of Goulds. Taylor notes that the village was named for a “Mr. Gould” from Indiana who was the foreman of a tie-cutting crew for the Florida East Coast Railway.
Lyman B. Gould was born in July of 1857 in Brown Township, Washington County, Indiana. His parents were Riley, born about 1823, and Sarah Gould, born about 1827. In 1880, Lyman was a brakeman on a railroad in Washington County, Nebraska. By 1900, he was living in Cocoanut Grove with his wife, S. Catherine. His neighbors included John S. Frederick, a prominent civil engineer employed by the Florida East Coast Railway, and John’s wife Antoinette.
Lyman soon left Dade County. On April 22, 1909, he registered to vote in Maricopa County, Arizona and later got into real estate there. Russell F. Tatum, Homestead’s first mayor, also moved to Phoenix where he continued his real estate career. Tatum Boulevard in Phoenix is named after him. Lyman evidently returned to Dade County, where he died in 1928.
After Lyman left what later became the community of Goulds, the area developed into a large tomato-growing region as noted in the following newspaper article of September 27, 1912.
The town had its inception three years ago from the operation of a large tract of the big thousand-acre farm of Mr. J. C. Baile, with whom Mr. G. L. Miller was associated in the handling of the big crop. Each year has seen a large increase in settlers and in the acreage set to fruit and truck. In response to a growing demand for lots, the Miller-Baile subdivision of fifteen acres was lately placed on the market, and a large number of lots have already been sold. The property is owned by Mr. G. L. Miller, a member of the Walter Waldin Investment company, and Mr. J. C. Baile, a prominent business man and fruit grower of this section.
The visitor to Goulds is at once impressed with the fact that it must be a great truck growing section, for four well equipped packing houses are to be seen. One of them, Mr. A. L. Hearn’s, is now busy packing this year’s grapefruit, and while the car of fruit lately put on its way by an elaborate legal process is said to be experiencing further difficulties en route, still growers with ripening fruit in that section, are asking Mr. Hearn to pack their crops as soon as possible.
In the early fall of 1909, Mr. G. L. Miller who was interested with Mr. J. C. Baile in the cropping of several hundred acres of tomatoes on Mr. Baile’s thousand-acre farm at that point, went to Chicago and interested the Grant-Beall company, which came and established a factory to prepare tomato pulp, and the first year 45,000 gallons of the pulp was shipped out, or more than ten carloads. In 1910 the plan of preparing pulp was changed to making catsup, and the latter industry has proven profitable during the last two seasons.
Among the new buildings lately completed is the new hotel, a butcher shop, a school house, upon ground donated by Mr. Miller, two residences, and the announcement is made that next week several houses will start in the new Miller-Baile subdivision. Mr. B. E. Hearn plans to open soon a much-needed lumber yard and hardware store, which will facilitate the building operations there to a considerable extent.
Mr. Preston Lee and Mr. W. Mobley intend planting about 10 to 15 acres each, while Messrs. D. H. Lyle, [hole in paper] Clifford, P. C. Crockett, H. Poppell, J. Griffith, H. A. Proctor, Caldwell, R. L. Sanford, W. H. Parker and S. P. Lewis will have in their usual acreage.
Here is the plat of the town of Goulds that was mentioned in the article. Note the existence of Baile’s Road. Click on the title under the image to download a copy of the plat that you can enlarge to study further.
Interesting article, another great job Jeff. Thanks for your work on preserving Homestead’s past.
Is Richmond Heights named for Samuel Richmond? I saw this article on Wikipedia and it mentions Richmond Timber Works: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Heights,_Florida#History
I believe Richmond Heights was named after the Richmond Naval Air Station, which is where the Goldcoast Railroad Museum is now located. I suspect that Richmond Heights took its name from Richmond Drive, which was named after Samuel H. Richmond so there is an indirect link there, no doubt. I doubt that the founder of Richmond Heights knew the significance of the name, though. If anyone would like to write an article about Richmond Heights, I’d be more than happy to publish it!
I grew up in Cutler on Richmond Dr.
Good piece, clear and detailed. And another square on the great historic puzzle is painted in…
Good day, my name is Tangela and I was reading this article and my aunt was telling me about the research that she found. I’m going to Florida (actually she’s my great-aunt) and I’m trying to find out are you talking about my grandfather Preston Lee who was married to Daisy Lee. We all have resided in Goulds, Florida. It Would be nice to know if you were talking about my grandfather.
I’m sorry, Tangela, but this Preston Lee’s wife’s maiden name was Ruth Strickland.
Nice article. Interesting relating the road names and communities along U.S.1 still there.
My husband, Charles Burr, Jr.’s grandfather, Raymond Y. Burr, was partner with Mr. Bush in farming out in the glade to the east of Burr and Bush Rd. Theirs were the only 2 houses around in the ‘20s.
My Father, Allan M. Moseley, was born on the Moseley homestead on Burr Road in 1917. My Grandfather, Hervey A. Moseley (my Dad’s Father) built the home prior to 1917 so there was
another home there that was built after 1910. My Grandparents donated the debris from a rockpit on their property to Dade County to have 127th Avenue paved from Hainlin Mill Drive.
Good day, I am Geneva Rolle Wright, raised there in Goulds, Fla. on Old Cutler Road. My grandparents were Mr. Elisha Rolle and Mrs. Olive Rolle, pioneers of the area. Most of the park was their land, very wooded area with many paths to walk through to get to U.S. 1 and Hainlin Drive. Our neighbors were Ms. Collier, Ms. Bowes, Ms. Rachel and Mr. Maycox. Some of the history was told to me about Goulds when I was coming up. It’s amazing how the area has grown.I guess time has bought about a change. Thanks for the information.
Jean Taylor did the best she could with what she had to work with; she spent countless hours driving to people’s homes trying to gather information. My mother and auntie contributed to the information. Peggy Dye was my grandmother and an early settler. Our family is featured in the book. I do not like negative comments about Jean Taylor.
Barbara, I’m sorry you don’t like what I wrote about Jean Taylor. Nonetheless, I stand by my view of her work. I’d direct you to my personal website, where I have a more detailed critique of Jean’s work. Jean’s book is an important starting point but it is not the final word on the history of South Dade and I’m quite sure that if Jean was still alive, she would agree with me.
My dad (Bill Biggs) and his sister (Betty Cox) lived in a house in this addition back in the 40’s and 50’s. It fronted US1 sort of where the Wayside park is. It had a cistern on the side. There used to be a tennis court across the street (Ingraham)in the 70’s. He worked at a gas station that is in that same addition. It was located on the pie shaped piece (Maybe lot 7). Not exactly founders, but part of history none the less. I think Andrew knocked the house down.
My Uncle, Floyd Kugler and his wife Ann, built their home in what is now Cauley Square in the mid 1940’s contrary to it now being called a railroad village. His home, at last view, housed a lace merchant. The neighbors, the Wofford’s, also lived across the street from him. Uncle Floyd later moved to Cullman, Alabama, the place of his birth, where he passed away in 1978.
My grandfather, Hervey Alexander Moseley, Sr., worked for the Florida East Coast Railway in both Goulds and Princeton as an accountant. In his later years he worked in the same capacity at Mr. William H. Cauley’s store in Goulds, Florida where now stands the Goulds Post Office. He passed away in September, 1930.