Oral history Collection

The oral history collection covers the history of Miami-Dade County from the arrival of Henry Flagler’s first train into Miami in 1896, to the late twentieth century influx of immigrants from the Caribbean, Latin American and other parts of the world.

The collection documents the lives of early African-American and white pioneers, including; Annie Coleman, Maude Black, The Stirrup sisters, Dr. Elmer Ward, John Sewell, Mrs. Sylvia Weintraub, and the Rev. Edward Graham, along with the Mt. Zion Baptist Church choir performing metered songs and early spirituals.

Mid to late twentieth century recordings include; Rev. Theodore Gibson, Dante Fascell, Sir. Lancelot Jones, Marion Manley, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Ray Goode, Merritt Steirheim and Dorothy Dean Davidson.  Also included is the museum’s extensive collection of recordings from people representing nearly 100 different ethnic and cultural groups living in South Florida.

Other Information

The tapes covering the lives of early African-American and white pioneers were recorded on cassette tapes and other early recording medium which need to be transferred to digital format for ease of access and preservation.

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