Carl Fisher
Deceased
Miami Connection
Fisher single-handedly transformed Miami Beach from mangrove swamp into a world-class resort destination by financing infrastructure including the first bridge linking Miami to Miami Beach, dredging projects that created residential islands like the Venetian Islands and Star Island, and extensive street and city planning. He was instrumental in promoting the Florida land boom of the 1920s and financed the construction of major transportation corridors including the Lincoln Highway and Dixie Highway that connected Miami to the broader United States. Fisher Island, one of the wealthiest residential areas in the United States, is named in his honor and built on land he formerly owned.
About
Carl Graham Fisher (1874-1939) was an innovative entrepreneur who made his fortune in the automotive industry, particularly through car headlights and the founding of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He transitioned to real estate development and became known as the 'Father of Miami Beach' after acquiring and developing a largely unpopulated 3,500-acre barrier island near Miami in 1913. Fisher dredged Biscayne Bay, laid out city infrastructure, and promoted Miami Beach as a tropical paradise resort destination. At the peak of his success in 1925, he was worth over $50 million. However, the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 devastated his holdings, and combined with the Great Depression, he lost nearly all his wealth by his death in 1939.