5 Hidden Facts in the Town of Davie Logo

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Maybe you’ve recently visited the town website or took a second look when you brought out your recycling bins, but you may not have noticed all the little pieces of our history in the Davie logo. Here are 5 things you may not have known about our Town of Davie logo!

 

    1. Recognize the building in the back? It’s the Old Davie School Historical Museum! Built in 1918, the Davie School was the first school built in the Everglades and also had the first indoor plumbing in town. The building served as a meeting place for dances, dinners, elections, and as a shelter during hurricanes and floods. Now operating as a museum of local Davie and Broward history, the Davie School was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988!

Davie School 1926

 

2. The dates at the bottom denote when Davie was first established in 1925, and when it was again officially incorporated in 1961. An election was held in the auditorium of the Davie School in 1925 with 45 residents voting for incorporation and electing Frank Stirling (namesake of Stirling Road) as the first mayor. The charter lapsed in 1926 and it wasn’t until 1961 that the Town of Davie was again officially incorporated.

Caricature of Frank Stirling, 1942

 

3. Davie has long been recognized as a town of ranching, horses, and rodeo. Did you know that in the 1930s, James Bright brought, bred, and trained the first thoroughbred horses in the state to Davie? He was also a partner in opening the Hialeah Race Track. Many people often remember their first visit to Davie was on horseback. You can still visit the Flashback Diner on Davie Road and tie up your horse at the corral!

Horse Races at Hialeah Park

 

4. The flowers on the bottom right are orange blossoms and represent the orange groves that made the agricultural community of Davie famous. The prosperity of the groves inspired the Orange Festival (now called the Orange Blossom Festival) that celebrated its 83rd year in 2020! Griffin Road is still home to New River and Spyke’s Groves!

Aerial view of the Viele Groves

 

5. The mortarboard and diploma signify Davie’s commitment to education. The Forman family leased and eventually sold their land to the government for use as an airfield during World War II. The family added a provision that the land be used only for education. The former location of the Forman Field is now the South Florida Education Center, hosting Nova Southeastern University, Broward College, McFatter Technical Center and other university satellite campuses as well as primary and secondary schools. Davie has grown as an educational hub in the 20th century and continues to contribute to the growing community!

Foreman Field was primarily a grassy landing strip before the wheel-shaped runways were paved