When its history is written, how will Wilma compare to how other hurricanes have affected Pompano Beach?

Of all the previous hurricanes, Wilma probably hit Pompano Beach most directly.

Past hurricanes that have caused significant damage in this area: 1906, 1926, 1928, 1947, 1964 (Cleo) and 1992 (Andrew).

Any other candidates?

We took quite a hit, but we're coming back!

The Pompano Beach Green Market will open on November 19th, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM in Pompano's historic downtown (click on Green Market link on the left for directions).

The Pompano Beach Historical Society's Hood Center and Kester Cottages had no apparent damage from the storm (although Founders Park lost a substantial amount of foliage).

The Sample-McDougald House lost about eight shutters and had two broken windows, but no interior damage.

The Sample-McDougald House fundraiser at Bonefish Mac's will be rescheduled (when we can get in touch with Mac).

We're still working off generator power and spotty phone coverage, but we'll try to check emails as often as possible.

Good Luck!

The Pompano Beach Centennial Celebration Committee will meet on Wednesday, October 26th, 6:30 PM, at the Historical Society (217 NE 4th Avenue, Pompano Beach).

All those interested in participating in the planning for Pompano Beach's 100th birthday in 2008 are invited to attend.

"It was one of the best public programs we've ever had" was the consensus of those attending the Historical Society's October 18th meeting.

Pompano Beach residents who had been named Broward County Pioneers recently were invited to attend the meeting and share their memories of growing up in the community. Five of the nine Pioneers were able to attend, and they captivated the audience with tales of the "early days."

Pompano Beach City Commissioner E. Pat Larkins (center, above, with Jerry Bowman, presenting a certificate of recognition to Oscar K. Johnson) joined the program and noted that two of the people receiving Pioneer certificates had been his teachers in school.

The audience heard some great stories: riding bikes through "No Man's Land" to the beach, movies at the Loveland Theater and growing cotton in the garden. A great evening.

The first meeting of the Pompano Beach Historical Society took place on February 28, 1974, in the Children's Room of the Pompano Beach Library. Mrs. Ennis Warren Ballou was elected to be its first president.

The Pompano Beach Green Market will begin its third season on Saturday, October 29th. The Market will open every Saturday (other than December 24th & 31st) through May 6, 2006. Hours are 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Opening day will feature many of your favorite vendors, including DGM Produce and Triple C Groves, the Orchid Doctor, Captain Norm's Seafood, Teaphoria and Pittelli' Gourmet Coffees, to name just a few. We'll also have some new vendors that you are sure to enjoy.

Opening day ceremonies will take place at 10:30 AM and will feature our traditional "pepper ribbon" cutting by local officials and music by the Pompano Beach High School band and teenage singing sensation Kimberly Baron.

The Green Market is located in Pompano Beach's historic downtown, just a block north of Atlantic Boulevard and just east of Dixie Highway (for more specific directions, click on the Green Market link to the left).

On this date in 1943,the Humble Oil Company (now Exxon-Mobil) made an official announcement that it had discoved oil at Sunniland in Collier County -- it would be the first operating oil well in Florida. The well site was about 12-miles south of Immokalee, near the Big Cypress Preserve.

Today there are 70 operating oil wells in the state, producing approximately 8,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

The Broward Trust for Historic Preservation has hired its first executive director, Warren Adams. Mr. Adams was formerly a member of the City of Delray Beach Planning Department and has a background in both building restoration and preservation planning. He grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, and graduated from the University of York in England.

This month's Historical Society program will feature our Pompano Beach pioneers -- nine individuals who were recently honored by the Broward County Historical Commission for their long residency in this community.

The program will be held on Wednesday, October 19th, 7:00 PM at the Dick & Miriam Hood Center (217 NE 4th Avenue, Pompano Beach). The program is free and open to the public.

In response to yesterday's post of a vintage vegetable crate label, Bud Garner commented:

I never heard of this one. It could have been one of the companies that imported produce from offshore and used the Farmers Market to re-pack with their label. Quite a bit of this went on after the decline of farming in Pompano and North Broward and South Palm Beach County.

Thanks, Bud.

It doesn't appear that the McIntosh Produce Company is still in business -- does anyone know when this label might have been used?

On the last day of 1971, the Pompano Beach City Commission annexed the Palm Aire development, nearly doubling the land area of the city.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the 15th Street Church of Christ in Pompano Beach. The church traces it origins to 1945 when J. E. Crooms and Joe Robinson came from Miami to Pompano and held a tent revival meeting at 634 NW 16th Avenue.

The first members of the congregation continued to hold services in a tent, making improvements over the years. Baptisms were conducted at a rockpit on Hammondville Road.

In 1967 the then 16th Avenue Church of Christ moved to its current location at 390 NW 15th Street and changed its name to reflect the new address.

During the segregation era, Pompano's black community had its "own" theater, the Loveland. It was located at 917 Hammondville Road and owned by Fred Case.

In addition to regular Hollywood releases, the Loveland showed all-black films and presented live entertainment.

Forty-eight years ago today, the Soviet Union inaugurated the "Space Age" with its launch of Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite.

In the 1930s (and perhaps as early as the twenties) one of the most anticipated events in Pompano was the annual arrival of Silas Green from New Orleans. An all-black show that combined comedy, music and dancing, Silas Green toured the South from 1907 to well into the 1950s.

Silas Green always played to a packed house (actually a tent) in Pompano, and attracted an audience of both black and white residents, although each race was seated in separate sections of the tent.

Do you have any memories of Silas Green's performances in Pompano? If so, we'd like to hear them. Email us at info@pompanohistory.com.

UPDATE: Bud Garner reminded us that Silas Green's shows in Pompano were performed "open air" style. At first the shows were held in the vacant field behind what is today the Pompano Super Market (east of Flagler and south of NE 4th Street), but later moved to a vacant lot where the Pompano Beach City Hall sits today.