Did you know that from 1969 (six years after the city’s incorporation) through late 1975, City Hall was at 5000 Rock Island Road? Built on the site of a former ranch, City departments were located in various outbuildings on the property; the city council chambers were in the old barn, and the police department established itself in the two-car garage.
Today, the property is the site of several private homes. You can read more about this on the Historical Society’s Facebook page.
Tamarac’s First Neighborhood
According to the City, developer Kenneth E. Behring is considered the founder of Tamarac. Many areas in south Florida were founded by developers in the 1950s and 1960s; two other notable examples are Coral Springs and Weston.
Behring’s first project, Tamarac Lakes, is on the eastern side of the city. The developer built one- and two-bedroom single-story homes surrounding a community clubhouse. Lawn maintenance as well as periodic house painting and roof cleaning was covered by a small monthly fee; these conveniences were sold to prospective buyers as a way to live “the good life.” These homes were quite popular, and Behring soon purchased additional land in order to build The Mainlands and The Woodlands. Behring’s strategy of building as he acquired land is the reason for the city’s odd shape.
According to the City website, Behring’s vision was to offer “the convenience of a condominium with the privacy of a single-family home for active retirees.”
The Historical Society: A Tamarac Gem
Although comparatively new by historical standards (the city was incorporated in 1963), there is a lot of interesting history right here in our backyard. The Tamarac Historical Society, founded in 2009, is a treasure trove of information. Its mission is to “research, collect, preserve and exhibit the history of Tamarac with goals of enlightening the community about our heritage and passing on an enduring legacy for future generations.”
Check out the Historical Society’s latest newsletter for more interesting tidbits and a fun round of “Tamarac Jeopardy.”
Historical Society Honored by Broward County’s Historic Preservation Board
In 2019, the Broward County Historic Preservation Board awarded the Judge Clayton Nance Award to the Tamarac Historical Society. According to Broward.org, this award is given to “a person or group devoted to the study of local history, support of historical research, preservation, or for helping promote local history and resources.”
A Great Way to Get Involved
The Historical Society welcomes new members who would like to “get involved in our past to be involved in our future.” You can learn more:
- On their website, https://tamarachistoricalsociety.webs.com/get-involved
- Via email, history@tamarac.org
- By calling them at (954) 597-3629
