The Brickell Family

The Family

William Brickell and Mary Brickell settled on the south bank of the Miami River in the 1870s, running a trading post that did business with Seminole and early settlers alike. They accumulated substantial land across what is now the urban core. When the railroad arrived and Miami incorporated in 1896 — the era shaped by Henry Flagler and Julia Tuttle — the Brickells were already established landholders, and Mary in particular played an active role in the area's early development after William's death.

Why They Matter

The Brickells are a reminder that Miami had owners before it had a downtown. Their landholdings on the south side of the river became, over the following century, Brickell — the cluster of bank towers and high-rise residences that now functions as the headquarters of Latin American finance in the United States. That the financial district carries a pioneer family's name, rather than a corporate one, is a small piece of how directly Miami's present sits on top of its frontier past.

Neighborhoods: Brickell · Downtown Miami Eras: The Flagler–Tuttle Era Related people: William Brickell · Mary Brickell