Florida’s Big Dig

The story of the Intracoastal and other thoughts on water, waterways, land, and ecology

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about

I am Bill Crawford. I was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., bisected by the Intracoastal. I graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in commerce, with distinction, concentrating in finance. I obtained my juris doctor degree from Stetson University College of Law. I have practiced law for more than 43 years. I am a professional historian and author of the award-winning book, “Florida’s Big Dig,” (2008) the story of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. I have practiced law in Florida since 1975. Along the way, I developed a keen interest in researching and writing history, publishing numerous scholarly journal articles and one award-winning book, “Florida’s Big Dig,” the story of Florida’s Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, using my legal pbackground to understand legal transactions, deeds, wmortgages, bonds, preferred stock, and legal descriptions of land and water. In recent years, I have maintained a limited practice consulting with other professionals on various historical land and water issues, including sovereign, riparian, and submerged land rights, focusing on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and Florida inland waterways. I maintain a broad regular website here at www.floridasbigdig.me and a website solely on how the book was researched as well as some of the major themes explored. The website on the book itself is at www.floridasbigdig.com. The website on contacts for professional services is at www.floridasbigdiglawyer.com?. A fifteen-page outline of my book

Month: June 2014

  • Gregg entertains hundreds for Memorial Day under the Old Oak Tree

    Gregg Russell plays his guitar and sings folk and children’s songs to hundreds of young and old under one of the largest and oldest oak trees in Harbour Town, Sea Pines Plantation, Hilton Head Island. The Memorial Day concert has been free during the entire time of Gregg’s 26-year run. The youngest toddlers sit on…

  • Gregg Russell entertains hundreds at Hilton Head his 26th Year

    Russell entertains old and young alike with children and folk songs under the gargantuan old Oak Tree in front of a string of small boutiques, clothing stores, and restaurants. It’s at Lighthouse Marina, in Sea Pines Plantation. The smallest children sit on the stage at Russell’s feet, often singing along with Russell. It’s nice to…

  • Sir Sandford Fleming

    Chief engineer of the Canadian and Pacific Railway, Sir Sandford Fleming was also the designer of Canada’s first adhesive postage stamps. In 1892 Fleming and his son, Sandford H. Fleming, as well as several other Canadians became interested in the inland waterway being dredged along the east coast of Florida.  In a matter of time,…

  • Florida gray Ibis.

    The Florida gray Ibis in its wet,marshy habitat. It consumes the smallest sea animals, mollusks, and sea grasses. In turn, larger predators like snakes and alligators occasionally find sustenance in consuming the Ibis. In the early 1900’s, Florida women leaders like Ivy Stranahan led the fight in stopping the hunting of water birds solely for…

  • Turnstyle Bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway at Fort Lauderdale

    At Fort Lauderdale, the first bridge to the beachside was a short wooden bridge across what then known as the private Florida East Coast Canal ca. 1910. Located on the north side of the land was a small wooden house occupied by the bridge-tender and his family. Upon the approach of a small boat or…

  • The ubiquitous panda

    After escaping from Panda prison in China for having too many babies, Panda crossed the Bering Straits, making her way down the California coast to Tinsel-town, where she made three 3-D movies with Jim Carrey; a career in movies seeming much too dull and unrewarding, Panda again escaped to San Diego to a peaceful, carefree…

  • Florida Amaryllis

    Florida Amaryllis in bloom in spring.

  • 1927 Florida Inland Navigation District Commissioners Negotiating the Purchase of the Waterway

    Assembled here with a few exceptions are the eleven commissioners of FIND appointed by Florida Governor David Sholtz to purchase the old Florida East Coast Canal (“the Canal”) from Harry Kelsey (1st row, 2nd from the right) for turnover to the Federal Government for enlargement and perpetual maintenance as the Intracoastal Waterway. Erstwhile New Jersey…

  • 1959 Gold Coast Marathon from North Miami to West Palm Beach on the Intracoastal

    From 1949 until sometime in the early 1970s, speed boat enthusiasts raced in the Gold Coast Marathon, an unlimited race with as many as 13 classes from the Pelican Harbor Yacht Club at the 79th Street Causeway to West Palm Beach and back the following day. The brainchild of Sam Griffiths, founder of the Pelican…

  • 1892 Color Map of the northern East Coast of Floridaj

    This rare map was found in the Trent University archives, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. It shows the state lands reserved for granting to the Florida canal company in yellow and the lands of its affiliated land company, the Boston & Florida Atlantic Coast Land Company, in blue.  Each square block represents a “section” or one square…