Town History

Cover of the Town's 15-year anniversary special publication

Cutler Bay's 15 Year Anniversary Special Publication

The Town's 15-year anniversary took place on November 9, 2020 and—to honor this important milestone—we partnered with Miami's Community Newspapers to tell the (condensed) story of Cutler Bay.

We invite you to explore the pages of this commemorative edition that covers the history of this area, why the Town incorporated, improvements made possible through incorporation, what we have to look forward to, Golf Cart Parades, the Cutler Ridge Woman's Club, and so much more. Printed copies are available throughout different commercial center in Town and in Town Hall.

Settlement in Southern Miami-Dade

The earliest settlers in the region now occupied by Cutler Bay were the Tequesta. These indigenous people inhabited the extreme southern portion of Florida for thousands of years before European settlers arrived. It was the arrival of Spanish explorers in the 16th century that would ultimately mark the end of the Tequesta in South Florida. After suffering new European diseases and forced exile, the last Tequesta did and their settlements disappeared into history. Over the next 300 years, the Seminole people came to be the dominant inhabitants of the region, with European settlements pri

Circa 1897 Early Home in Perrine of Tomato Grower Thomas Peters

Development of Cutler Bay

After the land dispute between settlers and the Perrine heirs, the majority of the Perrine Grant lands were conveyed to Henry Flagler, who would sell the land and fulfill the original grant requirements. Sizeable tracts were given to the Railway, with the remaining interests being controlled by Flagler’s Model Land Company. Flagler, who owned thousands of acres from central Florida to Homestead, established several such companies, tasked with selling the land to investors and settlers. The Model Land Company dealt with the former Perrine Grant, as well as with Flagler’s other land holdin

Nancy and Ed McCue at the 2006 Town of Cutler Bay Inaugural Town Council Meeting

Mission: Incorporation

By Nancy McCue

Nancy McCue, her husband Ed, and resident John Sykes led the way in the Town of Cutler Bay’s Incorporation as Chair, Co-Chair and Treasurer of the Cutler Ridge Steering Committee. Nancy recounts how the mission to incorporate was born and of the many residents that worked hard to achieve this goal.

Past Town Council Members

Listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Town History

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