Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: The Cutler area, once an Indian hunting ground, was the scene in 1838 of a Second Seminole War skirmish. In 1847, horticulturist Henry Perrine's heirs selected a township of land in the area as the location of the federal grant made to him. Colonization of the Perrine Grant proceeded slowly. John Addison, the first settler, arrived at the "Hunting Ground" c. 1866. Around 1880, Dr. William Cutler and William Fuzzard of Boston visited the area. Fuzzard soon returned to settle near Addison's Landing. He cut a path to Coconut Grove which later became the Cutler Road. By 1884, a post office named "Cutler" had been established. For twenty years the settlement grew to include stores and wharves. A hotel, Richmond Cottage, was also the home of S. H. Richmond, agent for the Perrine Grant after 1896. Cutler's economy was based on the cultivation and shipping of tomatoes, pineapples, and other fruit. When the Florida East Coast Railroad bypassed Cutler in 1903, the town began to die. In 1915, Cutler became part of the Charles Deering Estate. All buildings were torn down except Richmond Cottage, which was incorporated into the Deering home.