Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Side One: Charles Torrey Simpson was born on June 3, 1846, in Tiskilwa, Illinois. From a young age, Simpson had a love of nature. In his early life, Simpson worked as a farmer, miner, carpenter, and cowboy. During the Civil War, he served in the Union army under General William T. Sherman. In the 1880s, Simpson developed an extensive knowledge of mollusks and shells. He took his first trip to Florida in 1881 to collect shells along the west coast, near Bradenton. Simpson’s malacological expertise earned him a position at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, in 1889. During his tenure, he traveled extensively to collect specimens, gave lectures, and helped classify over two thousand species of snails and mussels. He accomplished all of this with barely a high school education. In 1902, Simpson retired to South Florida with his second wife, Flora, and their children. He chose the Lemon City area due to its tropical climate, and purchased nine and half acres. In Florida, he wrote numerous books, articles, and essays on local flora. Due to his contributions, Simpson earned an honorary Side Two: In 1913, a group of Miami citizens helped preserve 5.5 acres of the Brickell hardwood hammock as Jungle Park. Much of the native plant life was replaced with exotic vegetation in 1919. After the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 ravaged the area, Simpson helped replant the area with native growth. In honor of his efforts and other accomplishments, the park was renamed in Simpson’s honor in 1927 and rededicated in 1931. Following Simpson’s death in 1932, the Miami Council of Garden Club Presidents raised funds to construct a garden center in his memory. In coordination with the City of Miami, the council acquired 3 acres adjacent to the park for the center. Completed in 1941, the center serves as community meeting space. There are 162 species of plants within the park, 96 of which are native. In addition, the park is home numerous threatened and endangered flora species. In 1996, the City of Miami undertook a project to remove the exotic species and return the hammock to a more natural state. Designated as a “Natural Forest Community,” the City of Miami has worked to preserve Simpson Park’s biodiversity and natural beauty.