Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: The Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway, established by Henry Morrison Flagler, was constructed along Florida’s east coast in the late 19th century. The FEC main line arrived in Miami by 1896, and extended farther south in 1926. The Little River Spur of the FEC Railway was constructed circa 1932 as a part of the South Little River Branch, a connection from the Little River station along the main line of the FEC Railway. It ran to a railyard in Hialeah, which housed an engine service area and roundhouse. The spur line also provided rail service to industrial businesses in the western and southern sections of Miami-Dade County, and acted as a freight bypass around downtown Miami. The FEC was more profitable transporting citrus fruit than passengers, and the Little River Spur remained a freight line from the 1930s until it was abandoned in 2005. The spur line between Southwest 12th Street and north of Northwest 7th Street is significant to the development of South Miami and to transportation in the region. The railroad consisted of a single set of tracks with a few private offshoots to nearby businesses. This section of the FEC Railway, Little River Spur, was removed in 2019 for the development of the Ludlam Trail.