The Birth of the City of Miami 19


hotel to him, and the 100 acres of land adjoining the hotel site, less
her homesite, to Flagler and Ingraham. The titles to the Brickell and
Tuttle properties were based on early Spanish land grants and had to
be determined to be clear of conflict before the marketing of the
Miami lots began. The law and abstract office of Robbins, Graham
and Chillingworth, a Titusville firm which opened a Miami branch,
was charged with this task. Walter S. Graham, the manager of the
Miami branch, also was preparing to start Miami's first newspaper,
the Miami Metropolis. Graham was formerly part owner of the
Indian River Advocate in Titusville.68
 Graham wrote a confidential letter to J. R. Parrott on February
24, 1896, explaining what he felt was "trouble ahead, unless a change
of policy occurs in Miami." He noted that work was progressing on
the north side of the river but that the south side was "not receiving
the proper attention, and the Brickells are getting very sore."69 He
maintained that if the lots on the north side were put on the market
first, the city would develop there, leaving the south side undeveloped
and less desirable. Accordingly, Graham felt that Flagler should begin
construction at once on the promised bridge across the Miami River.
Further, Graham believed the bridge should be completed before any
lots went on sale on either side of the stream; and that work on the
streets on both sides of the river be developed concurrently. Graham
indicated that his firm would pronounce the titles clear to both the
Brickell and Tuttle property simultaneously, so that the Brickells would
have no grounds to blame his title company for any delay.70
 Isidor Cohen was one of Miami's earliest merchants, arriving in
February 1896. Cohen arranged to have a small building constructed
on the south side of the river for his store, and secured a row boat
to carry his customers across the river so they would not have to pay
the ferry fare. Within two months, however, Cohen had moved to the
north side of the river, believing business would be better in that
sector.71
 On March 3, Flagler dispatched John Sewell and twelve of his
best black workers from Palm Beach to Miami to begin work on the
townsite. They began by grading the site of Flagler's hotel.72 By late
March the railroad extension had reached a point just below Arch
Creek near today's Northeast 135th Street.73 Increasing numbers of
people were coming to Miami. In order to provide them with a place
to stay, Harrington and Tyler leased the Miami Hotel from Julia
Tuttle even before it had a roof over it. Located on today's South