YES ME EVERY DAY HOW IS MY LIFE
GOING?
HOW MY HANDLING THE SITUATION?
I WAS TELL THEM I'M DOING GOOD
BECAUSE I'M JUST READY TO GET
BACK ON THE FIELD.
SPENT THE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
SAYS IT DOES NOT COMMENT ON
PENDING LITIGATION.
NOW AT SEVEN, ITS BEEN
AROUND SINCE THE 1930S.
MOST OF US HAVE HEARD OF IT BUT
HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
AFTER SEVERAL NATURAL DISASTERS
AND DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT WHAT TO
DO WITH IT, A CLUSTER OF
BUILDINGS IN THE MIDDLE OF
BISCAYNE BAY IS STILL AROUND.
WE WENT ALONG WITH HISTORIC AND
DR. PAUL GEORGE.
TO FIND OUT HOW IT STARTED, HOW
IT ALMOST ENDED AND MORE THINGS
START NEXT.
WE ARE COMING CLOSE TO IT
NOW.
Reporter: ALL THE STORIES
THEY COULD TELL.
IT WAS A LEGENDARY PLACE.
WHEN YOU HEARD ABOUT IT, THIS
PLACE WAS OUTRAGEOUS.
EVERYBODY WHO KNEW ABOUT THIS,
IT IS A MIAMI THING.
Reporter: IT IS THE SEVEN
STANDING STRUCTURES SPURRED BY
HURRICANES HOST OF COUNTLESS
PARTIES.
THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE THIS.
IT IS A GREAT FISHING PLACE IN
A PARTY PLACE.
HE DIDN'T --
Reporter: IT IS A HARD-TO-
REACH PIECE OF SOUTH FLORIDA
HISTORY.
MOSTLY EMPTY THESE DAYS BUT
RICH WITH HISTORY.
THIS IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND
PLACE.
IT IS ONE OF MANY THINGS THAT
MAKES MIAMI UNIQUE.
IT IS REALLY UNIQUE.
BUT MIAMI IS CULTURAL AND ALL
THE CRAZY PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME
HERE TO START OVER AGAIN OR
WHATEVER.
THAT IS WHEN THE ELEMENTS OF IT.
THANK YOU.
Reporter: DR. PAUL GEORGE
KEEPS THE LEGEND ALIVE.
WITH HIS QUARTERLY HISTORY
MIAMI TOURS, A LOOK AT MY MEAT
LANDMARKS AND SOME NATURAL
WONDERS ALONG THE WAY.
IT MAKES SOUTH FLORIDA SO
SPECIAL.
YOU MAY FOLLOW US IN
DISTILLED ZUILL.
Reporter: STILTS WILL BEGAN
IN THE 1930S AS A PARTY SPOT
AFTER LONDONDERRY FISHERMAN
CRAWFISH CHARLIE STARTED MAKING
CHOWDER ON AN ABANDONED BEACH
VESSEL.
BY THE END OF THAT DECADE,
OTHERS SET UP THERE AS WELL.
TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT,
PEOPLE SAID WAIT A MINUTE, IF
CRAWFISH CHARLIE HAS SET UP
SHOP AND HE SPILT THIS
STRUCTURE ON TOP WHERE HE
PRESIDES OVER THIS COMMUNITY OF
FISHERMEN, WHY CAN'T WE DO IT?
SO, OTHER PEOPLE GOT THE ID
WHAT CAN WE DO IT?
SO, THE SAME MANAGER IN 1937
BUILT VESSELS ON TOP OF
MAROONED OLDER VESSELS.
THE ADDED FISHING CHANNELS AND
THIS GUY COMMODORE ED TURNER AND
GETS A BARGE OUT THERE.
AND IT WAS CALLED A QUARTERDECK.
Reporter: WITH A QUARTERDECK
CLUB IN 1940 CAME THE GAMBLING,
THE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN AND THE
WILD TIMES. DR. GEORGE TELLS
THE BEST.
WE SEE THESE CLUBS, THE
QUARTERDECK CLUB, YOU COULD
DRINK, BUT THERE IS GAMBLING AND
PROSTITUTION ALSO.
THERE WAS A LOT OF PARTYING
INTO THE 50s INTO THE MID-60s.
Reporter: AFTER THE WAR,
PEOPLE BUILD HOMES ON STILTS.
GROUPS OF FRIENDS USUALLY
PARTNERED TOGETHER TO OWN A HOME
IN WHAT MIGHT BE THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL LOCATION IMAGINABLE.
IT WAS MOSTLY A WEEKEND GETAWAY
, LEGEND HAS IT DRUGS WERE
DROPPED ALONG THE SANDBARS.
IT COULD'VE BEEN.
THERE DROP ON THE SHORELINE.
ALL ALONG THE SHORELINE SO IT
COULD BEEN THAT WAY.
INSERT OTHER FUNCTIONS.
PEOPLE THAT WERE LOST AT SEA,
THEY TOOK BOY SCOUTS ARE FOR AN
OUTING.
FISHING IS GREAT THERE, THERE
ARE A LOT OF HANDICAP KIDS OUT
THERE.
Reporter: BY 1960, ON THE
EVE OF HURRICANE DONNA, THERE
ARE 27 BUILDINGS INCLUDING FOUR
CLUBS.
THE CRAZIEST THING WHEN A
GUY NAMED HARRY CHURCHVILLE SAID
TO BE ON PT 109 WITH JOHN
KENNEDY, THE BEACH VESSEL AND
STARTED THE BIKINI CLUB AND THE
EARLY 60s.
IF A WOMAN WAS WEARING A
BIKINI, DRINKS WERE FREE.
IT BECAME THE TALK OF THE TOWN.
NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES
OUTSIDE OF OF MIAMI, HE FORGOT
A LIQUOR LICENSE.
ONE DAY, THE STATE LIQUOR AGENTS
SHOWED UP AND SHUT IT DOWN.
THE NEXT YEAR IT WENT UP AND
LAMES IN 1965.
Reporter: IN THE 1960S,
HURRICANES DONNA AND BETSY
WHITTLED THE STRUCTURES DOWN TO
10.
THEN CAME ANDREW.
THERE WERE 13 BUILDINGS, NO
CLUBS ANYMORE.
SO, WITH ANDREW, YET SEVEN
BUILDINGS LEFT.
THAT IS WHAT YOU HAVE TODAY.
HURRICANES HAVE TAKEN THEM OUT.
Reporter: IN 1980, BISCAYNE
NATIONAL PARK WAS ENLARGED TO
INCLUDE STILT-PHIL.
WHEN THOSE LEASES EXPIRED IN
1999 THE PARK SYSTEM DECIDED
NOT TO LOVE ANYMORE BUILDINGS
IN THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.
THERE WERE BACK AND FORTH AND
FINALLY IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE
STILTVILLE RESIDENTS WOULD
HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES BUT
THEY WOULD REMAIN STANDING.
THE STILTVILLE TRUST WAS
ESTABLISHED.
A NONPROFIT THAT WORKS OF THE
NATIONAL PARKS TO MAKE THE
HOMES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC
BY APPOINTMENT.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS IS THE
FORMER HOME OWNERS HAVE BECOME
CARETAKERS.
AND, THEY'RE RESIDING IN THE
HOMES ON THE WEEKENDS.
THEY ARE MAINTAINING THEM.
THAT IS WHAT THE PARK SERVICE
WANTS.
IF YOU COULD RENT THESE THINGS
--
Reporter: WHAT A STORY PLACE
TO STAY.
SOME TOUR HIGHLIGHTS.
THE ELLEN BERGER PLACE, THE
UNOFFICIAL MAYOR OF STILTS
BILL, HIS BODY WAS CREMATED AND
HIS ASHES STREWN AROUND THE
HOUSE.
SOMEBODY JUMPED THROUGH
THERE.
Reporter: THE INTERIOR WAS
BUILT WITH SHIPWRECKED LUMBER
AND THE FAMOUS A-FRAME HOUSE
BUILT FROM TELEPHONE POLES.
AS WE GO INTO HURRICANE SEASON
RIGHT NOW, WHAT GOES THROUGH
YOUR MIND?
YOU KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT IT.
YEAH, JUST KEEPING MY
FINGERS CROSSED AND SAYING MY
PRAYERS IT WILL STAY UP.
IT IS VERY FRAGILE.
WITH IRMA, WITH A SEVEN
BUILDINGS, EVERY DECK WAS
DESTROYED OR DAMAGED.
SO, THAT IS HOW IT IS.
WE ARE ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT
THAT.
Reporter: A SLICE OF MIAMI'S
PAST.
EVEN THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE
SOUTH FLORIDA INDIANS MAY NOT
KNOW ABOUT IT.
ME IME IS ALWAYS CHANGING.
ANYTHING THAT IS 20 YEARS OLD
THEY TEAR DOWN AND BUILD
SOMETHING NEW.
YOU ARE ALWAYS SEEING NEW
THINGS IN MIAMI.
I LOVE IT.
I WAS BORN IN 1962.
HE GIVES A LOT OF HISTORY.
HE GIVES THE BACK STORIES AND
LITTLE DETAILS YOU MAY NOT GET
IN A REGULAR HISTORY OF MIAMI
THAT HITS THE BULLETS AND BAD.
NO, HE IS A GREAT STORYTELLER.
AND, HE IS GREAT AT HIS
ANIMATION AND KEEPING PEOPLE
ENGAGED AND MAKING IT
INTERESTING THAT HE'S
FANTASTIC.
Reporter: WHILE THERE ARE
NOT A LOT OF VISITORS, THOSE
WHO COME ARE NOT DISAPPOINTED.
FEW PHYSICAL MEMENTOS REMAIN
BUT THE STORY WILL LIVE ON.
THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE IT.
PLEASE JOIN US.
THANK YOU.