Page 4 - Dania Beach

Rundown
Visitors to the coastal city of
Dania Beach arrive expecting
breathtaking ocean vistas and
maybe a good time at the
slots, but there are so many
lesser-known tidbits that may
surprise and delight.
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THE
he sunny city traces its origins to the ▴ A view to the
1890s, when 12 migrant families from
T Denmark moved to the settlement shore where sand
meets azure
planned by developer W. C. Valentine. Then Atlantic waters
from the Dania
known as Modello, residents rechristened Beach Pier.
their town Dania as an ode to their Danish
roots, following its incorporation in 1904
when it became the first city in Broward
County.
Dania soon blossomed into a major farming
hub. By the turn of the century, robust
agricultural output earned it the title of
"Tomato Capital of the World." The Roaring
Twenties brought interest in developing
seaside attractions, so in 1927 the town
purchased a strip of coastline from the
neighboring city of Hollywood for only $10.
The purchase yielded major returns for the
city, which officially renamed itself Dania
Beach in 1998 to honor its coastal treasures.