519 History
When Plumbers Local Union 519 was charted on December 24,
1910, Miami was an emerging city, with many cornerstones of
its future already being placed. Railroad building, canal
dredging and construction of new roads and bridges prepared
the way for the tourists and part time residents who would
create the main economic base for the people who chose to
live here.
Within ten years, the population of the area quadrupled
to nearly 43,000 according to 1920 census figures. Land
developers moved in, and the county exploded with growth,
increasing the head count to 143,000 by 1930!
The tendency toward rapid, extreme growth continued,
putting the 1940 population at about 268,000. By 1950 it had
nearly doubled again, with almost half a million people
enjoying the Florida lifestyle.
This outrageous growth could not be stopped, and as
airlines helped establish Miami as a major hub for both
national and international travelers, the 1960 figure
approached one million. This total was also affected by the
influx of Cuban exiles and other immigrants, who made
indelible contributions to this great city.
1970 figures indicate a comparative slowdown with a
population increase of a little over 30%. Still, there were
nearly 1.3 million people in Metropolitan Dade County, which
was quickly becoming a bilingual, bicultural community.
Census data for 1980 shows more then 1,625,000 residents
in the Metro area. In spite of an economic recession
suffered in the 70's, the area sped toward an era of even
more remarkable growth, assimilating many cultural changes
and establishing itself as a new center of world trade and
commerce.
Having reached 1,937,094 by 1990, Dade County's
population today is estimated at more than 2 million.
That 1990 figure was surely altered by the collapse of major
airlines and other corporations in the early part of the
decade, and by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. But by the year
2010, when Local 519 celebrates its 100th birthday, Dade
County may have up to 2.4 million residents. We'll see about
that in a few years from now.
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