Hunting for History
Hunters in front of the Wat Buddharangsi Buddhist Temple.
It’s crazy, informative, quirky, and fun, all rolled into one hectic experience.
I look forward every year to The Villagers’ Historic Hunt.
For more than 30 years The Villagers have held their Historic Hunt in various parts of Miami-Dade County. This year, they sent hunters to the far-south Redland area. For those who haven’t explored this part of greater Miami – it’s known for agriculture. The long straight roads are lined with farms and nurseries, many with exotic tropical plants. Here and there are wonderful berry farms and amazing fruit markets. Stopping for a strawberry shake is always at the top of our to-do list when we are anywhere nearby.
Counting the squares at the Redland Farm Life School Building. Do the ones over the side features count?
But the Hunt didn’t allow any time for malingering – we had just two hours to find 10 sites and answer the clues. Historical gems were still to be found where you would least expect them. We visited the 100+ year-old Redland Farm Life School, Art Deco-inspired Seminole Theater (The Villagers donated funds to restore the iconic marque), and the pink St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church with its gigantic black church bell sitting like a sentry on its front porch.
My favorite find was the Lilly Lawrence Bow Library, now the Homestead Redevelopment Center. To get to this limestone rock building, we drove through the entrance of Pioneer Village – a charming residential area of Homestead I didn’t know existed.
Most hunters were captivated by the beautiful Buddhist Temple (there really was a sign on one of the buildings that proclaimed “Welcome to Buddha Land”). The sprawling campus certainly has an important place in our modern-day history.
We finished in third place, but having so much fun with friends, sharing new experiences, and learning fascinating historical facts, we all felt like winners.
Bell at St Paul Missionary Baptist Church.
I am always impressed with the amount of work that goes into preparing the Villagers Hunt each year. They make it so interesting and fun but always a challenge. There is always something new to learn about our city and surrounding areas. I look forward to this adventure each year. To answer the questions, it is required that you physically visit each site to make discoveries that will help answer the questions sheet. Thanks Villagers!