The Commodore’s Story

Ralph Middleton Munroe, Vincent Gilpin

Papamoa Press, Dec 5, 2018 - History - 351 pages

The changes which brought the city of Miami of today are delightfully described in this book of personal reminiscences, written by one of Florida’s earliest settlers in collaboration with his life-long friend, Vincent Gilpin. Ralph Munroe first went to Biscayne Bay in 1887. Soon after that time he and his friends built his home, The Barnacle, in Coconut Grove, where he has lived ever since. From this center his influence has been felt for almost fifty years—during the vivid and exciting period of early exploration and settlement,—during the slow development which led up to Flagler and the railroad,—through the boom, the disastrous hurricanes against which the Commodore’s warnings went unheeded, down to the present time.

No one interested in southern Florida or in the sea can afford to miss this picturesque story of a Biscayne Bay pioneer who is today so widely and affectionately known. One of Florida’s earliest lovers, the Commodore has been unswervingly devoted to the best interests of the region and has been close to the most significant incidents of its growth.

Beautifully illustrated throughout with photographs from Ralph Munroe’s private collection, the earliest on the Bay.

About the author

RALPH MIDDLETON MUNROE (1851-1933) was an American yacht designer and early resident of Coconut Grove in south Florida. His home, now The Barnacle Historic State Park, is the oldest house in Miami-Dade County still standing in its original location. Born on April 3, 1851 in New York City, the son of Thomas and Ellen Middleton Munroe, Munroe’s grandfather was William Munroe who made the first American lead pencils in 1812. In 1854, the Munroe family moved to Clifton, Staten Island where Munroe spent his childhood. Growing up near the sea, he became fascinated with the boats that were essential to island life. While a student at Eagleswood Military Academy, New Jersey, from 1861-1864, he purchased the “Hornet” for a mere $2.00, the first of many boats he was to own. He briefly attended Columbia University and then participated in a number of business and yachting adventures. In 1874, he encountered William Brickell off of the coast of Staten Island, a meeting that changed his life. It was from him that Munroe learned more of Biscayne Bay, which he visited for the first time in 1877. Following the death of his wife Eva in 1882, Munroe decided to make Coconut Grove his permanent home in 1886, and purchased the future site of The Barnacle Historic State Park. He founded the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club in 1887 and became the club’s first Commodore, a position he held for twenty-two years. In 1903, he and his friend Tom Hine established a resort called Camp Biscayne. Munroe’s autobiography, The Commodore’s Story, was published in 1930 and was one of the few first-hand accounts existing of pioneer days in Miami-Dade County. Munroe died on August 20, 1933, aged 82. VINCENT GILPIN (1874-1962) was a lifelong friend of Ralph Middleton Monroe, with whom he co-authored The Commodore’s Story. Gilpin was also the author of The Cruise of the Seminole Among the Florida Keys, March 10-April 5, 1905 (1905) and The Good Little Ship (1952).

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Commodore’s Story
• Authors: Ralph Middleton Munroe, Vincent Gilpin
• Publisher: Papamoa Press, 2018
• ISBN: 1789125677, 9781789125672
• Length: 351 pages
• Subjects: History / Military / United States; History / United States / 20th Century; History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877); History / Wars & Conflicts / General