Florida author Cesar A Becerra brings book about former Albury duo helping create Miami to the Border

Cesar A Becerra's enthusiasm is tied to what stood on the corner of Smollett and Townsend streets before the wool store turned Quest hotel was built in 1929.

That was the Exchange Hotel, a pub leased by Albury-raised Mary Bulmer and American William Brickell in the mid-19^th century.

The couple wed in Melbourne before sailing for the US in 1862 and writing their names into the history of Miami's founding.

That's where Mr Becerra enters the fray as a chronicler of the holiday city's past.

He has a written a 237-page book Orange Blossom 2.0 telling of how Mrs Brickell became a co-founder of Miami and his trip to Albury in 2019 to discover Australia's influence on her.

Mr Becerra wrote of seeing Quest and marvelling that it reflected his search and the possibility this site was where the Brickells met and "fell in love, conceived a child, conducted business".

"It could be argued, while unassuming, this is a holy corner," he penned.

"One that had an indelible impact on the future of a little hamlet in Southern Florida."

The title of Mr Becerra's self-published book relates to a legendary story that Miami property owner Julia Tuttle sent orange blossoms to Ohio mogul Henry Flagler to demonstrate her area had avoided a big freeze and was suitable for a railway extension.

"It's a gorgeous story but it didn't happen in that way and the book is about why Mary Brickell was ignored and not given credit as a co-founding mother," Mr Becerra said.

He wrote it after his 2019 visit and the onset of COVID-19 and completed it in time for Miami's 125^th anniversary in July last year.

"The pandemic and the 125^th got together to take away any excuse I had, because I always thought I'd write this book later in life," Mr Becerra said.

It includes descriptions of meeting then Albury and District Historical Society members and president Greg Ryan and being "blown away" at the Brickell detail in Albury that include a Smollett Street building once used as stables by the couple.

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Mr Becerra believes the Brickells gained a "masters degree in building cities" through their time on the Albury frontier and were able to use that knowledge and their fortune to foster Miami.

Americans and the Seminole Native Americans was a result of her Australian roots.

"I believe her generosity and friendship with African-Americans, which was rare in those days - she used to give them micro loans, was probably because of what she saw happening here in dealing with the Aborigines," Mr Becerra said.

"When she died the African-American community was lined up around the block paying respects to her.

"Mary took the fortune that William made her in gold and probably tripled or quadrupled it in real estate," he said.

By the time Mr Flagler extended his railway south, Mrs Brickell had 2500 hectares of prime land.

Mr Becerra said his visit Down Under sparked a Brickell Australian display being set up at Florida International University.

He also said Mrs Brickell's role in forming Miami was more mainstream with a belated obituary of Mrs Tuttle in The New York Times last year acknowledging her fellow female pioneer.

A 1000 copies of Orange Blossom 2.0 were published and two were presented to the Albury library on Wednesday.

PDF and audio versions of the book can be found at the website sofloweird.com which features podcast episodes outlining odd stories in the history of southern Florida.

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