FLVC logo

Broward County Government Records, 1910-1999

 

Summary

Abstract:
The Broward County Government Records include historical records produced by parts of the Broward County government dating back to the creation of the county in 1915.
Extent:
240 Linear Feet
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Broward County Government Records Collection, Broward County Historical Archives, Broward County Library.

Background

Scope and content:

The Broward County Government Records contain historical records created and used by offices, departments, and divisions within the Broward County Government. The majority of the records date from 1915 to 1960, and others date to as late as 1999. The records include correspondence, financial statements, budgets, engineering surveys, voter registrations, probate records, plats, and many other materials. The largest collection of materials comes from the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) and includes arrest index ledgers, criminal docket ledgers, records of search and seizure, and mugshots dating from 1915 to the 1950s. Other significant resources within this collection include the Engineering Office records, Supervisor of Elections office records, Clerk of Courts records, Property Appraiser's records, Port Authority records, and Tax Collector records.

Biographical / historical:

The Florida Legislature created Broward County on April 30, 1915 out of portions of Palm Beach County and Dade County. As a result, the pre-1915 Broward County records are transcripts or facsimiles of records from those two counties. Many of the first county offices were established in the former Fort Lauderdale School building on Andrews Avenue, which became the first county courthouse.

The first Broward County Board of Commissioners in 1915 included Alexander Buchanan Lowe, J. J. Joyce, Isaac I. I Hardy, William L. Bracknell, and Charles E. Ingalls. The other county officials included H. C. Davis (County Engineer), Aden Waterman Turner (Sheriff), William O. Berryhill (Tax Collector), Quince Bryan (Tax Assessor) Jim Holding (School Superintendent), Frank Bryan (Secretary), G. A. Frost (Prosecuting Attorney), and Wilfred Evans (County Attorney).

The Broward County government has changed in organization and in the naming of various offices, divisions and departments. The names used in the finding aid are the historical names of the organizations during the time that they created and used the records.

Historical Broward County government records are periodically transferred to the Broward County Historical Archives by various departments and divisions within the Broward County Government.

The largest transfer of records to the Historical Archives occurred in 1983 when the second Broward County Courthouse (built 1926-1928) was demolished. The government records stored in the courthouse tower were inventoried by the Broward County Historical Commission (BCHC) and moved into the BCHC collections (now the Broward County Historical Archives).

Acquisition information:
Various departments, divisions, and offices within the Broward County Government transferred the materials in this collection to the Broward County Historical Commission between 1978 and 2012. Additions to the Broward County Government Records are expected by the Broward County Historical Archives at the Broward County Library.
Processing information:

This collection is currently being processed. The entire collection has received, at a minimum, record series level processing. Some parts of the collection have received file-level processing or item-level processing.

The collection was processed at the container level by Erin Purdy in February 2025. The Broward County WWI Guard Records series was processed at the item level by Erin Purdy in April 2019. The Aviation Department series was processed at the file level by Erin Purdy in October 2025. The Broward Sheriff's Office Correspondence series was processed at the file level by Sadie Darling in January 2026.

This finding aid will be updated to reflect new descriptions as well as acquisitions to the collection.

Arrangement:

The Broward County Government Records are organized into the following series:

Broward County Tax Collector records

Broward County WWI Guard Records

Broward County Supervisor of Elections records

Broward Sherriff's Office records

Broward County Board of Commissioners records

Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Drainage District records

Broward County Clerk of Courts records

Broward County Engineering Department records

Broward County Road Department records

Water Management Division photographs

Broward County Property Appraiser's Office records

Broward County Port Authority/Port Everglades Authority records

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The Broward County Government Records are open for research.

Preferred citation:

Broward County Government Records Collection, Broward County Historical Archives, Broward County Library.

Location of this collection:
Broward County Historical Archives, Broward County Library
100 S. Andrews Avenue
Fort Lauderdale
FL
33301
USA