Opa-Locka, Florida

USA / Florida / Opa-locka /
The name Opa-locka is a contraction of the Native Americans' name for the area, “Opa-tisha-woka-locka”, meaning "The high land north of the little river on which there is a camping place." Opa-locka has the largest collection of Moorish architecture in the Western hemisphere.

Opa-locka was founded by aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss in 1926. Curtiss originally called the city Opa-tisha-woka-locka, but quickly shortened the name to Opa-locka. Curtiss developed the city with a Moorish architecture theme. While the 1926 Miami hurricane badly damaged the city and brought the Florida land boom to a halt, the surviving Moorish-style buildings continue to give Opa-locka a unique look.

www.opalockafl.gov
www.city-data.com/city/Opa-locka-Florida.html
www.miamiandbeaches.com/visitors/opalocka.asp
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opa-locka,_Florida
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   25°53'48"N   80°15'6"W
This article was last modified 12 years ago