1950 We-Kiva Jungle Cruise Map of Fort Lauderdale and Environs

A colorful piece of Florida history, this is a c. 1950 map and brochure for the 'jungle cruise' We-Kiva, published by the company itself. It focuses on roads, waterways, landmarks, and attractions in and around Fort Lauderdale.

A Closer Look

The city of Fort Lauderdale is depicted on the recto, with major roads (including U.S. 1) denoted with thick orange and blue lines. Restaurants, shops, hospitals, and other structures are illustrated, while advertisements for local businesses catering to tourists surround the map. The verso includes a small map of downtown Fort Lauderdale, along with a map and photographs of the route of the Wa-kiva and a list of apartments for rent and hotels.

Fort Lauderdale Jungle Cruises

The Wa-Kiva advertised itself as a 3-hour circular jungle cruise along the 'alligator loop.' Jungle cruises in Fort Lauderdale became a major tourist attraction in the mid-20th century. Though the bottom fell out of the real estate market in the late 1920s, the West Palm Beach-Fort Lauderdale-Miami region remained desirable destinations for tourists and migrants. Jungle cruises followed a typical itinerary, focusing on wildlife, orchards, and a local Seminole Indian 'village.' The selling point of circular cruises was that rather than following the course of the New River out and then retracing back to the coast, the boats routed along the Dania Cut-Off Canal to return to the coast.

Publication History and Census

This map was produced by the company operating the We-Kiva. The copyright is registered to Vernon L. Click, who, according to a 1952 Department of Transportation registry of merchant vessels and yachts, was the We-Kiva dock manager. The map is undated, but the presence of the Pine Crest School on Broward Boulevard and the nearby Gateway Shopping Center preclude a date earlier than 1939. Some other features of the map such as the Lauderdale Harbors housing development suggest a date in the late 1940s or early 1950s. This map is only known to be held by the Broward County Historical Commission and is scarce to the market.