Stranahan House was the hone of Ivy Cromartie, the first teacher in the New River Settlement, which later became Ft. Lauderdale. Ivy came at the age of 18 from Lemon City, Florida (now North Miami) to teach nine children in a one room school house.
Painting of Stranahan House as it appears today.
Ivy only taught for one year. After her marriage to Frank Stranahan, she was no longer entitled to teach. Married women at the time were not allowed to hold a teaching job. It was felt that they would be taking the job away from a man or unmarried woman. Ivy continued to fulfill her passion for teaching by working with Seminole children on the wide porches of her riverfront home. Using picture books, she taught the young Seminoles basic words in English with hopes that they would one day be able to communicate with English speakers in the growing New River settlement. A replica of Ivy's one room school house stands today near the New River in the area of SW 2nd Avenue and SW 2nd Street.
 A picture of Ivy Julia Cromartie at the age of 18 when she came to teach at the New River settlement. |
