Once a month on the first Monday, meetings are held in the North Miami Public Library conference room. The GNMHS is a group of devoted members who were born, raised, or lived in North Miami. Each member dedicates their time to protecting the collection of historical records.  The goal is to have majority of North Miami’s historical documentations digitized as well as visuals displayed for the public to visit and become aware of how much growth the City has in contrast to the past.

“Basically what we’re doing is going from a storage room to an archive,” said Blair Conner GNMHS director. Conner who once was a county server of North Miami, says that the collection is a big room with filing cabinets, photos, stories, magazines, and all kinds of history that sort of been put into order to transform the collection into an actual archive.

Because many of the directors in the GNMHS have lived in North Miami for years, they feel it is imperative that the soon to be archive is available to its people. Specifically, Joan Quinn a 91-year-old who has been a resident since she was born. Quinn is the eldest director of GNMHS. Quinn’s family has major historical background in North Miami; her father founded the First Church of North Miami, a congregational church for all people.

“It was just a little tiny town when I was growing up. Now it’s just a big, big city . It’s been an interesting life,” said Quinn. Quinn also says how important it is for the city of North Miami to have that exposure of the transitioning and growth of the City.

Once the archive is finished GNMHS will have a goal achieved. Shedding light on the past and present. The archive will consist of images, collectives, and stories that some of the residents of North Miami were not aware of.

To join the Greater North Miami Historical Society, visit www.northmiamihistory.com  

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