A Brief History of Hialeah, Florida

Hialeah's Indian name, means "High Prairie,", and in 1921, 'high prairie' caught the eye of pioneer aviator Glenn Curtiss and Missouri cattleman James H. Bright, who saw its great potential. Even in the early 20s, Hialeah was an eventful place to be, with events such as Spanish sport of jai-alai and greyhound racing. The city was incorporated in 1925, the same year as the opening of Hialeah Park as a horse track. Some of our nation~{!/~}s greatest have their roots in Hialeah, such as knuckle ball pitcher Charlie Hough; fast ball pitcher Alex Fernandez; outfielder John Cangelosi; pro-football player Vince Kendrick; space shuttle Columbia astronaut Ken Mattingly; and popular vocalists K.C. of K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Terry Desario, and John Secada just to name a few. Hialeah has grown at a rate faster than most of the ten largest cities in the State of Florida since the 1960~{!/~}s, and is now Florida~{!/~}s fifth-largest city, with more than 236,000 residents.