The late South Florida and Palmetto Bay pioneer Clyde F. Hinson was recognized for his place in area history by having part of SW 90th Avenue co-named for him.
In a formal ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 9000 SW 174 St., where Hinson’s home-stead had been located, his daughter Carolyn Hinson Thiele; her husband, Ralph W. Thiele, and village officials gathered to unveil a street sign bearing Hinson’s name.
Ralph W. Thiele explained his father-inlaw’s place in local history in an interview.
“Clyde Hinson lived at the corner there for 50 years, lived in Perrine all of his life and was born in 1915,” Ralph Thiele said. “His family were all raised here and went to school here — Perrine Elementary and then on to Ponce Junior High and Senior High. He was a Realtor and a pioneer in the area, and was a mango farmer along with Tommy Mitchell. They were best friends. He passed away in June of 1996.”
Thiele said that Hinson was a WWII veteran, having served in the Army Air Corps as an engineer and mechanic, flying B-17s out of Homestead. He made many trips ferrying them over to Africa for the European Theater and also took them over for the Pacific Theater.
Another local pioneer, Karl Wulf, who just celebrated his 90th birthday, petitioned to have the street dedicated to Clyde Hinson because he helped so many people in the area, Thiele said.
“He anonymously gave scholarships to young people, helped many people get into their first homes doing private loans and business loans that got a lot of people started doing business in the area,” Thiele said.
“When banks wouldn’t turn the corner, Clyde did it. He trusted people and he knew people. He was always working deals to help people get started. He always liked to see small business go. He was also on the Perrine city council when Perrine first became a village way back in the ’50s.”
According to Thiele, Hinson was very low key. He did not like any fanfare or recognition.
“He was always in the background and he always had other people do his giving,” Thiele said. “He was not a boaster. He lived very conservatively. He didn’t like to bring a lot of attention to himself. He probably wouldn’t like having a street named for him, but Karl Wulf and some of the other pioneers felt so strongly about it they went ahead and petitioned to it and said, ‘He deserves it.’ His father brought the family down from Lemon City, which was part of downtown Miami, with three brothers and two sisters, by ox and wagon down Old Cutler Road, which was the old stagecoach road that went right past the Deering Estate.”
Thiele also said that Hinson worked in his younger days as a newspaper carrier and delivered papers to Mr. Deering on Old Cutler Road, and made sure he went by on Saturdays to get paid since Deering would give him a 10-cent tip then. He also delivered groceries from a grocery store on Richmond Drive and Old Cutler Road.
Following the ceremony on the corner, those attending were invited to the Thiele home for light refreshments.
