Ernest Kouwen-Hoven
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Ernest Kouwen-Hoven came to the U.S at the age of 20 from Holland. He was married by 1908 when his son, Jack, was born. His daughter, Phylis followed in 1910. In 1915, he arrived in Melbourne, Florida from California with his wife, and 2 children, Jack and Phylis. He purchased land and platted it in 1916, thus founding Indialantic, Florida. The plat was later revised in 1919. In the same year, he began construction of his toll bridge across the Indian River. The original land sales office for Indialantic, Florida was along Front Street in Melbourne that burned in 1919. During construction of his bridge he set up three sawmills throughout Brevard County, Florida. The first one was in Melbourne Village, the second in Merritt Island and the last one 5 miles west of Grant, Florida. In 1921 his bridge was complete.
In 192x, he along with Charles Steward, Claud Edge, L. G. McDowell, F.C. Powell, and Ernest Every created the Melbourne Golf Course and Country Clib in 1920. It is now the Melbourne Municipal Golf Course. In 1925, a prehistoric body of a human, dubbed the "Melbourne Man" was found here. The site can be seen from the ball fields of the Florida Air Academy.
In 1923, he built a house in 1923. The house was part of what was to become Magnolia Park subdivision, but it never materialized. Parts of the original plat have been replatted, including Magnolia Manor. This house was purchased by a Robert Widrig and added 2 wings and called it the Lincoln Hotel. It ultimately failed and was revitalized as the Barcelona in 1957. The property was sold to the Florida Air Academy in 1963.
His wife dedicated the second bridge across the Indian River between Melbourne and Indialantic.
References
- Melbourne Bicentennial Book. Noreda B. McKemy and Elaine Murray Stone. Library of Congress 76-020298.
- Melbourne Beach and Indialantic. Frank J. Thomas. Tempus Publishing, Inc. 1999
- Melbourne and Eau Gallie. Karen Raley and Ann Raley Flott. Arcadia Publishing. 2002. ISBN 0738514179.
- [Brevard County Property Appraiser. Plat Book 6, Page 74. 1926 Magonlia Park]
- [Brevard County Property Appraiser. Plat Book 11, Page 78. 1956 Magnolia Manor]
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