Carl G. Fisher

Carl Graham Fisher (January 12, 1874 -July 15, 1939) was an American entrepreneur. Overcoming a sensory disability (sight-impairment), he became a pioneer of the automotive, auto racing, and real estate development industries.

Related Topics:
January 12 - 1874 - July 15 - 1939 - American - Entrepreneur - Disability - Automotive - Auto racing - Real estate

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Regarded as a promotional genius for most of his life, he was a bicycle enthusiast and became involved in bicycle and later auto racing. After being injured in stunts, he helped develop paved racetracks and roadways. An Indiana native, Fisher helped organize the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and operated what is believed to be the first automobile dealership in the United States. He helped develop the Lincoln Highway, the first paved transcontinental east-west highway in the United States, and the Dixie Highway, which extended from the mid-western U.S. to Florida.

Related Topics:
Bicycle - Indiana - Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Automobile dealership - United States - Lincoln Highway - Dixie Highway - Florida

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At the south end of the Dixie Highway, Fisher became involved in the successful real estate development of the resort city of Miami Beach. By 1926, he was worth an estimated $100 million. His final project, cut short by the Great Depression, was a "Miami Beach of the north" at Montauk, located at the eastern tip of Long Island, New York.

Related Topics:
Real estate - Miami Beach - 1926 - Great Depression - Montauk - Long Island - New York

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Although he lost his fortune in the U.S. Stock Market Crash of 1929, and later considered himself a failure, Fisher is widely regarded as a very successful man. He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1971. In a 1998 study judged by a panel of 56 historians, writers, and others, Carl G. Fisher was named one of the 50 Most Influential People in the history of the State of Florida by The Ledger newspaper. PBS labeled him "Mr. Miami Beach." Fisher Island, just south of Miami Beach, is named for him.

Related Topics:
Stock Market Crash of 1929 - Automotive Hall of Fame - PBS - Fisher Island

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