History Fort Lauderdale, proud steward of our community’s past by making our heritage accessible and engaging to residents and visitors, is shining a spotlight on local pioneering families who have shaped our diverse city. Beginning April 30, the attraction will house “Your Story is Our Story,” an anniversary preservation collaborative initiative and photo exhibition. Through modern visual storytelling, History Fort Lauderdale will present the backgrounds, cultural traditions, and personal stories of Fort Lauderdale’s past and present residents. An opening reception will take place on Sunday, April 30, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the New River Inn Museum of History building on History Fort Lauderdale’s campus. The exhibit runs through May 31.

Over 15 families will be showcased in “Your Story is Our Story.” Through photographs and personal effects, visitors will learn about families including the Dallas Family whose Broward County lounge hosted legendary entertainers including Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, the Bengochea Family, represented through Arturo Bengochea’s entrepreneurial ventures and historic role as Cuba’s first commissioner of baseball, and the Smith Family, featuring Shelby and Louisa Gutierrez-Gonzalez Smith’s love story and partnership in operating 19 Florida pharmacies. Visitors will also learn about the Striggles Family and Willie James Striggles, the first African American male nurse in Broward County, the Cheaney Family who arrived in 1919 and patriarch NB Cheaney who rose to prominence on the financial scene serving as first president of the First Federal Savings and Loan Association after establishing it alongside fellow Fort Lauderdale pioneers George English and C.H. Lindfors and was a founding board member of the Landmark Bank, the Oliver Family and many more inspiring stories.