Early VG History (1924–1951) A black-and-white photo from 1950 shows two children holding their new kitten and puppy in front of a house on the edge of Miami International Airport property. Beside them is a sleek Tennessee Walking Horse named Ebony. The children are Barbara, and their brother Ken Wilde, yours truly at 5 years old — who grew up during a unique chapter of local history. That house, once home to Virginia Gardens Mayor H. E. Hardy, was the last residence on airport property, before expansion forced all others out. It offers a personal link to the story of how Virginia Gardens was formed and how it survived against the odds. In 1919, wealthy landowner Bert R. Chaplin moved from San...