In June of 1966, word went out on Key Biscayne that Marilynn Riviere’s rare cockatoo was loose. She gathered a few neighborhood children and summoned the Key Biscayne Volunteer Fire Department for a tall ladder. The bird had been perched on her shoulder for a Sunday afternoon walk when it flew away.
Key Biscayne in those days was a freer place, populated by adventure seekers who weren’t intimidated by the swarms of mosquitoes, limited amenities, and the challenges of living on an island connected to the mainland by a drawbridge. It was a tight-knit community, and many families never locked their doors.
Many early settlers were known to have colorful personalities. Old-timers who recall Ms. Riviere often describe her as unconventional – some might even say eccentric – and stories of her escapades on the island still abound.
A former debutante and the daughter of a U.S. Congressman, she was raised outside of Washington D.C. but settled on the Key with her two young sons, in search of a warmer climate. She purchased three adjacent Mackle houses on Glenridge and Fernwood and fashioned them into a compound of sorts. Bruce Matheson remembers seeing an ostrich in her backyard.
She used to drive an old fire engine around the island, clanging the bell while delighted school children paraded behind on bicycles. Mark Spradley recalls that she took out the front wall of one of her houses, installed French doors, and would park the fire truck in the middle of the living room.
She was an accomplished equestrienne who began showing horses at the age of six. She leased space on the old Matheson Coconut Plantation property for her horses, often inviting friends to meet her at the barn for a ride down the beach.
A passionate animal lover, she started a Tailwaggers Club in Washington D.C. and, for a while, co-hosted a live television show that featured stories about domestic animals. Each week, one lucky caller was selected to win a new pet.
Always keen on adventure, she learned to fly helicopters at a young age. Because she was diminutive in stature, special extensions were installed so she could reach the controls. Her poodle, Sinner, often sat on her lap as she flew.
She was the first woman in the United States to earn a helicopter instructor’s license. During World War II, she gave flight lessons to military personnel. She reportedly once piloted a helicopter from Florida to California. When she and the mechanic who accompanied her got hungry, they’d land for a hamburger.
Susan Loveland shares a story that her grandfather told her. Once, on a blazing hot summer day, he was enjoying a cold beer in the Keyhole, a bar that sat near the intersection of Crandon and Harbor Drive. The front door swung open and there sat a bikini-clad Ms. Riviere atop her magnificent horse, Bright Prospect. She ordered a pint of beer for herself and a bucket of beer for her horse before riding off down Crandon.
After she left Key Biscayne, she remained very active in the equestrian community and developed numerous properties in the Northeast. She passed away in 1998.
Do you recall other colorful characters from Key Biscayne? If so we’d love to hear from you. Reach us at kblighterside@gmail.com.
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