Figure 2.
It was the “Kerosene Era” and
John D. Rockefeller and his
partners learned to turn a byproduct of sticky oil into liquid gold. There was one partner who shone above the rest
– Henry Flagler, who Rockefeller himself credited with
the distinction of being the
brains behind the operation
that made Standard Oil into
the wealthiest private company
in the world and the first major
multi-state operation.
Figure 1.
Figure 1. Henry Flagler painting by R. Madrazo, 1899. Charles Lockwood, The Breakers A Century of Grand Traditions (The Breakers Palm Beach, Inc., 2004) Forward
Figure 2. Standard Oil Refinery No. 1 in Cleveland, Ohio, 1899. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Oil
Figure 1.
When most young men and
women were heeding the call to
“go west”, a few ventured south
to the last known frontier on the
mainland of the United States.
Here few roads (and even fewer
railroad tracks) lay in the endless length of swamps, prairies
and lakes that formed what was
then known as “La Florida”. In
this wilderness, Flagler would reinvent himself as the undisputed
father of our newest state.
Figure 2.
Figure 1. The Styx. Charles Lockwood, The Breakers A Century of Grand Traditions (The Breakers Palm Beach, Inc., 2004) p. 7
Figure 2. Waterway swamps. Seth Bramson, Historic Photos of Palm Beach County (Turner Publishing Company, 2007) p. 16-17
Figure 1.
With a warmer climate to soothe the effects of his first wife’s tuberculosis, Flagler visited Florida. From Jacksonville, he took a
small boat trip down the St. John’s River to St. Augustine. He discovered the magical charm of the old world remotely hidden
from the modern one. With a vow to change that, Flagler retired
from Standard Oil to reinvent himself as Florida’s premier hotelier
with his construction of the Ponce De Leon Hotel. His innovative building style that used poured concrete construction began
a revolution in large scale and quickly built structures. Soon after,
America’s elite would start arriving to partake in the sun and fun.
Figure 1. Ponce de Leon Hotel. Seth Bramson, Historic Photos of Palm Beach County (Turner Publishing Company, 2007) p. 19
With the success of St. Augustine, Flagler pushed southward
opening up trackless lands to
farming and real-estate. Communities such as Ormond Beach,
Daytona, Juno and others would
be birthed by the iron rail connection to the outside world.
The growth culminated with
West Palm Beach, where Flagler
vowed to stop and build his retirement home (Whitehall) and
one of the largest wooden buildings in the world (the Royal
Poinciana) in Palm Beach.
Figure 1.
Figure 1. Palm Beach Inn. Charles Lockwood, The Breakers A Century of Grand Traditions (The Breakers Palm Beach, Inc., 2004) p. 22
Figure 1.
In 1896, Flagler commissioned Alexander H. Findlay to design
Florida’s first golf course, The Ocean Course.
When The Ocean Course
first opened it had sand
greens; grass wouldn’t be
added until the course was
redesigned in the 1920s.
Considered the “Father of
American Golf ”, Findlay had
130 courses to his name. Of
them, 7 are in Florida with
many on Flagler’s properties.
Figure 2.
Figure 1. Ocean Course 1904. Charles Lockwood, The Breakers A Century of Grand Traditions (The Breakers Palm Beach, Inc., 2004) p. 74
Figure 2. http://alexanderfindlay.com/gallery
On August 24th, 1901, Henry Flagler married his third wife, Mary
Lily Kenan, whose family still retains ownership of The Breakers.
Flagler’s wedding present to his
new bride was the 75-room Gilded Age mansion, named Whitehall.
The couple moved in during February of 1902.
Figure 1.
After Mary’s death in 1917, the mansion was sold to investors
and converted into a hotel that operated from 1925-1959. Henry
Flagler’s granddaughter, Jean Flagler Matthews learned that the
mansion was to be torn down. She formed a nonprofit corporation, the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, to purchase the property in 1959. On February 6, 1960, Whitehall was again opened
to the public and is still in operation today as a museum.
Figure 2.
Figure 1. www.flaglermuseum.us/images/stories/general_images/henry_morrison_flagler_museum_facade.jpg
Figure 2. http://www.flagler.org/
Figure 1.
Hurricanes have been a part of
Florida living since the beginning,
but the state has had its share of
major hurricanes. The Great Miami
Hurricane of 1926 had flooding
and destruction that was felt as far
north as Palm Beach. Other major
storms that hit Palm Beach included 1928 and 1947, each causing immeasurable damage to the island
and its coastal neighbors.
Figure 2.
The damaged caused by the
1926 and 1928 hurricanes
helped push Florida into experiencing effects of the
Great Depression earlier than
other parts of the country.
Figure 3.
Figure 1. 1926 Hurricane. Seth Bramson, Historic Photos of Palm Beach County (Turner Publishing Company, 2007) p. 83
Figure 2. Photograph of 1926 Great Miami Hurricane. Boggs Private Collection
Figure 1. 1926 Hurricane. Seth Bramson, Historic Photos of Palm Beach County (Turner Publishing Company, 2007) p. 84-85
The growing popularity of the island nation of Palm Beach spilled
over from seasonal visits to actual full time residents, businesses and
mansions – all of which needed the infrastructure of a workforce.
Across the lake, in the area which used to be known as “the Styx”
the city of West Palm was growing. Many of the employees for Palm
Beach businesses lived in West Palm. Bridges replaced ferries and
hard packed roads replaced muddy bogs to aid in transporting both
tourists and workers onto the island.
Figure 1.
To cope with the enormous popularity of The Breakers,
The Circle was added in 1928.
Figure 2.
Figure 1. Circle construction. Charles Lockwood, The Breakers A Century of Grand Traditions (The Breakers Palm Beach, Inc., 2004) p. 62
Figure 2. Circle construction. Charles Lockwood, The Breakers A Century of Grand Traditions (The Breakers Palm Beach, Inc., 2004) p. 63
Figure 1.
A unique full time visitor swept through the halls and golf links of
The Breakers when America was thrust into World War II. The property was transformed into the US Army’s Ream General Hospital.
Another host to the military was
Morrison Field which was used
by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. The airfield was
used for training and later as a
staging base for the Allied invasion of France, with numerous
aircraft departing Morrison en
route to the United Kingdom in
order to take part in the D-Day
invasion of Normandy.
Figure 3.
With sand between the toes of soldiers stationed on
the grounds as well as the legion of health professionals staffing the hospital, many made Palm Beach
their permanent post war home.
Figure 1 & 3. Paradise in Peril: World War II in Palm Beach County. Johnson History Museum and Historical Society of Palm Beach County. (December 7, 2011 - August 18, 2012)
Figure 1.
The 1950’s and 60’s saw massive expansion of Palm Beach County.
Florida’s first turnpike was built, allowing easy access for tourists
and residents to go from Miami to Fort Pierce with Palm Beach
serving as a major hub. Between 1949 and 1959 four new cities
spawned out of the once quiet Palm Beach. The beautiful weather
and steady climate also lured businesses like Pratt & Whitney to
the county, contributing millions to the economy.
Figure 1.
Ripley’s Junk, the Mon Lei, was often
seen in Lake Worth. Robert Ripley of
“Believe it or Not” fame purchased the
junk 1946. Its name means “infinity.”
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Figure 1. 1956 Florida’s first Turnpike. Seth Bramson, Historic Photos of Palm Beach County (Turner Publishing Company, 2007) p. 173
Figure 2. Ripley’s Junk, the Mon Lei. Seth Bramson, Historic Photos of Palm Beach County (Turner Publishing Company, 2007) p. 146
Figure 3. Elsie Anders and Florence Lainhart 1946. Seth Bramson, Historic Photos of Palm Beach County (Turner Publishing Company, 2007) p. 124
Figure 1.
The Everglades Club, built in 1918, staged weekly luncheon fashion
shows where the latest clothes from around the world were paraded on enormous runways. Elizabeth Arden, Sarah Fredericks, Martha’s, Bonwit Teller and Saks would take turns outfitting the shows,
representing the latest fashions from Paris and New York. Inspired
by what they saw, those in attendance would shop afterward.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Worth Avenue now boasts more
than 200 shops, offering everything from world-class designer
jewelry, clothing and shoes to
internationally acclaimed paintings and antiques. Among the
oldest retailers on Worth Avenue is Kassatly’s Linens, establishing their business in 1926
and still thriving today.
Figure 2.
Figure 1. Worth Ave. Seth Bramson, Historic Photos of Palm Beach County (Turner Publishing Company, 2007) p. 125
Figure 2. http://www.worth-avenue.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.avenuename&
Figure 3. Worth Ave. Seth Bramson, Historic Photos of Palm Beach County (Turner Publishing Company, 2007) p. 194
According to early settler accounts,
Palm Beach received its name from a
shipwreck named the “Providencia.”
The ship washed ashore in January of
1878 with a load of cocoanuts bound
from Havana to Barcelona.
Figure 1.
Palm Beach was incorporated on April 17, 1911. In
1929, the Garden Club of
Palm Beach joined the Town
and formally sponsored the
preparation of a Town Plan.
After over 70 years of graceful evolution, the Town today has a Strategic Plan and
a Comprehensive Plan which
guide continuing efforts to
preserve the quality and
beauty of Palm Beach.
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Notable residents of Palm Beach have
included: Marjorie Merriweather Post,
E.F. Hutton, Donald Trump, Michael
Jackson, Vera Wang, and Rod Stewart.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Figure 1. http://palmbeachcentennial.com/a-history-lesson/
Figure 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Beach,_Florida
Figure 3. palmbeachcentennial.com/photos/