West Palm Beach Florida History

Prior to habitation by white settlers during the Civil War, Florida’s wilderness on the east coast were known by the Timucuan and Tequesta Indians. Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century. Settlers’ during 1873-1893 built homes of palmetto fronds and survived through mosquitoes, wildcats and hurricanes. West Palm Beach was founded in 1894 when Henry Flagler, the railroad and oil baron, established a community for his construction workers to live while building the Royal Poinciana Hotel and Whitehall, his marble palace. Within 20 years, the area became of the most lavish resort towns in Florida. The area was also a farm town, growing pineapples, coconut palms, and sugar cane. A number of historic districts were established within West Palm Beach such as the Belair, Central Park, Clematis Street, El Cid, Grandview Heights, and Flamingo Park developed during the real estate boom of the 1920s when wealthy northern businessmen and investors built extravagant winter homes. The land boom came to a halt in 1926, compounded by the destructive hurricanes of 1926 and 1928. Between 1929 and 1930, property values dropped in half. It wasn’t until WWI that West Palm Beach’s economy began to revive. With fear of German U-boats offshore, hotels were turned into barracks for the military, and the nearby Morrison Airfield became a pilot training facility. After the war, many servicemen returned to make West Palm Beach their home. The 1960s and ‘70s saw a growth in business and communities. The city continues to grow and prosper.