Found 143 blog entries tagged as History.

In 1955, author Charles Martyn asked a local bridge keeper to describe the area that is now the Village of Tequesta. The keeper described it as “a jungle.” This intrigued Martyn who then decided to take the bridge keeper on his boat and have him show him the interesting area. After traveling along the Intracoastal, Martyn fell in love with the beauty of the area and its potential. He purchased 86 acres on Jupiter Island and developed upon it the Jupiter Inlet Colony.

While excavating, Martyn’s workers dug up a Native American mound full of artifacts. Martyn has the contents researched and it was discovered the mound belonged to an encampment of Tequesta Indians. The Tequesta Tribe lived in present-day Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties…

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The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were a series of three battles between the Seminole Indians and the U.S. military from 1816-1858. They were the longest, most expensive Indian wars in U.S. history both monetarily and in human lives lost. 

They began in the early 18th century when General Andrew Jackson led excursions on the north and west sides of Florida, forcing the Seminoles and other tribes to move to one large preservation in the center of the state. The government began building forts and trading posts in native territories enforcing the movement of the Indians by treaty. Their resistance began the First Seminole War in 1816.

In 1830 the Indian Removal Act sparked the second war as it required all natives to move to…

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On January 14, 1914, the very first scheduled passenger airline took off from South Florida.  The airline was based between St. Petersburg and Tampa. This commercial airline service began offering flights between the two cities.  The airline carrier was known as the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line.

The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line was a very brief lived venture.  However, the very first paying passenger was the notable Mayor of St. Petersburg, Abram C. Phell.  Reportedly, the flight lasted 23 minutes and spanned 21 miles.  The aircraft made use of an airboat that could take off and land in the water. Just four short months later the airline venture shut down but smoothed a path for what would become daily transcontinental flights.

Palm…

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The iconic Palm Beach Island’s Flagler Museum is now open for tours and special events. The Museum opened their doors to the public earlier this month.

The grand estate is one of the most famous landmarks and homes on Palm Beach Island. The Flagler Museum, formally known as Whitehall, is a grand estate that features more than 100,000 square feet filled with some of the most important Palm Beach history.

The home was commission by the American Industrialist Henry Flagler as a wedding gift to his wife Mary. Flagler, the founder of Standard Oil commissioned John Carrere and Thomas Hastings to build and design the grand estate. Hastings and Carrere were also the architects for other famous landmarks such as the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City and…

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One of Palm Beach Island’s most popular attraction, The Flagler Museum is planning to reopen their doors to visitors on Tuesday, June 9th.

The museum is planning to have reduced hours and signs in the museum to ensure the safety of all who visit. The Flagler Museum’s new hours starting June 9th will be Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. All visitors will be required to pre-purchase General Admission tickets using a credit card or pay-pay online. Tickets will be limited to 4 tickets per purchase.

The Museum is also planning on adopting a timed entry. Visitors will be required when purchasing tickets online to choose a time they plan to arrive.  Museum members still have access to free admission but will be required to provide a time on when…

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Many people don’t know that John Lennon once bought a house on Palm Beach. Although the famous Beatle never got to live in the house, he and his wife Yoko Ono planned to move to South Florida prior to his tragic death.

The stunning home, currently listed for $47.5 million, is one of Palm Beach’s many architectural achievements.

The seven-bedroom home was, according to Architectural Digest, originally built in 1919 by famed architect Addison Mizner and has been substantially upgraded since then, though it still retains such noteworthy period details as hand-stenciled ceilings and coquina stone accents. Photos show a lavish living room anchored by an oversize, carved-mantel fireplace, with a wall of windows facing the water.

One unusual…

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The Palm Beach Island grand estate and museum is offering virtual tours for you to tour the museum and estate in the comfort of your own home.  The Flagler Museum, formally known as Whitehall is an elegant estate that features more than 100,000 square feet that is filled with some of Palm Beach Island’s most important history. 

The elegant mansion features white marble columns and a red barrel roof overlooking the intercostal located just off of Cocoanut Row.  The estate features a large central courtyard, a full basement, two full stories plus an attic, the original fence built in 1901, ten antique clocks still working today and more than 75 rooms. The home features antiques, artwork and the history of the Gilded Age and Henry Flagler, known to be…

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The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse sits on top of a midden shell mound on the northern side of the Jupiter Inlet. The location in Jupiter was chosen in 1853 when Congress authorized the construction. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is located between the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse to the north and the Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse to the south. 

The Jupiter Lighthouse project was assigned and designed to George Gordon Meade, a young Army Lieutenant. The Lighthouse was one of six Florida lighthouses assigned to Meade before being completed under the supervision of Lieutenant William Raynolds. Raynolds improved the final design by increasing the height of the lighthouse tower to 105 feet and doubled the masonry wall for protection. 

The Lighthouse tower was…

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The Historical Society of Palm Beach County is a non-profit organization whose mission is to collect, preserve and share the history of Palm Beach County. The Society maintains a large library on the history of Palm Beach County, Florida and the Caribbean.

Through the Society's archives, which include nearly two million photographic images, maps, newspapers, journals, periodicals, architectural drawings, and research files, they have maintained an active research facility and documents the people and events that have shaped Palm Beach County.

The Historical Society also has multiple educational programs and initiatives that contribute significantly to the interest of local students in the history of Palm Beach County.

  • When: The Museum is…

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Here are some fun facts about Palm Beach County that you may not know.

Ocean & Beaches

The county has 47 miles of pristine Atlantic coastline with a close proximity to the Gulf Stream which gives the ocean a nice refreshing temperature year-round. A diver's dream, there are 20 natural reefs to explore near the shoreline plus dozens of artificial reefs and shipwrecks. The Atlantic coast is nicknamed the Gold Coast because of shipwrecks dating back to the 1800s which still lures treasure hunters in search of gold from sunken Spanish galleons. North Palm Beaches are important sea turtle nesting sites with anywhere from 14-17,000 nests counted every season. The four-mile stretch of Singer Island alone accounts for 5 percent of the world's Loggerhead…

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