HomeMy WebLinkAbout50th Anniversary Booklet BW 50th I I
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~ Americans. Theoe unfriendly Indians robbed his
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ship of provisions. The explorer |aK]upi,ter very
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North�a�n Beach wasincorporated
diocmura��daft�rom|yafew�m�ks(ID}�
~ ' /g5�2
Au0ust3
~ , Th*yirst pioneers who settled in Florida from
°
Spain
°~° wero��rmmrs,^catM* ranchers, and Historical �ook|et. written by �h�'|»itm DomChiokahng. and published in 2006' is a follow nioUcan° Franciscan omd Jemuit rnissionary
priests, The ships that carried these anmigr
rit
o
up tu 'The 25th Anniversary of the Village of
also carried the stock that |aternoarned Florida
°
North Pu|nm Beach An Official H|sil written
as wild
~~ horses, cattle and hogs
(l by ViUimm Youn�' and published in July, |�8I� notl�xam. hmdthe�ratcowmen �According to Charlotte has been a resident of the Village mEnms
� local himturian Jud8e 8Bailey, t
1980 and a resident of Ror�da since 1860 The h eF|or|�a ranchers
p����d to u�|| th�mma|vee "uu�rnon'
^ riot includes some of 1h� earlier history Of mboyu (lb)our urwm that was not |no|u�e� |n � r Ybun�'s cm
° docunnemt
° Indians Nvina in Florida at this t|meWere
° T|mucum Appa|achee A|S and Tekuota The
, A copy of Mr. Young's dncument was buried in town of " �qmeato |s n' med after the Tckeata
° u timm capsule in front of the library in |��l |n `~ �
~ � � tribe,
° 2006.a mimi|artime capsule with this Historical
°
Booklet will he buried beside it This Booklet
�
includes dates of Palm Beach County events 1Sl3'l763—RctSpanishPwrimdin Florida,
°
that significantly affected our Village lormeho». 176,111783 Brit|ahru|edF|�6dm
� ChaMut�'m hope is that Village residents will take — �
. this Booklet hume and refer toit with pride in our,
~ uonnmuni�1�hich�iUhcnc�orthbo"~^~~dtoms l780 �F|ratmi�r��unuf YA�A�SEE |n�|ansto
~ '~'~'" Florida. Thene |ndians are the, ones we now call
, NFB and Palm Beach County will be mbbrovimied Seminoles Gem|no|e means runaway (10)
(lO)
~ as �BC)� ~ � .
~°^ Charlotte acknowledges the help she received 1819-1845 Ft Lauderdale & Ft. Pierce settled.
from the following l Early Florida statehood..
J~~^ Aubrey, Tad B `` ^' Sc 0o
~~ y Gooding,^ l835
About 1700 Union soldiers marohed~
into
o Lu� McLorm�-Ne|uon, Man Moore,JohnMo/ou� FDvar-~^ d Park 0ooa�dabout 2 miles wes of Chm/|es O"Mei| a. Jack 8chwennk� Ann Burton | 95 ~' |nd|a�own Road inJu�ite0 and were
�d|dn a, °"'' PuUn�). RuyH|U(prou�eadin�)' and
defeated within two weeks by only 700 black
° Dinnnm Craven (layout and des|gn). Seminole amdSemino|e NmtiveAmer|cams. The
°
black Senminn|cs were former southern o|aveo
�
Chapter I who escaped and joined the Florida tribe.
� Next, the |ndian�vunimhed into the »wmmn�H�h /gh�mfSuuihRo/oa^oEany6Yn�mry
~
(/150_1 902) Reinforcerneuto arrived and U.S. troops
^ surrounded a small murmberof Seminoles holed
^~
UP Hun� L d8|~~�h |~l~' d ~|~''� the Florida Atlantic University arch�o|ogiata t�om
~-
Bee Line H�h�my� As the �oupa keptvvatoh.apecu|ot�d that Indian mid�� unppvr/�d hoping to starve
1hm Indians out the numbar
°
around Jupiter Inlet date from SODO BC to 750 of Seminole oamplireodw|nd|ed'each night
� ~ AD. The rote! u|.ition of |ndimms in Florida unti| extinguished. When the soldiers rowed
,
was lV0Q�Qand
. ' their canoes tm the |s|and' a|| tny found was
�OO -^
~ 'ODD� one mkng|e, elderly black 8emino|a wmmanwho
~ had kept the fires alive so that her pmop|ecou|d
l52l �Ponced� Leon christened his newly escape. Si had s1wr°ed to death when the |ast
! °
discovered peninsmUa, Florida, nomed after the
Spanish words Pfire wm�ritomt This land is now passive park
ASCUA FLORIDA�LO�|D&(Possover
Feast the F|m*ers)(6). mmnmG West by City �ui Po|m Beach
~
. ~
~ About20O Seminoles who escaped from the
, I513 Ponce Leon crossed�� Slough, bid in the Everglades and beoamatke i
^ �ohamas into the mouth of the- S1 JohnaR�var '
° � mncestora of the 2600 Seminoles who currenHy �
, and claimed Florida for Spain. Aweek later live between Miami and Naples in a thriving
| " he sailed novthand entered tbeJuPibmr |niet oummunity now supported by casino 8omb||ng'
where hewas met by hostile Florida Native Bingo and their --,'—�lC0.
��
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|ntroduct|on..... .......--_...... .......~........ .............~~.'~'^^~----[� I
Chapter | ............. ------_........ ------__—....... .------p. l
Highlights of South Florida Early History (750-1901)
ChapterU_...----........--_-------......_—_____ ......._~^p. 2
Worth Palm Beach area before inuorporad|on (1924'I965)
�
�
|�
Ownership of North Palm Beaoh ... ....... ...---. ...... ............. ---_P, 5
|
l
/
North Ha|rn Beach History (8/%3/56'2O05)—' .......... ........ _ ... - -p. 5
50th Anniversary Schedule of Events ---_—_---_----...... ........p. 6
�
Chapter |U—........... ........... ._-----_ ......... ..--_.........
—__��� ll
>
�
Settlers of Palm Beach County (1835-1950)
�
�
Demographics of North Palm Beach... ..........._--_--_---- �� 15
�
Refe renoes—................. _—....... ---........ ...... --_— ............ --pa 15
1860...Jupiter lighthouse was lit for the first resort oil Munyon Island and called it the Hygeia
ti€`n1e Hotel, It had five stories;, twenty-orre roams,
all with hot and cold water, eight of which had
1864...Civil War was fought primarily near private bathrooms and he surrounded the hotel
Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Pensacola. with a cocjuiria rock seawall, He paid to install
an underwater pipe item the mainland, which g
1876...Reconstruction, First raulroad in Florida pumped plain water into his "Fountain of YOUth." �
began operation. Munyon claairned that the 'Paw-Paw" elixir
concoction that came from his "sulphur" water
1880—Populahon of Cade County(whsch fountain was a cure for insomnia, indigestion,
included P.B. and Broward Counhes)was 527. nervousness and fatigue... The wealthy ladies
who came by boat from Painn Beach usually
1889-1896...Celestial railroad operated between stayed overnight at the spa for their "cure" and
Juno and Jupiter for a total of 7 1'12 miles and socializing, In 1917 the hotel burned to the
carried freight and passengers (10). The trains ground and was never rebuilt (7). In 1925 the
backed up because there was no way to tarn deed for k1lunyon Island was sold to HARRY g
it around. (6). in the 1.890's Jupiter was the KELSEY for $10. (t 1)
transportation center and Juno was the county
seat of trade County(10) The R.R. tracks
were dismantled in 1894 because Henry Hagler + �uf
extended has €lagler East Coast RR into what is
now called Palm Beach County.
Chapter
North Warns Beach Area Before Incorporation
(1924-55)
1894...Lakkr Park (then known as Silver Beach)
and NPB have connecting histories so I will
be skipping back and forth between these two
adjoining cornnnUnavaes in this chapter. There
was a RR passenger station shed where RCA.
Boulevard (formerly Monet Road)rneets A1,A. "Tire H pep a Bitter on Mu.-t ianu-r
.phis was known as Prairie Siding, and cattle, p
tin-aber arid produce were shipped from this spat t8� a .L eke park. formerly known as Kelsey
(4), There was a small settlement around this City/SlIver Reach began w th a warranty deed
siding(3), iii the form of a trust frorn the State. of Florida
S ( ) that was given to ALBERT SAWYER with the
1895...The first pioneer of European heritaage recluirernent that he improve, cultivate or sell
to be on record and to live in NfIB year iYr urad the land before 19tT7. This land included what
was Roger. the hermit. Roger pitched a tent on is now NPB Sayer died in 1995 and willed the
Munyon Island (then called NUCTASCI-100 or trust to his son, ALBERT The 1907 deadline was
Pelican Island) and liven there for five (5)years. extended to 1927 (S).
1892,,.Prresident Benjamin Harrison sold a 1919...ALBERT SAWYER, JR. sold the deed
fifteen acre land patent to NATHAN PITTS for to t BARTON PECK in 1915 for 1140. BECK
the sure of $1.9.47 (21.). This NPB pioneer scald the deed to HARRY & MABEL KELSEY for
built a house on [lie island where he and his $100,000. Mr. Kelsey formed the East Coast
ainaly lived for ssxteen years. Pitts Iterated li€tee, Finance Corp. to transact land business (8). He
gu nva, avocado, pear, fig and mango trees on first came to Palm Beach County at age 40 to e
the island. At this time the island was known as recuperate from pneu€nonia, staying from 1989 to
'Pitts Island'. 1930. Mr. Kelsey had started his career in 1899
as a headwaiter in Hartford, CT; next he started
1901—in 1.991 Pstts sold the property deed a Past lunchh business, and around 1904 he
to "Doctor" (he was riot as medical doctor) was president of Waldorf Syslerns lunch ro=earl
Munyon (21). Nluriyon had been the owner of chain based in Boston. He accumulated stack
in Waldorf, became a SUCC ssful real €state Proprietary Ve icsnss in Philadelphia, which
he said and later slaved to Florida to invest investor and by .1919 he owned assets worth
in the tourist business. He leg=it a health spa over 4 n Ilion.
In 1919 he moved to Silver Beach and bought cows grazed between AlA and Prosperity
14 miles of oceanfront arid lakefront between Farms Road. Many forms were successful on
Isi and Jupiter, including 100,000 acres this stretch or land, and that is the reason
which later becarne Kelsey City/Lake Park "Prosperity" was chosen for the narne of tile
* and NPB, He purchased the Florida East road.
* Coast Carial, which is part of the Intracoastal
* Waterway, arid ocerated it as a to[! waterway 1923...Kelsey City was incorporated in 1923
with a toll chain'across the Intracoastal to stop after Kelsey had laid out his carefully zoned
boats and collect a fee. Dredging became costly town. Over 100 houses were bulilt by him and
so Kelsey said the waterway to the state. these hornes sold quickly.
1915...This is a history of a pioneer family 1924 ..The Florida legislature abolished the
called Mcf-AREN that we--, told to me by the 90 state Income tay, and inheritance tax, thus
year old, spry, thin lady known as Lulu McL.aren sparking the land boon-i and motivating
Nelson, slaughter I ughter of early settler R.E. McLaren. Northerners to buy land or bulld homes In this
Today Lulu lives alone Err one of the four houses area, Harry Kelsey built the first 18 hole golf
course arid a small wooden clubhouse where
owned by the McL.aren's oil a cul-de-sac behind w located. This golf course was
a w Junction our library is nohite picket gate labeled "McLaren Junctio
- Popiulafion 12- Keep out- R.V. Mcl-aren, abandoned In 1926.
Mayor". The enclave is located at the,farthest 1926_Kelsey, with the help of PARIS SINGER
west end of McLaren Road, That road lies (Singer Island is narned after 1-iirn), built an 18
• In unincorporated county property directly hole golf course arid Winter Golf ClubhQuse
• adjacent to our NIPS border. ("The Winter Club" )on the land where the NPB
lin 191 Robert Edgar McLaren, Lulu's father, Country Club sii:5 now, According to author
sold his factory up north and traveled to this Goodin& the cost was $500,000(4). Singer
area to recover his health. McLaren's health ferried his winter guests back and forth across
unproved and he liked Florida so much that the waterway; and Everglacle5 Country Club
he built a house alongside the Intracoastal on guests also came by boat from Palm Bearli
McLaren Road and sent for his i Soon two Lulu (1) said the boats used to tie Lip at a wood
more cliIdren were born in that house making a dock near the Parker Bridge, and a Laxi would
total of ten children. To feed this hungry brood drive the guests over a shell rock road to the
he tried farming without MU(dl success, but he nearby Winter Club. US, Highway One was still
shell hell rock path, Sin ger never c ompleted
soon became prosperous from his construction just E.
business, The farnily had to go by beat to West his ewht story hotel on Singer island. He had
PaIrn Beach for groceries and to Palm Reach begun construction in 1927, but after the 1.928
for mail pick up. Riviera Beach was the:ri known 1--n-irricane the hotel was deri'lohshed and never
as "conch town". To feed this hungry brood he- opened,
tried farming without much SUCCPS5 but he
T he Winter Club, the li Hotel Find the
soon became prosperous from his construction Parker bridge tencter'v house were the oldest
business (1).
(prior to 1928) buildings in NPB. These three
l l
1918...R.E. McLaren built a Rorie roorn school bu ldlngs were our first pioneer buildings rn
house on the west s'de of the Intracoastal Ii In 19841,the dilapidated Wirlter Cluls was
Waterway across from his house::. PBC had built torn down. The Hygeia Hotel burned arid the
a drawbridge located about 100 yards South Parker house was [orn down.
of IvIcLaren's house and extei idii ig straight to '926...Fhe Parker drawbridge was completed r',
AIA, with a paved road across Prosperity Farms 1
Road, U.S. L-flghway One was shef rock at this 1926. Our first pioneer family to live year rOUnd
firne. This Monet Bridge, as It was called, was on the mainland in the Village of NPB were the
damaged dUring the '28 hurricane and from Parker faind The county built his house on
subsequent hurricanes, but Lulu said the coun,Ly stilts Just-, east oy t1 e, bridge. The bridge was
government paid to repair the damage. The narned after Mr, Parker because he was our
first full-tirne bridge tender and was on duty 24
birldge washed away during the hurricane of '47
and was never replaced. One of LuILA'S sisters hours a day. The house was later abandoned.
was a toll, collector for Kelsey and she unlatched 1927_1n 1927 the Winter Club opened for the
the chain whenever a boat wanted to pass f time but it sustained darnae
n m in the '28
through (1). �urricae, S g
oe we
althy Evergladeis Club
1921...Keisey City Dairy, owned by Ha members pased and rair the golf, course and
Harry Kelsey, club house from 1929-30, The first two Winter
was prOCILICIng 800 clijarts of rrillk a day The
Club members were County Sheriff Robert C. was rewarded with the knighthood title of "Sir."
Baker, and B.D. Col.-(of B.D. Cole Insurance), In 1943 Sir Harry was bludgeoned to death and
his bed in Nassau was set on fire with gasoline,
H KAG Pdurlrisy OfLak,R rk His murderer was never caught (7). 0
1926-55...In the period of finne from
26,
when Kelsey built the Winter Club and '55, the
land now known as NPB consisted of seven
(7) square miles of sugar sand and scrub
palmetto and fewer than 100 individUais living
between Lake Park and Jupiter(5), The Tesdern
Company, which was formed by Harry Oakes'
Estate, held trusts of over 1000 lots in Lake
Park and all the land in NPB including both
"1 Pe rVinler�Iob ate 1920's-," sides of U.S. Highway One,
1928...A hurricane with 1.307 mph winds caused 1951...In 1951 the widow Oakes sold this land
Lake Okeechobee to overflow its banks and to RALPH STOLKIN who was short of cash.
drown 3000 residents who lived near the lake. When Stolkin was audited by IRS for defrauding
The hurricane wrenched the concrete Earman a Veteran's Asso6ation by mail he got JOHN
River bridge from its mooring, demolished all D. PeACARTHUR to loan him $3 r-nillion Using
but a few of the one hundred Lake Park homes, the. land as collateral. Stolkin defaulted on
uprooted and leveled Kelsey's three firnber mills, Payments, thus making MacArthur sole owner-
and the entire Park Avenue shopping district, of NPB and Lake Park. However MacArthur
and ruined the vital credit rating of this once was more inlerested in developing Pahnl Beach
thriving town (3). Gat-dens.
Many of the pioneer families who had purchased 1955_Citarles, Cunningham, VP of Maclllrthur`s
homes in Kelsey City fled North, abandoning Bankers Land, offered the
their demolished homes, defaulting on their NPB properties for sale to
mortgage payrnerits and causing the Kelsey RICHARD and HERBERT
City Bank to fail. In Florida, if property taxes ROSS. The Ross Brothers
went unpaid for two years, the state took title Company sold their Boul:weh
to that land. The unpaid taxes totaled $300 Dairy holdings locally and
per lot and went up for sale, Kelsey, very used that money to buy
disillusioned that his carefully Planned town was the LP/NPB Ian
d fro I r I
in ruins, a tars first original hone on Banker's Land (now cal a
-bandoned i i
thie southwest corner of U.S. Highway One and
the MacArthur FOUncration.) ltll
Park Avent,te(now an osteopathic chnic) and This deal between Ross and flobcn Re-,I and
left Kelsey City. He died in Orlando, Florida in Banker's Land was signed \,,,a,Ailm B,wd,
1957. in 1955 for tirw price of $5
- Million, The MacArthur Foundation is required
1929 30....SIR HARRY CAKES purchased the ra rTt to divest itself of all land
Winter; Club and all the NPB land from Kelsey. holdings but sonic, land
Oakes added a south wing to the Winter Club across from our Village
and moved his family into the wing for the winter Hall is still owned by this
rnonths This south wing housed our NPB Foundation,
Library frorn 1963-68, Oakes opened the golf
course to winter visitors but closed it shortly The layout for Our Village had
after the stock market crash of 1929-30� superior planning, and credit
for this award winning plan
Oakes was originally from Maine and i-nade
his i I jolm�,-hlnckre,h.t goes to Richard and Herbert
inoney in gold mining and then became a 1ch"'na"19,7 Ross, JOHN SCHWENCKE
Canadian citizen, He moved to Florida to avoid (Ross' associate and still
Canadian taxes. His Te-sclem, Inc, Corp. began alive today) and JAY WHITE (Ross' associate),
buying abartcloned property in Kelsey City and Mr, Schwencke. who j,3 88, reviewed my history
all the land in NPB, Sornetime in the 1930`s and corrected some details. The Ross Brothers
Oakes moved his family to Nassau and spent had previously built about 5,000 hornes in the
considerable firne in London, He donated City of West Palm Beach between 1950-56.
$500 00 to London's St. George t-tospital and
In
Ownership of the NPB area: OLAr Village issued the first three(3) permits for
occupancy to: 402 So, Anchorage Dr, 406 So.
1892—Albert So 'i w,s given a warranty deed Anchorage Or, and 410 So, Anchorage Dr.
by the state of Florida with the stipulation that
the [Lind had to be developed by a specific date,
Sawyer died and willed the property to his son, I
Albert Sawyer, Jr. who sold the deed to:
1 915—Baitton-Pe c k was unable to develop NPB
by the specified date, so he sold ti-re deed for
$1.00,000 to:
1929) H ar ry Kelsey, who built the Winter Club
along with all the NPB land to:
arid golf course in NPB arid sold both of these ,IN
"oll",INN1111(Cr I'll""N
1,930...Sir Harry Oakes, who briefly lived in the
• Winter Club, added a south wing to the building 1956...Before NIPB was incorporated, the Ross
and did not develop arty of the land in ni broth-ers bad these services in place: a utilities
Oakes was murdered in 1943 so his widow sold general manager(Fred Trapl-10), a Village Hall, a
the land to: village council corisIsting of pioneer first council
i-riernbers: Charles Cunningham (MacArthur's
1951... Albert Stolkin- a rrian who was associate and OLH-first Mayor), Richard Ross, Jay
audited by the IRS for defrauding the Veteran's White (Ross asscwiate), John Schwencke(Ross,
Association (3) by mail fraud. Stolkin had to associate) arid John D. MacArthur, a Fire and
borrow the r-rioney to buy NPB land and then he Police Chief named Albert Dudden, Anchorage
defaulted on payment to: Park Marina arid ramp, 75 rniles of sewer pipes,
a bulkhead and dredged 20 canals and 3 lakes
1955—John D. Ma ,A,rl -)i nte,rested and hired Village Manager Alvin Olsor].(7)
,c u who was w
in developing any of NPB, so he immediately
sold the land to: According to James Michener(13), Mr. Olson
had an interesting work history. After graduation
1956...Herbeft and Richard Ross for $5 million. from Annapolis, he be carne a merchant
shipper, Then he becarrie captivated by Chinese
8/13/56...-Fogether with Seward Mott Associates decorative art, went to China and started an
of Washington, D.C., a master plan w'as drawn mport-export busiii
and the Village of NPB was incorporated by
Tallahassee (7),
Pratt &Whitney, encouraged by johr) D
MacArthur, initiated plans to build a rocket Ss
and jet eingine
, , development and testing facility
on 7000 acres of a re mote scrub pine area 17
miles west of 1 (4). Pratt &Whitney invenIfed N
the first liquid hydrogen rocket engine (RL 10) Y,
which powered the satellite that carried the first
hunrara to the nnoon, and created the electric
power system for the International Space "NPB Vflagr,VON.2006,r
Station. The world',-, fastest jet -the J58 - was
developed by this facility(5). 12/12/57—The first business to be issued an
occupancy permit was the Pantry Pride / Food
Months before Pratt& Whitney Aircraft opened, Fair at 101 U.S, Higl-iway One (building permit
the sale of homes commenced in OcLober, 1956 #100)according to the former Village Public
with a Parade of Horses built in conjunction with Services Director, Charles OWeilia (2). NPB
the Home Builders' Association and located on Properties solid 40 acres to Food Fair and Pantry
the south side of South Anchorage Drive, west of Pride which opened in 1958 followed by J.M.
Eastwind Drive. The hornes sold briskly, mostly Fields/AKA Jefferson's Dept, Store, The twin
to Pratt engineers and managers. The Ross City Mall and Sears arrived on this acreage in
brothers also built 50 homes before deciding not 1971.
to corripete with the other builders. (7)
2,3,
The 5Uth nnniversary of
THE VILLAGE OFNoRTHPALm BEAcH
1956- 2006
All
.............
un,
a d.
Library CCeynr to Spe i r: Jarr�es Snyder, Auth�nr V1 nner c C the Florida Publisher's Association
c k of the Yep' in 2CQ , I r. Snyder will spunk ibc it his latent book, BLACK GOLD & SILVER
SANDS: A Pictorial r-hstory of Agriculture in Palm Beach County.
Heritage Clay Festival
= Library Reception, Obert Meeting Room 2:3 0pm
Resident Golf Tournament S:CCtpm
Time Capsuie Groundbreaking at Library 4:00pm
= Heritage Clay Festival at Country Club Driving Range 4:00prn - 10Pm
Mayor's Dinner, Invitation Only 6:30pm
Heritage Cray Festival
5W,Anniversary 5K Run, Anchorage Park J:SClarrn
Junior Tennis Clinic: &00am
Adult Tennis Clinic 9:00arn
Heritage tray Parade, US! 11:00arn
Heritage Day Festival 19-noon - 10prn
`
Open Swirn at Country Club 12noon 10pm
Resident Calf Tournament 3:00pn-n
5011 Anniversary 1=ireworks, Country Club 9:00prn
m Resident Golf TournarTient 100pnrn
Open S irn„ Country Club 12r7oenri-6prrn
M
Easter Egg Hunt, Community Center 10:00arn
i 6
Library open House 1!00pi 4 Ut7p n
ECG' Anriv rs my o9f Tournament, Ccuur9try Ciuhi tMprn
r�rcaceeds Fnenef�tin the �IF' C Little Loague
` 11:30arn children's r�novi
Matinee at the Library spanning the decades from 2pm adult rnatinee
the 1950's to the 1980's.
,
Library keynote Speaker: Bob Sanford
Mr. Sanford was John D. MacArthur"s leverage manager from the old Colonnade Beach Hotel. Mr.
Sanford will present an inside lock at MacArthur and his influence on North Palm Beach.
Belay for Life supporting;Arneric:an Cancer Society Community Center
This unique overnight celebration to honor those touched by mincer raises funds to help fight the
disease through research, education, advocacy and patient services. For more information contract
Sheena Young, at 744-2275 ext 1.10 or sheeiia.young@,cancer.org
M Mprrr ,
Friday Might BBQ's at the Poo[
Join us the 2116 Friday of the month (June. 9, July 1.4, Aug 11) at the Country Club Pool for BB Q, w
music and swimming. w
,
,
CiHs Softball Tournament, Community Center
Fishing Tournament
Join the Waterways and Recreation Boards as they Ilan a 50.1 Anniversary Fishing Tournament.
7: 0pm
Sock Hop, Gymnasium -
Bring the family out for an old fashion sock hop and go back in time to 1956.
o
(rational blight Out coordinated by Public Safety g
Time Capsule Ceremony, Library
join us as we rate 50 years as the
"Best the . y
F'or n-io e inn-,ormarion on any of the above activities
please contact NPB Recreation at (561) 841-3386
5011 Anniversary Committee
Dianna Craven, Chair
Mark Hodgkins, 'dice Chair
Dr Edward M. Eissey, Honorary Chair
Dr. joan Aubrey, Village Historian Trevor Jackson Judy Plerman
Charlotte Chickering Susan Kamp Patsy Saunders
Kerry Diaz Nancy Moore Cecily Rouser
Roy Hill Kathie Olds, Village Librarian Jarnes Tedesco
Bark Row-Dianwa Cravm. Cecily Rousey;
Aoq&mnders,Aranr-v Moore,Awbie Oleb,
Bottom Row J�evor ja(kson E)r hei Pissg'
Mark H,)(4kms,,1amd.,s 1�deyco
Sy r A m ere(; 1#r jua i Y A m b ey,Af ro,13 iii z,Ro
Ififl,Susan Kamp,judy Pierman
50" Anniversary Sponsors
R"DEBANK 'flite Rdin Beach ,t
e7)ur tAr-f's in we
PalrnBeachFost.coru
Title Sponsor
Corporate Sponsors
Haile, Shaw& Praffenberger, PA - Seasons 52 - `Shamrock Jewelers- Village Shoppes
Gold S onsars
P
Ed Morse Chevrolet - Einstein Bagels - Frani SchrnidL Insurance -Garden of Life
Oxygen Health &Wellness - Reback Realty- Riviera Beach Marina - Sign,A-Rarna
State Farm Insurance
Silver Sponsors
Diane's Beauty Works . Donnini Enter pnees
Duke's Lazy Loggerhead Caf6 - Executive Lawn Care
Bronze Sponsors
lrnperiaE Frarne Gallery - Zen Spa, Inc,
The 50th Anniversary Committee would like to thank
each of our sponsors for helping to make our celebration a success.
Sponsor lisfing as of 3/27/06
A problem arose because the boundary line Lawrence. The, exte6or remains unchanged.
Between Lake Park and NPB ran through the MII Winship stated that in 1966 Northlako
lane dirt road and only two
rniddle of Se�ars. Idow to split the cigarette tax Blvd, was a two e along Northlake: First
nrioney, arnong other issues, was discussed at b usinesses were op n
council meetings. An an fable agrLernent was American Bank and Little General grocery
reached and relations with neighboring Lake (corner of Northlake Blvd, and Prosperity)".
Park have remanned excellent(7).
v1
1958...The developers donated [on acres of ......
land to the school board and NPB Elementary
opened for classes. The two other schools that
are located in NPB are The Benjar-nin School and
St. Clare Catholic Elementary School.
1958—The Nahonal Association of 1-101"ne
Builders out of Chicago, chose NP13 as at-,
award winning con-wnunity. This was the first
time a Florida town had won. The criteria used
included excellence in': landscaping, planning„
schools, recreation, zonklg, shopping
variety of This community has many miles of navigable
I-iorre styles and public services in place (7). canals, A boat iaunchin g rarnp is available to
I 96i ,,The Village purchased 145 acres around residents at Anchorage Park. It includes wet
tis-raee for 30 boats and dry storage for boats
the NPB Country Chilp for$1,250,000 by Issuing S -
general obligation bonds. NPE3 voters approved on trailers, There is also One public marina and
spending $4006 OM to build as new Clubhouse one private marine its well as a private launch at
a,-)cl Olympic 5ize swirni-ning pool These Lott Bans., It-)(-. (1 9)
improvements opened In '63 and the bond was
paid off in '88(7). 1.960...The oldest church in NPD is St. Clare
Catholic Church which was established as
a parish in 1960 and began holding Mays In
private homes, rented Pantry Pride space and
the 2rld floor of St, Clare School. In 1969 the
present church building opened its doors, The
Outside architecture rernainS unchanged. (17)
-1969— NPB Library, off Anchorage, was
dedicated, The downstairs Obert Roorn houses
framed photos of ea history as does
early village I
30 the hallway of village ball. The NPB year rDUnd
volunteer village historian is housed in the
-lived Our Village historical
library and has arcl
photos an d clippings.
Old Port Cove conclorniniurn complex with over
1-000 units was started. It has proved to be one
"Aeocs1 vievv eo NPB Country Chuh ijj5,t pri,,,to compieNon m of the most successful and prestigious locations
i in Florida. (7).
1963-1-1ne NPB Library opened Ili temporary
quarters In the Winter Club. Thelma Obert idly...the University of N,C. otiose NPB as
surveyed the Vil I ige residents, and proposed an exarnple of one of the few well planned
to the Village COUI-161 that as library should communities its size in the US.A." Much Of the
open. She also lIed Village residents uniqueness of our Village is due to the entorced
to contribute 1700 books. Nancy Moore was zoning that prohibits garbage cans thing the
mrnercial buildings
appointed Library Director fror-n 1984 until her streets on collection day, cO
retirement in 2005. over four stories tall or located on any streets
except Northlake Blvd. and N.S. Highway One,
1966—The oldest 5hil-standing business, strip shopping malls, cornmercial buildings
Winship Pharmacy, opened on Northlake Blvd. close to the sidewalk and neon signs.
It was built by renowned architect, Eugene
By restricting commercial deve,rapmeait to two Atos is a German shepherd K-9 dog acquired in
sweets and prohibiting industrial ial plaints, NPB 2002 and currently trained to alert officers for the
has achieved a balance of land use absent in so presence of narcotics. Thanks to a donation, he
many other Florida coastal communities which owns as bullet proof vest that is also stab proof,
.
have suGcumi--ied to urban sprawl,.
1980—After extended negotiations between
the State or Florida, PBC and theMac Arthaar ��° �
Foundation, the t 1r2 ridles of oceanfront land.,
which lay within the Il boundaries, was soild ErariySef ers off'airn B ac;,h County(1835-1950)
to Ii for $23 milhon. The 385 acres included
the controversial Air Force Beach where nude 1835...Mil€t:a>ary Trail was as raised dirt trail
sunbathing was allowed. It is c Merl John CJ. cleared by the U.S. Array Land used Gas a wagon
MacArthur Beach State Park. trail during the =,ern nralt lndian Wars When
these wars ended in 1838 local settlers used the
1980—George Ua lacorte, a NPB resident, trail for trading goods
donated $600,000 toward building our second
Ccan-munity Center. 'the Delac:orte Recreation 1898 .Baasebarll gairnes were held between rival
Buidding on Prosperity Farms Road was built with West Palm Beach saloons on Banyan Blvd, Sang
fhrr stipulation that no fee ever he charged for use Lewis a bartender, was lynched 8/24/1895
of the building. (7) after he was arrested for shooting the PBC Tax
Collector during a Banyan Blvd, poker game An
981-2004-The major additional condorarinrurn angry rnob of poker players stormed the jail,
complexes coral.-)feted in the past 25 years h._ang Lewis from, as telephone pole and riddled
include: Northlake Condominiums era his body with bullets (6),
Lake Circle Governor's Pointe (356 Golfvie`v),
Searnark (Golfview), Manna Bay (U,S. Hwy 1909...PBC wa, incorrl.acarated and became
0ne1, Srouthwind C..ircle (Sor.,thwind Drive), 'iel hated from Dade County,
Rivers Landing (1-lummingbird �,t,ay), Harbor
Isles (Prosperity Farms Road), Sanctuary Cove 1910. Dade County and PBC population census.
(Prosperity Forms (toad), and Prosperity Harbor reaches 11,000.
(Prosperity Farn-is !=toad),
I912 ,.The oldest still existing store in PBC is
4
1980—Harriet Nolan was elected as the first aptly nainied Pioneer Linens and is located on
female NPB Coun h rnernber. Clernatis Street In West Palm Beach.
1989—Judy Pierinaan was elected as than first 1916...The Palma Leach Post newspaper began
fernale Mayor of NPB, I.-Wislishing daily,
199C...Ryan ?orrila xPt3 resident, won tail 1919-33—Riviera Edr.acli wa ca fishing lsc,rt
olynipic Gold Medal for relay swirnming, He during Prohibition arid imported illegal ruin
p trained at the N4'F3 Country Club for ten years. from the islands. Lulu said it was called "conch-
s (2) town-.(1)
198 O's...Mark Severe], helmsman and winner Henry Flagler ri amed the streets in downtown
of national sailing races, was listed by Yachting WPB. His workers Rived there. Hagler roamed
Magazine as one of the top five sailboaaf designers the E W streets alphabetically after flowers:
in the world. He grew up in NPB and built his Banyan Clernabs, 0aturaa, Evernla, Fern,
sailboats at Severe! Marine in Palm Beach Gardenia and Hibiscus (9).
Gardens.
W The notion's wealthy northerners "wintered"
1999...Our NPB Department of Public Safety in Palm Beach during the traditional season`
was one of tl7e first police stations sit PBC t frcrr?i Thanksgiving to Faster The island was
. sponsor a teenage Explorer Post in 1977 The still as wild and .,ware py frontier amidst a bluish
g current Public Safety facility on U.S. Highway Breaker's Hotel arid Bradley's gambling casino.
g One opened! in 1999. At that tine it had the the irwention of the auto the extension of
most technologically advanced equipment in Seaboard IMF; to PBC and the completion of
• PBC.. Dixie Highway/U.S. Highway One paved the way
for developers to expand into northern PBC and
caa..ir area,
~
1928-125 m h sustained winds and hurricane- To the west about 6O miles |a the u|mepytown ,
induced flooding killed 3DOOPBCresidents, of Belle Glade on the edge of Lake Okeechobee. °
Mrs. Bessie Dubo|a, a distinguished Juplt*r Here old Florida crackers hang tenaciously ~
pioneer, wrote, "to those who imbibed, the bo their gritty homespun atmosphere of past °
^28 storm was r�erred tmaoa 'four bottle decades. °
hurricane.' (Historical Society of PBC). She °
said, ''m ymm|U man who loved lie drink, could not As NPB reaches its 50th yoar� its citizens can �
be round after the storm subsided. His wile was take pride in aVi|lage that was first in Florida .
getting ready to clothe herself in widow's weeds, to be awarded the National Association of ~
when her husband was discovered inside big Horne Builders award for excellence, oVi||age �
trunk, with his bottle, bUoafuU|y au|eep.''(8) that still looks mew, euuu|at|ng real estate, local °
governmenL, efficient public services, and no °
l95O...The population uf PBC ia 1 I5.000. PB comrnenoia| buildings over 4 stories tall near the °
|nt'i Airport opens, mad on U.S. Hi0hwmy One orNorth|ahe Blvd, "
^
1-10-77 —Thofipd enowtaU over recorded in ,
PBCfaU from 6RI0 a.m. until 8:40 m.nn. (29 °
degrees F) bu\ me|ied before the delighted ~
children could make snowman. �
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DEMOGRAPHICS of NORTH PALM BEACH
Population (U.S. Census)year-round residents
8.700 9,035 11,344
11,343 12,064
Age Cohort (2000)
Ago NPB Florida
1.15 12 190/,
16-24 6% 12%
25-44 2 4 0;,,
28
45-64 2 7 23%
65+ 31 1L �ti
Race (2000)
NPB Florida Palm Beach County
White 96`%a 78% 79 :,
Af rica n-Arnerca n 9%, 15% 1328 ,
Hispanic 3.5% 17 b
Asian 1.2% 1 7%
HOUSING,, EDUCATION, INCOME (NPB)
U.S. Census for 2!000
income NPB USA
...............
Median Family income $69,104 $50,046
Per Capita income $39,564 $21,587
Families Living Below Poverty Line 1.3% 92%
Ownen0ccupied Housing Units 78% 6 6
Renter-Occupied Housing Units 22% 34%
Education
Hit li School Graduates (includes equivalency) 23.4% 28.6%
Some College, or Associate's Degree 33.2% 27.4%
Bachelor's Degree 23 80,7, 1.5.5%
Master's, Professional or Doctorate Degree 1.2,4% 8,9%
NPB Village Budget
1981...General Funcl Revenues expenses = $3 rrollion @ 6.68 rn lls
2005...General Fund Revenues/expenses — $118 rnMion @ 6.8 mills
Source, 6S Cer,us huma,i,200U?,_er.vj, reterenc(.(1`0)
e
w
TMT� Al
Th tl,i,- t ">°,`Jr?t f f aM,Reach m 19651
gg qq 3 �r
s r
'i W r e ,f North
References
(1) Interview with Lulu McLaren-Nelson,
(2) Interviews with Jack Schwencke, Charles O'Meilia, Joan Aubrey, Ted Brown Sr,,
and Nancy Moore.
(3) Gooding, Dorothy, "Tucked Between the Pages of Tirne: History of Lake Park"
(4) Palm Beach Post Newspaper 8/8/05.
(5) United Technology, "Beehive" Pamphlet, 1978.
(6) Curl, Donald, Ph.D. "Palm Beach County - An Illustrated History."
(7) Young, William, "25th Anniversary of the Village of NPB - An Official History,"
1981.
(8) Procyk, R. "Guns Across the Loxahatchee",
(9) Roberts, HA., M.D. "West Palm Beach - Centennial Reflections."
(10) Snyder, James, "5000 Years on the Loxalhatchee,"
(11) Jebeau, Carson. "Florida From Indian Trail to Space Age,"
(12) Kribbs, Daniel. "History of Juno Beach."
(13) Michener, James. Fr imed letter on wall of NPB Village Historian's office.
(14) Document: 1989 Community Character Statement/NPB,
(15) Document: 2005 NPB Public Safety.
(16) Fernald, Edward. "Atlas of Florida" UF/FSU.
(1 7) Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach County. Letter from Merke Baroni, Secretary to
the Chancellor/Bishop's office.
(18) O'Meilia, Charles. Professional Engineer and Director, NPB Dept, of Public
Services, 1968-1994
(1 9) NPB Decennial Celebration booklet 1966/NPB Library.
(20) U.S. Census Report/Reference Librarian research.
(21) Palm Beach County Public Records as researched by Erik S. Hinckley in 2005.
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Cover photos courtesy of Labe Park 1�istorical Society