HomeMy WebLinkAbout50th Anniversary booklet bwter e_z
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THE VILLAGE 0 F NORTH PAIN BEACH
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.4,,lopip-7,10,,e177,00009q#15-01611,,:v.%,, , ege.
Bridge Over the, Eaifni.-3 RiVEn
Mew:prated August 1,3, 1956
Price: $3.00
introduction
North Palro Roach li)corporatal
This Historical Booklet, wretten by Cliarlotte
Chickering, -and pie -dished 2006, is a follow
up 'ha °IMF./ /511 iin,1\.3.Jisary of Me Village of
North Palm Beach Ar, Of finial History' ',,yritten
Young, and publir;tied &Hy, c.-.)81,
Chnrlef been D msicent of thie Villraitre seace
1980 and a resit:1,01 of Fireta since 1960. The
booklet inclikter, stirm, of the resole& history Di
ntll are,--1 that ss tH-aCtlidecl in Mr_ Yeung'f,
A CORy 0 M 0 u tiCAllt111,::'.Ht VW:EIS buried in
time capsule in trent or the libreiry in 1981, In
20010, similair time capsuie with this ls1iStiC.00Z.11
5`00kliet w 1 b(., buried [beside it. This Booklet
includets dates of Palm Beano County eVe-P,MS
thEit ViHae:e formation,
Charlotte's hope is that Village res1d's-m[3.x take
ttes Booklet home and retta 03) a with pre-te in our
conternuisiity (whit h Iserice.torth be reterted to or,
NPEr, arid palm 1 151 11CrY;,.fi(y r ue abbreviated
as PSC).
ChistaPptte acknowlecugesUiu elp she received
Hem the fol[ownaftf, people:
.fsin AirbrE7y, Ted Brown, Sr, Dorothy Goenfing,„
Lulu McLaren-Nelsoli, Nancy Moore, Jelin Morsub
Charies (1/Media, task Schweneke, Arin Burton
(edi)ing, compuhng), oy 1 (pi ootreachno, jnrl
Csivs oavout P1 iesutia
Arneric ans. Thesie thitriei sally11 5 1 15 robbed his
ship 1 )nr.ivislit,ing The explorer lett _Jupiter very
discourag,erl after only a few v‘iiirekiti (10).
The firth pioneers i,,,thrt, settled in bl,risida trona
Spalri Were ftif 1 15 ttle ranChel arld
DOMinIC.1t1. Fran1) 111 1155511 risionary
prie,,fs, The !--z,h10., 1 1(.4nmecl theSe
ElH) sitock that hreter roamed Fifiricia
as wild horse,f„ Li.•1111e hogs (10). Florida.
1 Texas. had the firs:lc/A/a-nen. Act -forth tig10
lobt-il bistonan Jtid ge Dailey, tpi 1loricha nate-hors
preter1es1 1thelTiSi?I'VE.S CC/Willeil," 1101
COWbayS (16).
Fil)rittn i tHS ',ime were
trireiesila, Apnea:gas-Nig& AIS Tekesta. The
LOWT' 1-6,R-AUP9tC] 1E gamed affter tine Tekesta
trlbe.
1513-17C3...First Sprretesihi puriod ir Florida.
[75,4 [1753.„1--int1sh &floc! Florida.
t 780...First migration of YAMASSEE Indians to
Honda. rhusP. Incliwr:, tire 'Hie ones WP POW Call
8erric 1-recifS lirtinaWay" (103L
:1819 1845„.F1 1uderdale & Ft. islierce settInd.
Early Flerida statehood..
1835...Alantit 1700 Crean sytqctiors marched nits
iver bend Park (located about 2 macs west of
I-95, off IndefinViWEI Road in Jupiter) asd were
fleteuteirl within two weeks Itiy only 700 black
Serrie [tee and Seminole Native Americans. The
x black Semi-ilDleS were former southern s[aves
Chapter I who est:al-tied and joined the Flenda tribe.
1 Next, the Ind pins Ein shed into f he swaritip.
Hetellifghtr, of ido r
Reivrto,cerri,f..,[11-s arriveill nod U.S. Hoops
ihnt ir /01
surrounded a siarall reauber ol ifiersanoles holed
asi on HungryLsirid Slough knono hug the,
A Floi inn Atlantic Univeisilry aiyheelogistis fean'
...r.3ee Line IniEhway. As the troops thuat watch.
cpectilaterl -that Indian neck:tens uncoverect
hopinq1 taive. Incil,,LHF., out the nunidaru-
arciund Jupiter Inlet dai - trinin 00055 i(J 750 of Seminole camptHes slwindled easch night
AD. The tc_ltw populafion of InLlirms 1111.1oricTi
until e->li11guL,Ilec1. Wheri the solchers rowed
was estimated to be betwe.en 100.000 and
their use -lees ft? the island., all l'hey found was
tr./00,000one sangle. [Hiskarly bla,rk 0311111105 wornan who
hasl kept the fires alive so that her people coital
!Me had cleaili ?Aillen toe last
fire wenUL. This hunt is now a passive bark
managed by the City tif West P211-1, Beach,
:31321 ...Ponitia the Leon christenecl les newly
CiISCOVert_tLi 011 11 511 Fl1- 11c4 flatlied &Lei the
Spanish WOrltr, fOr 13A.E;CLIA [-LORI EA (Passover
neas1o1 the FIFA/vers.) (6).
1513 .„13once de Leon crossed from the
Bahamas into Ihe ni)iuth of tkeiO3 Jcidiiris River
and claimed Florida for Spam. A week later
lag sailed south and entered the Jupiter Inlet
here he vwart, met by hostie Florida Native
AD5OLli 200 Serterk &es WHO eSLEiped from the
Slough, hid in the Everglades anicl became the
ancestors of the 2600 Seminotus who surrently
Ilye between. Miaire and Naples in a thrive%
cornrmunity 'IOW stipported by CaSin F.J gambling,
Bingo and then [u iII (10).
T
LE OF CONTENTS
|ntroduction.—.—.... ...... --- ..... --- .......... ...... ----- ...... --.... —p,l
P. l
Highlights of South Florida Early History (750-1901)
ChapterU—... --- ...... -------...... .... ... ... ....... —....... ---'p,2
North Palm Beach area before incorporation (l924]955)
Ownership of North Pa|m Beach--- P. b
North Palm Beach History (8/l2/56'2O0h)--... -----------�p�S
5[nhAnniversary Schedule cfEvents --------------...... ---p.6
Chapter III P. lI
Settlers of Palm Beach COUnty (1835-1950)
Demographics of North Palm Beach p. 13
Ref ere nces—................. .... ....... ---- ........ ...... ...... ---- ........ —'pl5
1860...Jupiter lighthlvuse erns it for the fi
t'a rri e.
11.864...Civil War was fought primarily near
Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Pensacola.
1876...Recornstruction. First railroad in Florida
began operation.
1880...Populatif n of Dade County (which
inc:iuded PE, and Froward Countios) was 527.
1889"1896,,,Celestial railroad operated between
Jurrio and Jupiter for a total of 7 1 /2 miles and
carried freight and passengers (10). The trains
backed up because there was no way to turn
it around. (6). In the .1.890's Jupiter was the
transportation center and .1une0 was the county
seat of aide County (10). The R.R. tracks
were dismnonHed In 1394 f"iecause Henry Hagler
extended his Hagler East Coast RR into what is
now called Palm Beach County.
Chapter 11
North f alnn !F'e eh Area ,before lnt or ,nrariura
1894...Loke Park (then known as Silver Beach)
and NPB have connecting histories so 1 will
be skipping back and forth between: these two
adjoining cornrnc.rnitcr,s in this chapter, There
was a RR passenger station shed where RCA
Boulevard (forrnerly Monet Roaid) nieets ALA.
Phis was known as Prairie Siding, and cattle,
timber and produce were shipped from this spo
(4). There was ar small settlertient around tills
siding (3),
1895...The frrst pioneer of -European heril:one
to be on record and to Rive in N10 year ;'nurld
was Roger, the hermit, Ron,er I_iitcl-ied a tnrrt on
Munyon Island (them called NIUCTASCI-IOG or
Pelican Island) and lived there tor 'five (5) years.
1892,..President Benjamin HarrHS.on sold a
fifteen acre land patent to NAT-HAN PITTS for
the ',UM nl $1.9.47 (21). This NPB pioneer
built a house on the island where he and his
family lived for sixteen years. Pitts planted Ilr-ne
guava, avocado, pear, fig -mind mango trees on
the island. At this time the island was known as
'Pitts Island'.
1.901 ...I "r 1901 Pitts sol9 the pi oper ty deed
'to "Doctor' (he was not a medical doctor)
Munyon (21). MuI"iyori had been the owner of
Proprortary Medicines in Philadelphia, which
he Sold and later moved to Florida tcl invest
in the trll-n'st i u5iiiess. He bu=1t_ n I-aealtri spa
resort on Munyon Island and called it the Hygeia
Hotel, It had five stories, twenty-one rooms,
all with hot and cold water, eight of which had
private bathrooms and he surrounded the hotel
with a coquina rook seawall. He paid to Install
an underwater pipe from the mainland, which
pumped plain water into his "Fountain of 'Youth.,'
Munyon claimed that the "Paw -Paw" elixir
concoction that came from his "sulphur" water
1 untoun was a cure for insomnia, indigestion,
nervousness and fatigue.. The wealthy ladies
who came by boat from Palm Beach usually
stayed overnight at the spa for their "cure" and
sacializing. In 1917 the hotel Burned to the
ground and was never rebuilt (7), in 1925 the
deed for Munyon Island was sold to HARRY
KELSEY for $10. (21 )
1892...Lake Park, torrrnerly known as Kelsey
City/Silver Beach began with as warranty deed
in the foram of as trust from the State of Florida
that was given to ALBERT SAWYLR with thug
requirement that he improve. cultivate or sell
he land before 1907, This land included what
is now NPB, Sayer died in 1903 and willed the
trust to his son, ALBERT. The 1907 deadline was
extended to 1927 (3).
1919....ALBERT SAVVY -ER, JR. sold the cleecl
to k/1RTON PECK in 1915 for $1140. PECK
sold 'the deed to HARRY 8 MABEL KELSEY for
$1.00,000, Mr. Kelsey formed the Last Ceara
Finance Corp. to transact land bus news (3). He
first eanie to Palrr, Reach County at rIgr 40 to
reou perorate from pneumonia, staying from I2N9 to
1930. Mr, Kelsey had .,tarts rl dnss career in 1899
as a headwaiter in Hartford, (,T, next °re started
ar fast lunch business, and around :1.904 he
way... I_iresinclent of Waflort Systems lunch room
chain based in Boston. hie accumuiated st ick
in Waa,,rlorf, became a successfu, real Testa tr-
I1/C_ .4 and Cry .1919 he ow ed assets worth
over `54 roi1iiorh
919he 'Toyed to !vet Ek.e and bought
• 14 ot oceanfront and lakefront between
• Miami and Jupiter, including 100,000 acres
which later became Kelsey City/Lake Park
• and NPB. He purchased the fdonda 'East
• Coast Corral, which is part of the ititracoastal
Waterway, and operated it es a toll waterway
• with a toll chain across the Intracoastal to stop
• boats and collect a fee. Dredging becamco e stly
: so Kersey sold the rwaterway to the state,
▪ 1915...ThIs is a history of a pioneer family
• called Mot that was told to me by the 90
: year- old, spry, thin lady known as Lulu McLaren
▪ Nelson, daughter of early settler R.L. McLaren.
o Today Lulu lives alone in one of the four lionses
: owned by the McLarren's on a cul-de-sac 1-Telsinei
• white picket gate Libeled "McLaren Junction
• - Population 12- Keep out- R.V. MeLaren,
: Mayor". The. e,nclave Vocateei at the farthest
. west end cot 'McLaren Road. That road lies
• in unincorporated country property directly
: adjacent tO 01,Ir NPB border,
• • In 191.5 Robert Ectpar McLaren, Lulu's tathei,
.• sold his factory ip north and a Etvelbd to this
• area to recover tiis ieellh MieLeren's is
. improved and he liked Florida so ritiech that
• he bulit a house alittriside the Intracoastal on
Mci anon Road and sent for his family. Soon two
. more children were horn in that house making. a
• total ot ten children, To feed this hurigry brood
: he tried farming, without much rrrL1CrP5S,
• soon became prosperous trona his construcrion
• busrness. Ttre family had to go by beat to Wers1
Palm Bench for groceries ancl to Palm Peach
• for mail pick o Riviera Beauld was then khoyvol
▪ a 'conch trowri". 'rho feed this hungry 1,:u ooci
: tried farming without much strocess„ but he
• soon became prosperous freirl hiS coitstrruction
• business (1).
•
1913..,FTE. McLaren built a ei;e room schicerl
• house on the west side rtf the Intracoastal
• Waterway EiCross trent kis house. 'PC had built:
-a drawbridge locatert about 100 yards south
. srt MeL-aren's house, attcr extending straight to
AiA. with e paved road across PrOSperity FEirITI5
ROESCI. U.S. Highway One Wa5 sherl rock at this
• time. This Monet Bridger, as it was called, -was
* damaged °limns the '28 horricEine and 'front
subsequent hurocanes, but Lulu said the county
. government Liaid to repair the darnah,e.. The
• brielge washed away during the hurricane of '47
and was never replaced, one .of Lulu's sisiers
WEiS, a 11011 C011ector for Kelsey and she unlatched
° the chain whenever a boat 'wanted to pas.s
WrOLigh (11
li021...133lsey City Dairy, owned by Harry Kelse'Y,
prosittcing 800 quarts of milk a day. The
cows grazed betweer-r A1A -and Prosperity
Farms Road. Many farms were E;LICCeSS,'ftll on
this stre-tch of land, and that is the reason
"Prosperity" was chosen tor the namer of the
read,
1923...Kelsey City was incorporated in 1923
after Kersey had raid out hrs carefully zoned
town. Over 100 houses were built by hith and
these hoi hes sold quickly.
924,,,31e Florida legislature abolished the
state incorne tax and inheirritance1ax, 'thus
sparking the land boom and motivating
Northerners to buy land or bullet homes in this
area, Harry Kelsey built the first 18 hale golf
course and irt sinell wooden clubhifTuse where
ota library r5 DOW [pealed. This gort ccrurse was
abandoned in 1926.
1926..,Kelsey, with the help of PARIS SINGER
(Singer Island is named sifter him), hfult an 18
hnle golf course and Winlor Golf
("The Wridter Club" ) the land where. the NPR
Country Club sits now. According to author
Geroding, the cost was $500.000 (4). Singer
ferriod his- winter gitiests back. and -forth across
the waterway; and Everglades Currritry Club
guests also came by Loat from Pali» Beach,
Lulu CI) stud the beats used to tie up 11a wood
dock near the Parker bridge, arid taXi 'Would
drive the guests over a shell rock marl Lisi the
nearby Wrnter Crub. U.S. Highway One was still
PSI_ a Sheli rOrit path. Singer never completed
his eight story hotel cm Singer Island. hie Itad
begun ccnstructiori in 1927, but after the 1928
hurricane the hotel was dernolished and never
opeitied.
The Wirier Club. the Hyv.eia Hotel Eind Lh&
Parker bridge leiiders house vvPi e the oldest
(prior 'to l928') puddings in NPB. These three
buildings were our first pioneer buildings in
NOB 1 198.4 the clrlapiclated Winter Club was
torn down. The. H;igeia Hotel burliest aiiel the
Parker n011se wsis torn down.
1926..Ti he Parker drawbridge was completed in
1926. Ow first pioneter tarnily to live year round
on tlie wog -dal -id in the cif INPB were Lhe
Packei rernily, The county built his house on
Jilt s just eEiSt 33 ridge. -rho Eiriehteri wait
named after Mr, Parker because he: was our
to et foll-tone br-rdge tender r:lairt was on duty 24
hours a clay, The house 'was later abandoned.
1927.,i1n 1927 the Winter Club opened ror the
hrst hitlel:tut it sustained damage irt the '28
horricet1 e Some wealthy 1T+tergl3,des Club
members lhased and mil the golf course end
club house from 1929-30. 'the first two Whiter
Club members were County Sherlff Robert C.
Baker, and G.D. Cole (of B.D. Cole Insurance),
F bow coortc.y tak- Park. HbA`cm..-0,1 Societ'y
"nw. ,"; :N) "
1928...A hurricane with :130 mph winds. caused
Lake Okeechobee to overflow its. Hanks arid
drown 3000 residents who lived near the Eake.
The hurricane vvrenchecl the, concrete Earman
River bridge from its mooring, demolished all
but a few of the one hundred Lake Park nernas,
uprooted and leveled Kelsey's three timber niills.
and the entire Park Avenue shopping district,
and ruined the vital credit rating of this once
thdving town (3).
Many of tho pioneer 'families who had purch-ased
nomes: in Kelsey City [led North,
their demolished homes, defaulting en their
mortgage uiyi and causing, the Kelsey
City Bank to fail. In Florida, 11 property iE.IXE,'S
went unpaid for two years, the state took title
to that land. The tEripaid taxes totaled $300
per lot and went up for sale, Kelsey, very
cl1sillusiaried that iiis carefully planned town was
ru1i--is, abandoned his first original home on
the southwest corner of U.S. Highway One, ahric1
Park Avenue (now en osteopathic clinic) and
left Kelsey City. He died in Orlando, Floritia
1957.
1929-30,..,SIR HARRY OAKES purchased the
Winter Club and all the NPB Panel from Kelsey,
Oakes added a south wing to the Winter Club
and moved his family into the wing for the winter
months. This south wing hotised our NPB
Library from 1903i68. Oakes opened the golf
.ourse to winter visitors but closed it shortly
after Inc stock market crash of 1929,30.
Oakes was originally from Meene and made
his incmey ln gold mining and then became a
Canadian citizen, He moved to Florida to avoid
Canadian taxes. His Tesdem. Inc. Corp. began
buying abandoned property in Kelsey City and
all the land n NPB, Sometime,- in the 1930's
Oakes moved his, family to Nassau and spent
considerable time in London. He donated
$500,000 lu Lulicton's St. George Hospital and
was rewarded with the knighthood title of "SEr."
1'943 Sir lar was bludgeoned to death ,-.1nd
his bed in Nassau was set on fire with E,iiasoline.
His murderer was never caught (7).
1926•55,..In the period eit titre from '26,
when Kelsey built the Winter Club and '55, (he
land now known as NPB consisited of seven
(7) square miles of sugar sand and scrub
palmetto and fewer than 100 individuals Jiving
between Lake Park and Jupiter (5). The Tesclem
Company, which was formed by Harry Oakes'
Estate, heEd trusts et over 1000 lots in Lake
Park and all the land in NPB including both
sides3 U.S. Highway One,
1951...1n 1951 the wEdo's Oakes sold this land
to RALPH STOLKIN who was short of cash. •
When Stolkin was audited by IRS .for defrauding
a Veteran's, Association by mail he gor .JOHN
D. MACARTHUR to loan him $3 million using
the land as collateral. Stolkin defaulted on
dayrments, thus making MacArthur sole owner
of NPB and Lake. Park. However MacArthur
was more interested in developing Pahoi Beach
Ga rd ens.
•
11955,..Charles Cunningham, V.P of MacArthur's
Bankers Land, uttered the
NPB properties tor sale to
RICHARD and HEre,BERT
ROSS. The keos Drothe.rs
CoinPany sold Weir Boutwell
Dalry holdings local(y and
used that money to buy
the LPiNPD and from
Banker's Land (now caliect
the MacArthur Foundation.)
This deal betweeriRoss
Banker's Land was signed
in 1955 Her the price of 55
000..4..0
Nfiliion, The IvlacArtl-lur Foundation is required
to divest nself -E.-ill land
huldOn 6/5 out some laad
across from our ViElago
Hall is still owned by this
Foundation.
-11-te layout for our Village had
superior planning, and credit
for this award -miming plan
goes to Rictiarcl and kilerb ert •
Ross, JOHN SCHWENCKE
(ResszEissociate and still
ElINc. today) and JAY WHITE (Ross' Elssc.6,-.ite)
Mr, Schwerickei whir Is 88reviewed my history
and corrected some details. The Ross; Brother b
had previously built about 5,000 homes in the
City of Wes.t Pan)) Beach between 0950,56.
P/00
010160000:
Ownership of the NPB area:
1892...Alber,t Sawyer was given a warrant_
by the state of Fgonda :with the stipulation
they laini.1 had to be developed by a specific c:
Sawyer died and waled the properly to his son,
Albert Sawyer, t;r. who sold the deed la:
191 3... ). tl.tp.l1...h.-c^... was unable to develop NPB
by the spocif€ed Caste, so he sold the deed for
$1.00,000 to:
• 1o29„,Hnrry Kelsey. who built the 'winter Dub
• and golf course i € :NP3 and sold both of tt€e.se
▪ along with ail the NPD land to:
▪ 1.930„. it Harry Oakes, who briefly lived iri tl
• Winter Cli_il.}, added a south: wing to the building
• and diet not develop any of the land in NPl3,
• Oakes was murdered in 1943 so fits w€dOw soic'I
• the land to:
• 195I... Albert Stalk:in. a IllEm who was
• audited by ti0 IFS for defrauding the Veteran's
▪ Association (3) by roan fraud. Stolkin had to
.he. money to buy NPR land and then he
Ited on payment to:
19575...Johi 1. MacArthur, who was u:1€r,lereeted
in (developing any of NPB, so he iiini ediately
sold the 9 ind tr&:
19561,..H_erbert rind -(mr.,hard Ross Mir $1 nlillio
56...-together when Seward Mott AsSOCIales
ff ct 4Va5h'-gtoil, DC., a master plan was clrrawn
• rind the Village of 1155 was incorporated by
Tallahassee (7),
Pratt & \Aihitney, encouraged by . u111'1 D.
MacArthur, initiated plans to build ri rocket
• and jet renEi e devcloI,Ir€ent and testil'ig fricolity
on 7000 acres of a remote scrub pine area 17
• miles west of ,NPB (4). Pratt & Whaley Invented
• the first liquid hydrogen rocket engine (RL 10),
o which powered the satellite that carried the 'first
• hurrinrl to the moon, and created the electric
• power system for the international Space
o Station, The world"E. fastest jet -the J58 - was
• developed by tfiis'tacllity (5).
Months before Pratt & Whitney Aircraft opened,
the sale of homes commenced i❑ October, 195'6
with a Parade of Horses built in conjunction with
the Home Builders' Association and located on
the south side of South Anchorage Drives, west of
Fastwind Drive. TItie I-uoroes sold briskly, mostly
to Pratt engineers and managers, The Ross
brothers also built 50 homes before deciding not
to compete with the other builders. (7)
DoiDor Village issued, the first three (3) t3r,rmi
occupancy to: 402 So. Anchorage [7r, 405
Anchorage Dr, and 410 So, Anchorage Dr,
An.,' f.1
1956",.F1efo1"- Nil-) wads incorporated, 'rated, true Ross
brothers had these services in place: a Utilities
general rrioliager (Fred Trapnell), ,:.i Village Hall, rr
village council consisting o` pioneer first council
rid others: Charles Curink-gharn (MocAr11Li 5
aSSri(,?ate and OL'ii" first Mayor), Richard Ross, Jay
VVI;ite (Doss' associate), John Schwenclke (Ross'
associate) and John D. MacArthur, a Fire and
Police Chief named Albert DL,dderl. Anchorage
Park Marina a€nd ramp, 75 miles of sewer pipes,
e bulkhead a111 dredged 20 canals and 3 lakes
and hired Village Manager Alvin LOlso1"I.(7)
According to ')AnneMirhener (.l 3;), Mr. Olson
had an interesting work hislory..Atter graduation
frond Annapolis, i1e became ai merchant
shipper, Then he deco ie caprlvatecl by Chinese
decorative ;art, event to China and started an
import-export business,
'•5'0) ''Lls.ge Ff; 11. 'r7,ie;
1.2/12/57...The first business to be issued an
occupancy permit was the Pantry Pride / Food
Fair at 101 U.S. Hip'1"ivv'ay One (building permit
# 1 00) according to the former Village Public
Services Director, Charles O'Meili i (2). NPB
Properties sold 4C) acres to Food Fair and Pantry
Pride which opened in 1958 followed by
Fields/AKA Jefferson's Dept, Store, The 'Twin
City Mc I and Sears arrived on this acreage in
1971.
I'llllllllliii ;:
r'illllp, i,
The 50 h linniversary of
THE VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH
1956 - 2006
~
^ ~�~-'^~ �� Snyder, Author Winner of the Mo,idaPvbUshc/'oAssodutimn
~ Library'=/'=`�,`~^~'� James � --�"�—d|speak ohou\hi�|u\�s�hnuk ULAC�GOLD &SILVER
^ Buuko��|kc�Ynnrw xou/. c Snyder� .
^ SANDS�APictorial History of Ag'Icu|tue in Palm Beach County.
~
~
° UnaryRecapi �Obort Meeting Room
` Re,,idcn(Gnlf Tuurnamalt
� Time Capsule Gmuodhrcakingg at Library
~ Heritage Day Festival al: Country Club 0nving Roii
Mayor's [)inner, Invitation Only
7:0Upm
~
~
A PO
5D~Anniversary 5Kkun. Anchom0ePmrk
Jun[Or Tennis Clinic
Adult Tennis C|inic
Horilago Day Parade, US!
Heritage Day
Dp*nSWIM a|CovniryClub
Resident Golf Tournament
50~Anni,cr,�aryFireworks, Cuun|ryC|ub
ResI4en\Go|1 Tournomnn\
0peo3w/m,CountryClub
Easter Egg Hunt, CommunityCenter
L/bmryUpen House
5011Anniversary Golf Tournament, CovntryC
Proceeds benefiting the NPIBCLittle LeaQuu
Heritage Day Festival
2:3Vpm
31JOpm
4:0Vpm
4:001-10pm
6:3Opm
Heritage Day Festiv
7:5Uam
BNbw
9:0]am
ll�0Uam
12moon-18pm
121lnon-10pm
3:O0pm
9�()Opw
Mn,incnw/tnt Library aponniv-cithe decades from
(lie 195,0'xmthe 1980'�
310Opm
l2noun-6pm
lO:D0am
l!00pm- 4:00pm
ll:30unv cxi|dren'o
2nmadult n.muoeo
w
a
ANNIVERSARY SCHEDUI
aY
:00a
Library Keynote Speaker: Bob Sanford
Mr, Sanford was John D. MacArthur's beverage manager -from the old Colonnade Beach Hotel, Mr.
Sanford will present an inside look at MacArthur and his influence on North Palm Beach.
7
Relay for Life supporting Americ Sri Cancer Society Community Center
This unique overnight celebration to honr>r those touched by cancer raises funds to help fight the
disease through research, education, advocacy and patient services. For more inforrn ation contact
Sher>na Young, at 744 2275 e.xt 1 1 tJ r,r sheena.young)cancer,org
e 9,Juy14',,
6:00 p m
Friday Night BBQ`s at the Pool
Join is the 2'' Friday of the month (June 9„ July 14, Aug 11) at the Country Club Pool for BBQ,
music and swimming.
Girls $
2
18
ball Tournament, Community C'ente
Fishing Tournrament
Join the Waterways and ecreation Boards as they plan a 5Q" Anniversary Fishioig Tournament.
olY 2
7:Qprn
Sock Hop, Gymnasium
Bring the family out for an old fashion sock hop and go back in time to 1956.
1
National Night Out coordinated by Public Safety
7iinc^ Capsule Ceremony, Library
Join us as we celebrate .50 years as the
"Best Place to Live Under the Sun."
csr nno c inlormarion on .ci ,or the ahovc activitre
please Lontact NPR Recreation et (561) 841-3386
50th Anniversary Conn ttec
Dianna Craven, Chair
Mark Hodgkins, Vice Chair
[)r. Edward M. Eissey, Honorary Chair
Dr. Joan Aubrey, Village Historian Trevor Jackson Judy Pierman
Charlotte Chickering Susan Kamp Patsy Saunders
• Kerry Diaz Nancy Moore Cecily Rouser
Roy Hill Kathie Olds, Village Librarian Jaynes Tedesco
Bark lgr,rr-Tlrartrart .' teen, di). Rouser,
1if%<7 S',iliri ld t:r, Niuet P rrrr ", fir! i
C_f`rarlrrtlr' C ert
Rrav
Mark 1-1ur1rllrs,
tl'ur Prclrrred: I4: /rent_1trbirey, 1
ltrY..1u+,err I ;rrrr/r, JteRp l'ieeni u
50'h Anniversary Sponsors
E __''ANK
Title Sponsor
Tile RaniBeach Po .
Pal rnBeachPost.corrl
Corporate Sponsors
Hale, Shaw & Pfatfenberger, PA • Seasons 52 • Shamrock Jewelers ° Village Shoppes
Gold Sponsors
Ed More Chevrolet • Einsteigr Bagels • Frani Schmidt Insurance • Garden of Life
Oxygen Health & Wellness ° Reback Realty Riviera Beach Marina • Sign,A Rarra
State Farrn Insurance
Silver Sponsors
Diane's Beauty Works ° l)orrnh1i Enterprises
Duke's Lazy Loggerhead Cafe ° Executive; Lawn Care
Bronze Sponsors
al Frame Gallery ° Zen Sp.pu, Inc.
TOI 30lh Anruv::r1,dw r:rrmrziiirr=,r WOO Ii/U rry thank
n of our sponsors for helping to rr,aRe our cr lebrsorion n success.
Sponsor fi=tirrg a<, of .3/27/06
A problem irose because the boundary line
between Lake Park and NOB ran through the
middle ott Sears. How to split the cigarette tax
money, among other issues. was Clif:icussed at
council rheetings. An achiablo agreement was.
readied -and relations with neipMbering Lake
Park have rie.cnained excellent p7).
19.5ft-f...1he itieveinpers donated fen acres of
land to the school Board and NPI3 Elementary
opened for classet. The two other schools that
are located in NPB are The. l3enjairdo School and
St. Clare Caithoic Elementary SChOol.
195S..,The National Association of Home
Builitleirs out of Chicago, choii.e. NPB as an
award ii community. This was the -first.
time a Florida town Had wo is criteria used
included excellence in. landsentynrh, planning,
seliciolEtt. recreation, ft:emir-1g, shopping, variety of
home styles and public i.iicti.riviches in plate (7). This commifnity has nany relies of navigable
canals.. A boat launching ramp is available to
1961...The Villagepurchased 145 acres around residents at Anchot age Park. It includes wet
the NPB Country Club for $1.250.000 by issuing storage for 36 boats and dry storage ilor boats
giencral o5bligatkun bonos, NPB voters ifihproyed on trailers. There is also one public manna and
spendiag $400,000. to build a new i,:tubhopsci one private marina as well 'El-LS a private launch iat
and Olympic size swimming pool These Lott Bros., hie. (19)
improvements opened in 63 and fhe WallS
paid off in 'SS (.7).
Lawrence. -ihe exterior remains unchtfirigerk
Mr. Winship stated that In 066 Northlake
Blvd. was. Et (WO lane dirt road and only two
businesses were open a-ilong Northike: First
American Bank and Little General grocery
ornel' Nortlilake6 vJ. 111)111specity)".
5- 1NI NPR CoLin(r:. Ce;:b)J5t LuMph,-Non
1963...The NPB Libraiv opened in temporary
quarters in the Wi iLei 0 il,Thelma Obert
surveyed 'the Viilage residents, and proposed
to the Vi4la0e council that a library should
open. She also persuaded Village residents
to contribute 1700 books. Nancy Moore was
appointed Library Director from 1984 until her
refirement in 2005.
1966.:.The oldest still -standing business,
Winship Pharmacy, opened on Northlake Blvd,
It was built by renowned architect, Eugene
irtnship
1960_1-me oldest church in rifFibit is St. Dare
Catholic Church which was established as
o parish in 5960 and began holding Mass in
iyivate hornes, rented Pantry Pride Dace and
tln 2rid floor irrtif St. Clare School. In 1969 the.
present church building opened it5 doors. The
outside architecture remains unchange.d. (17)
965 Npe Library. 'oft Anchorage, was
Id icated. The downstairs Obeid Room houses
framed 'idioms ot early 'village history as does
the hallway of vilPige hall. The 11PS year-round
volunteer village historian is housed in the
library and has arriulyed our village. historical
ohotos acid clippings.
Old Port_ Cove condominium complex with over
1,000 units was started. It has preyed to be one
of the miDst successful and prestigious Vocations
in Florida. (7).
1973...The University cif N.C. chose NPB es
an example of Inc T the few well planned
communities its 012e in the LI,S.A,ll Much of the
uniqueness et our Vidage is due to the enforced
zoning that prohibits garbage cans lining the
streets on collection day, commercial buildings
over tour stories tall or located on any streets
except Northlake Blvd. and U.S. Highway One.,
strip shopping, mails. commercial buildings
close to the sidewalk and neon siEns.
.
. by restricting c.ornmercial development to two
• streets and prohlbalng industrial plants, NPB
o has; achieved a balaiace of land use absent in so
many other Florida coastal commrelities which
. have succumbed to urban sprawl.
: 1980...After extended negotiations: between
. the Stale of Florbaa, PBC and the MacArthur
o Foundation. the 1/2 mlles of oceanfro)nt land,
'.vhich lay Mthin the NPB boundarieswas scnd
. to PBC for $23 million. The 385 acres included
o the controversial Air Force Beach where nude
: sunbathing was allowed, It is called John ET,
• MacArthur Beach State Park.
•
1.980...George. Delacorte, o NPB resident,
donated $600,000 toward building (Air second
• Community Center. The Deracorte Recreation
: Building, on Prosperity Farms Road was built with
the stipulation that no fee ever be charged for use
• of the- b(1ilding. (7)
19811-2004..The major additlonal condominium
• complexes cornpleted in the oast 25 years
:inoludo North.lake Condominiums on
• Lake Circle, Governor's Pointe (356 Gorfyiew),
• Seamark (GolIview), Marina Bay (U.S. Hwy
: 0n.) bo llawincl CUrcle. (Southwind [Drive).
. River's Landing (Hummingbird '‘A'ay), Harboi
• Isles (Prosperity Farms Roa(1), Sanctuary Cove
(Prosperity- Farms Road), and Prosperify Harbor
. (Prosperity Farms Pnarbt
* 1980...Harriet Nolala was- elec.: te:ci SS the hrst
female NPB Council member.
•
o 1989..Judy Pierman was elected as the 1-st
female Mayer of NPB.
1996...Ryan Berube, 0 NPB res[dent, won an
• Olympic Gold Medal for relay SACCITiminE. He
• trained at the NPB Country Clah for ten years.
(2)
1980s...Mark Severel, heirnsmati and winner
• of national sailing races, \",/as listed by Yachting
Magazine as one of the top five sailboat designers
. in the world. He grew up in NPB and built his
• sailboats at Soverei Marine in PaIna Beach
G rel e n .
• 1999...Our NPB Department ot Public sabey
„ • was one of the first pollee stations in E'BC in
. sponsor a teenage Explorer Post in 19177. the
• currerat Publa" Safety facilty on U.S. Highway
: One opened i1 995) 01 that :time it had the
• most technologically advanced equipment in
• PBC.
Atos as a German shepherd K-9 dog, .-Jcquired in
2002 and currently tralned to alert othce,rs 'for the
presence of narcotics. Thanks to e clonation, he
owns a Pullet proof vest that is also stab proof.
Chapter HI
Ehrhr uf Palo, Beach CC-orrty J53.5-19b
1835...Milita1y Trail was a raised dirt traa
cieared by the Li.S. Army E'flid USed as a wagon
icae during the Seminole Inch -an Wars. When
these wars. ended in 1838 'local settlers used the
trail tor trading goods
1898...Basebaa games were held between rival
West Palm Beach saloons on Banyan Blvd. Sam
Lev,As, ffi bartender, was lynched 8/24/1895
after he was arrested Inv shouting the PBC Tax
Collector during a Banyan Blvd, poker garne. An
angry rhob al poker players storrned the jail:
hung Lewis from a telephone pule and riddled
flis body with bullets (6).
1909.„48C was incorporated 1110 became
separated 'Tom Dade County,
11910...Dade County and PBC population census.
reaches 17,000.
1912...'the oldest still exisiang store in PBC is
aptly named Pioneer Linens and is located on
Clematis Street in. West I R Pc
1910...The Pahl) Beach Post newspaper began
publishing clady.
1919:33.,,Riviera Beach was a 'hshing, port
u 6ng Prohibition mb imported illegal rum
from the islands. Lulu said it was called "conch-
OWFCC(I)
Henry Flagler named the streets in downtown
WPB. His workers livc"c1 there. Flagler named
the E-VV streets alphabetically after :flovvers:
Banyan), C[ernatis, Datum, Everni(1. Fern,
Gardenia and 'Hibiscus (9).
The nation's wealthy northerners 'wintered"
in Palm Beac'n during the traditional fseason
from thanksgiVIng to Easter. The island was
still a wild and swampy frontier amidst a plush
Breaker's Hotel and Bradley's gambling, casino.
The invention cd the auto the. extension of
Seaboard PR to PBC and the completion of
Dixie Highway/U.S. Highway One paved the way
for developers to expand 1 ito northern PBC and
(Air Cirea
1928.,,:1 2S mph sustained winds and hurricane -
induced f1oodinE kil1e2 3000 PBC residents.
Mrs, Bessie_ Dubois, a distinguished Jupiter
pioneer, wrote, "to those who imbibed, the
`28 storm wu' referier.i to ,.as ,. 'tour bottle
hurricane.` (Historical Society of PBC). She
said, "a small Dicer who Irwwd o donk, could not
be found after the stored sub-,1Cied. His, w fe wrfs
getting ready to DILathe herseIf in widows weeds,
when firer husband was disc'nvprect insidr: a big
trunk, with his bottle, t.)lisstt,Illy aseep,"(8)
1950.,,Tlle population of: PBC: is 115.000. Pf
Irsl'I. Airport opens.
1-10 77 ...11w first snowfall ever sec -circled In
PBC fell from 6:10 a.m. not 3:410 a.rn. (29
degrees t:) bf.t rneI1 . 1 before the belig"ted
children could make a snowman,
-To the west about 60 miles is the sleepy tow
ul Belle Glade on bw edge of Lake Okeechobee.
Hare old Florida crackers hang lenacinusly
to their gritty homespun tatrno°=rplinre of past
decades.
As NPB reaches s. its 50t1f year, its, cil;zens can
take pride in a Village that was firrst f Florida
to be awarded the.: National Aosc,eiatican of
Horne Builders award for excellence, a Village
that still Isoks new, escalating real estate, local
government, efficient public serVICl and no
commercial buil6fnds over /t stories to l near the
road on LIS, 1-118hwdy One or Northlakr Blvd.
DEMOG HICS of NORTH PALM BEACH
1966 1970 1980
• 8.700 9,035 11,344.
Population (U.S, Census) year-round residents
1990 2000
11,343 12,064
Age Cohort (2000)
Age NPB Florida
1.15 12 95/0
16-24 6%.
25,44 24
45-64 27% 23%,
65+ 310.50 18%
Race (2000)
1499 Florida Palm Bean County
White 964 78'3.; 79%
African -American ,9(%., 153I. 13.8%
'
. Flispanic 3.5% 171L 12,4'02;
Asian 1.2%, 1.79 1.55
HOUSING, EDUCATION, INCOIVIE (NPB)
US. Census for 2000
• Gnrome INPB USA
• Median Family Income $69,104 $50,046
Per Capita Income $39,564 $21,587
• Families Living- Below Poverty Liiie 1.3%) 9.2%
• 1-.1005ing
• Owner-Oceopiecl Housing Drifts 78, 661.
• Perliel-OccuOed r»loLlepr UrltS 22'%, 34%
. Education
O High School Graduates (includes equivalency) 23.4%, 28.6'%
• Some College, or Associate's Deree, 33.2%, 27.4%
• Bachelor's Degree 23.8% 15.5%
O Master's,. Professonal or Doctorate Degree 12,4% 8.9%,
NPB Village Budget
1981...1enoraI Fund Revenues/ (.00.penses s $3 n 111 lefl Ca) 6.68 mills
2005...General Fuod Revenues.`experes =- $18100hion @, 6.8 mills
rk,t,nren-.•,
-
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-
JO,
References
{]) Interview with Lulu K4cLaren-Nelson,
(2) Interviews with JackSchwenoke, Charles O'K4ei|im, Joan Aubrey, Ted Brown Sr..
and Nancy Moore.
(3) Gooding, Oornthy. "Tucked Between the Pages of Time: History of Lake Park"
(4) Palm Beach Post Newspaper 8/8/0E
(5) United Technology, "Beehive" Pamphlet, 1978.
(6) Curl, Donald, Ph.D. "Palm Beach Courty - An IlListrated History."
(7)
Young, VVi|ham, "25(h Anniversary of the Viiia8e of NPB An 0hi6a| History,"
l9Bl.
(8) P,00yk' R. "Guns Across the ioxahobhee''.
~ (9) Roberts, H,J.. M.D. 'West Palm Beach Centennial Mc |nctmn
°
°
~ (lO) Snyder, James, ^5OODYee/sonthe Loxuha1ohe*,^
~
� (lD Jcbcau. Carson. ~F|orida From Indian Trail to SpuceAge."
~
� (12) Kribby. Daniel. "History ofJuno Beach.~
~
~ (13) K4ichener, James. Fmnned letter on wall o| NPB Vii|og* Historian's office.
~ (I4) Document-. l980ComnnunityCharacter SLataroent/NPB.
~
^
� (1b) Document: 2005 NPBPublic Safety.
°
(16) Fernald, Edward. "Atlas of Florida" UF/FSU.
°
� (l7) Catholic Diocese o/ Palm Beach County. Letterfrom Merho Ba/oni. Secretary to
~ the Chancel |or/Uishop'ooffice.
(l@) O'Mei|ia. Charles. Professional Engineer and Director, NPB Dept. of Pub|ic
Sorvicms.l968i994
~
-.. NPB Decennial Celebration --_-_- '
~
~
� (20) U.S. Census Report/ Reference Librarian research.
°
� (yl) Palm Beach County Public Records as researched by ErihS, Hinok|cy io2OO5�
David B. Norris
AL/ I m
Edward M-
Eissey, Ph.D.
William Manuel
Preyideon Pro Thal
CharlesR.
Lou Imo £n
f
maniky Crhm
!!iu
1* !!!!,
itlaggCou1 rn i nty
.\\\\
V111
'..-(3"
Cover photos courtesy of Lake Park -Historical Society