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HomeMy WebLinkAbout25th Anniversary Booklet BW25th Anniversary of the Village of North Palm Beach An Official History %~~~c~~ ;~~'P,~{LLN~~ In compiling this history, the assistance by the following people is gratefully acknowl- edged Nancy Moore Dolores Walker Charles O'Meilia Charles Branch Martha lyadelman Fred Trapnell Albin Olson Historical Society of P.B.C. William Young,Village Historian R.� .'^ -3��•`A 3"r�C.6`'d.±wi. �•�' ,.,emu e� i I ti y—.e�.y� t a t _ i __ .. a 'S.. ,,., •N.�-Y K^,��'r• �.�z.��i� a' z4�i r ,',v `�� ,� ,.It .a � � y•• t+ ..... 1. "'"�,J��f`*'3ri-�V��.�_.�y�.s y Y.,{?�!a. .r'.+N"-,�,i��.: _-'�"t .•� s�. j�('/ - - ��c`f Jt =1 : 1, T�M�y�'LTii���Ci3�Yii� � '4V��`0�`G��: Y�h���•, b FF `75.� ���i X0'1 5'\ a • p .mow r '�;y�a,-� ��� `�„ • �{>.��+�•r= 7a� ��i :�•W 6.a. � err �.:+:; a� ,.�'S�-` "°' i'-_'"•, +�,`�h ���. _— _..—.. 'A C _r:.w..°�'`h5`L f}f ..,. ��'4'�y.wo�..�. r"f ft •«*T� � Ni- r l r' The Early Days Very little of note happened to our patch of land until the 1920's, with one exception -Doctor Munyon. Back in 1903, there was a large building on NUCTA- SCHOO (Indian for Pelican) Island. A man named Nathan Pitts started it all, planting an enormous variety of oranges, limes, guava, paw-paw, avocado pears, figs, mangos, and many others. What with the pelicans' fertilization over the ages, the result was a botanical paradise. Then along came Munyon with his Hygeia Hotel, named for the Greek goddess of health. His clientele was shuttled back and forth from Palm Beach by water, and there actually was a post office on the island. The doctor loudly hawked his exotic offerings: "No frost, no chilling winds, no colds or coughs." He even had a theme song: Munyon's Isle all hearts beguile Down where the Paw-Paw grows; There's joy for each at gay Palm Beach Down where the Paw-Paw grows! Along with it all went a glowing pitch for Paw-Paw, his "Great natural remedy for indigestion, dyspepsia, and all stomach ailments. It cures nervousness, sleepless- ness, loss of vitality, kidney, liver and blood problems, dizziness, and constipation." After a short life, the 21-room hotel was destroyed by fire, thus ending the first building to be built in what was later to become North Palm Beach, on Munyon Island. The Big Boom The 1920's start with the names of Hany Kelsey; Paris Singer, J.C. Bills, Charles A. Branch, Samuel Blakely, Judge Edward Newell, AA. Poston, Harry Oakes, then John McArthur, and finally in 1956 the Ross brothers, who, with John Schwencke and Jay White, created our village. At the head of the parade must go Hany Kelsey, a most uncommon man. Selling out a chain of restaur- ants in Massachusetts, he headed for Florida and started buying land as early as 1919. He acquired 26 miles of ocean and lakefront, as well as 100,000 acres north and west of what became Kelsey City, later named Lake Park. Included was the future North Palm Beach. .-t~:,-~.---, ~yi~~ ~+~~sr.~ ~ ® ~ a ~ ~. i i. ~- Kelsey City Gates ~.. ~.~ .-r~'''~ `'' ~ `•• ~~~y ~' . ,t~~ . ~ 4'. 1 ~ -_ :. ~, .:~ P~ ~,, ~~~`~ ,'~ti . ~~ - ~ ~. d He also purchased the Florida East Coast Canal, an inland waterway running from Jacksonville to Miami. Early canals in this country were dug by private interests and operated like toll highways. Mr. Charles Branch, Kelsey's general manager, says one of his principal headaches was dredging out the sandbars that were continually being formed. This was later taken over by the federal government. and is now the Intracoastal Waterway. Kelsey formed the East Coast Finance Corporation and incorporated Kelsey City, which was the first zoned city in Florida. Then anine-hole golf course was created on both sides of the Farman Canal. Four fair- ways of this course lay north of the canal, where the library and school are located. A flimsy wooden bridge connected the two banks. Incidentally, the Farman River got its start as Dimick's Ditch for draining land to the west, then the Farman Canal, and finally the Farman River. Houses were built, stores and businesses brought in to the city, as well as a bank. An important name in this period was Charles A. Branch, an engineer brought in byKelsey asVice-President and general manager of his properties. From 1926 on, he was a key balance-wheel in the economic storm which was already starting to threaten Florida. At this writing, Mr. Branch at the age. of 88 is very much alert, and has given us an excellent record of the early history of our area. During the early 20's, Kelsey sold more than 20 square miles of acreage to speculators. The years had been good, but real estate sales were starting to fall off. ,\ ~ ~. ~1 'f ~~~~_ 1928 Hurricane ' VV~.tVr IN1411Y VII Tne'viiin4e7 Ciii'G However, Paris Singer of the sewing machine family owned the Everglades Club in Palm Beach and was starting a hotel on the ocean in an area now known as Singer Island: He wanted a golf course for his guests and got Kelsey to go ahead with an 18-hole course and club house, the Winter Club, which was the beginning of the North Palm Beach Country Club. The customers were bused back and forth from their hotels in Palm Beach. Since the only road running north and south was the Dixie Highway along the F.E.C. Tracks, a road was built from Kelsey City to the club. This later became part of the present U.S. 1 The Big Bust Kelsey was starting to have his problems and at this point was fortunate in obtaining the legal services of J.C. Bills, a Harvard graduate and lawyer of wide experi- ence. He was then living in Geneva, Florida, with a law office in Sanford. His first problem was trying to salvage some value out of an unfortunate venture Kelsey had made in the Geneva Peninsula near Sanford. Later, he played an important role in handling succeeding crises. The Bills family has continued to be a leading factor in local real estate and construction fields. The economy continued to deteriorate. In June of 1928, the Kelsey City Bank failed, along with two other banks in West Palm Beach. There was universal de- spair, with no market for real-estate of any kind. Then, on September 16th, THE HCIRRICANE delivered the final blow. The devastation was complete. Part of the Winter Club roof was blown away. The Kelsey City Hall was filled with dazed people whose homes had been destroyed. Thousands of people in Florida simply fled, walking away from their properties. Taxes went unpaid, and the new Murphy Law was put into effect. This provided that, when taxes became delinquent for two years, the prop- erty was taken by the State of Florida. These were then sold for the amount of taxes due. For example, a house which had cost $8,000 on a $1,000 lot could be bought in Tallahassee for the $300 due in taxes. The buyer could then go to court and get a clear title. Many new arrivals did this and thus profited from the depression. Kelsey went back north in 1929, his empire- crum- bled. He was remembered as a good man, an optimist who kept nothing for himself or his family. As Mr. Branch has said, "When adversity struck, he was the same cheerful, hopeful, and helpful person he was when he could command millions of dollars." Paris Singer's hotel fell victim to the weather and economy, was never finished, and was tom down in 1940, a haunting reminder of Florida's overdevelop- ment. Singer was reported to have lost everything and was said to have spent his last days on a houseboat on Egypt's Nile River. Important contributions in these years were made by Samuel Biakeiy, who aid extensive landscaping, barg- ing trees over to the Winter Club from Munyon Island. He served as City Commissioner. His family still owns the thriving Kelsey City Landscaping and Nurseries Company. Also, Judge Edward Newell, City Commis- sioner, City Attorney, and Criminal Court Judge. His son, Emery Newell, is now a judge. A.A. Poston was appointed Postmaster in 1924, served as City .Com- missioner,and then County Commissioner from 1933 to 1948. His family is still important in the area. Harry Oakes picked up the pieces at a fraction of their distressed value. Through his Tesdem, Inc., he became the owner of the Kelsey City lots, the Kelsey City Golf Course, the Palm Beach Winter Club, and most of the lands now in North Palm Beach. Oakes was originally from Maine. He went into gold mining, struck it rich; and became a Canadian citizen. He became disenchanted with Canadian taxes, came to Florida, and started buying property for unpaid taxes. For a while, the family lived in the Winter Club, then moved to Palm Beach, leaving the club house and golf course in poor condition. He later moved his family to the Bahamas for tax purposes and spent considerable time in London. He gave $500,000 to St. George's Hospital there and was accordingly rewarded with a baronetcy in 1939, thus becoming Sir Harry Oakes. In 1943, a murderer bludgeoned him to death and doused his bed with gasoline and set fire to it. No one has ever been convicted of the crime. Mrs. Oakes wanted to sell the assets of Tesdem, but, by her husband's will, was prevented from doing so until their son reached 21 years of age. When it was sold in 1956, through a complicated mortgage situation, John D. MacArthur stepped in, and he became owner of all the Tesdem properties. M_t L ~. ,1 ~~ ^ n^~ ~, _ - -- The Creation of a Village From the very beginning, it was clear that North Palm Beach was to become a unique residential com- munity. Superior planning almost guaranteed it, even before the village was launched. Credit for its success is due to Richard and Herbert Ross, together with John Schwencke and Jay White. They were accomplished builders, having built 5,000 houses between 1950 and 1956 in the West Palm Beach area. The land lying north of the Farman canal and ex- tending .north to the Intracoastal offered a rare de- velopment opportunity, and they proceeded to buy it from John D. MacArthur. Not included were the oceanfront and the strip along the east side of U.S. 1. Together with Seward H.. Mott Associates of Washington, D.C., a master plan was drawn up, and the. village was given a charter on August 13, 1956. Then, a lot of things started: the water and sewage systems, the streets, the village hall. While all this was going on; a deal was made with the Flood Control District whereby the Farman ditch was widened and deepened, thus becoming a respectable body of .water. Before the streets were paved, a system of 42-inch culverts was installed to preclude any standing water in the streets. Sidewalks five feet wide were required in the village (an item conveniently forgotten by some developers). A government was formed, and a council appointed consisting of Charles Cunningham Richard Ross Jay White John Schwencke J.D. MacArthur A village manager was hired, Albin Olson, and a chief of the Department of Public Safety, Albert Dudden. Olson came from Port Everglades, where he was assis- tantmanager. Previously he had worked in the office of the city manager of Pensacola and was assistant to the city manager of Daytona Beach. He has a master's degree from the school of Public Administration at Florida State University. Olson had spent 36 months with the Marine Corps in World War 11 and also served in Korea with the rank of major. Chief Dudden was a former New York State Trooper, ran an efficient de- partment,and was well liked over the years. Fred Trap- nell was general manager of the utilities during their construction and, for 13 years, their operation. He came from New Jersey, after selling out an automotive repair business, and became an authority in the field of water and sewerage systems. 7I fir, "'gyp ~ v-r~ .. ~ _ 1. K~~ - - ~ - -'~- ~:---,,.~..- The first Parade of Nomes. The Parade of Homes The sale of homesites commenced in October of ,,,~~ ... ~ y~v warn a rarade of Homes. i'nis was in conjunction with the Home Builders' Association and consisted of the following builders: Jean T. - J.H. French Willfred Construction, Incorporated Robert C. Brown Construction Company .Coastal Properties Corporation Raymond Olson, Builder P.D. Lewis Company Hunter-Drew Construction Company Henry Moser, Incorporated Kendall Construction Company Perma Builders Company Charles L. Hedrick, Builder J.N. Smelter, Builder Walter J. Devlin, Builder Adelphia Construction Company H and D Construction Company The models were located on the south side of Anchorage, west of Eastwind Drive. It was a success, and by August of 1957 the permit valuations hit $502,930.00 for that month alone. The Rosses also built houses, but, after completing about 50 of them, decided not to compete with other builders and with- drew from this operation. The Canals Meanwhile, dredging operations had started. The North Palm Beach waterway had commenced, run- ning north and south, splitting the Vllage roughly in halves with 13 east and west branches, all bulkheaded. Captain Milling was employed for the job, and for over a year his dredge "Admiral" was a familiar sight slowly working its way south. The job was well done, and when it came time to formally accept the canals from the developers, soundings were made, and they were found to be at depths as represented. The bridge carry- ing Lighthouse Drive across the waterway was built, connecting Plats I and Il and Vl. The Intracoastal was thus connected with the Farman, making it a more important body of water. Captain Milling's son Glenn carries on the family business, the Milling Marine Corporation, at the foot of R.C.A. Boulevard and the Intracoastal. Captain Milling's dredge the "Admiral". The ^tilities On the southwest corner of Northlake Boulevard and Southwind Drive is a small concrete building with a red tle roof. This is alift-station, part of the sewerage system. In 1957, if Fred Trapnell, manager of the utli- tes, wanted to get to the building, his best way was by jeep, since it was surrounded by nothing but sand. East of Prosperity Farms Road, Northlake did not exist. Water and sewers were planned, but up to this point had only been installed in Plat I. The system started in 1956, with the drilling of 11 deep wells and the erection of a water treatment plant west of the village. At the same tme, th~ sewage treat- ment complex was being installed at its present loca- tor off Anchorage Drive. These were designed with capacites to handle an expanded Vllage, plus Lake Park and parts of Palm Beach Gardens. Included were various filters, stabilizers, precipitators, a laboratory, and, of course, a 300,000-gallon overhead water tank. The Rvsses' investment was 51,500,000. The distribu- tor system included 75 miles of various sized pipe and almost 300 fire hydrants. The company was sold al- most 20 years later to John MacArthur, who later expanded it to the north. ~. ~Y. ~ ~ 'IV .I - _. -~yy ~ .,~ ~- Fred Trapnell first Utility Manager. The Bank When the First American Bank opened in 1959, it was the first building to be erected on Northlake Boulevard, and many were skeptcal about starting a bank on a lonely road. As the years have shown, it was an ideal location on what has turned out to be our busiest thoroughfare. The first and organizational meetng of the incor- porators, subscribers to, and shareholders of the capi- tal stock of First American Bank of North Palm Beach was held at the First National Bank, Palm Beach, at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 19, 1958. Mr. Byron L. Ramsing was elected as Chairman, and the following were elected to serve as Directors until the first annual meetng to take place in January 1959. Louis B. Bills; Robert F. Cromwell; Fred O. Dickinson, Jr.; Roy E. Garnett; Richard E. Ross; Herbert A Ross; Ramon E. Lawrence, and Byron L. Ramsing. At this meeting, Mr. Ramsing was also elected Presi- dent; Mr. Ramon E. Lawrence, ice President; and Mr. Carl I. Cassell, ice President, Cashier. It was an- nounced at this meetng that the establishing of the Bank had received the approval of the Federal Deposit [nsurance Corporator. t The fnlhwin~ is a bi~d~et far the fiscal year of 1961 - 1962, covering normal and antcipated expenditures by the Police Department. Salaries Chief of Police ....................... $5,600 Patrolmen: Two regular patrolmen at $4,800 per yr. 59,600.00 Relief Patrolman: One regular relief patrolman, 40 hrs. per week at 52.10 per hour ..................... 54,368.00 Special Relief Patrolman: This man is to work during the illness or vacaton periods of regular patrolman ...........5300.00 School Crossing Guards: Two women guards at 52.10 per hour each, two hours per day each, five days per week, for 38 weeks . ............... 51,596.00 Estmated overtime pay: Estmated overtime pay for extra police during hur- ricanes, strikes, or other emergencies ....5600.00 Salary Raise: Respectfully request a salary raise of 5150 per year for two regular patrolmen and one regular relief patrolman ........................ .5450.00 TOTAL 520,918.00 Fire Truck Operating iEx~ense It is estimated that the fire truck will use five gallons of gasoline per week during the fiscal year of ] 961-1962, at approximately 38 cents per gallon. ......$91.20 20 quarts of motor oil ...................512.00 4lubrications ...........................56.20 Wiping cloths, polish, chrome cleaner ....510.00 Estmated repairs to motor, pumps, and tires. (Tires at 520.00 each) .......................560.00 TOTAL 5179.40 Chief Dudden and the first Fire Truck. The Lakes 7 4 About 4000 feet west of U.S. 1, on what was to become I`lorthlake Boulevard, was a large slough or low-lying muck area. It was thought best to excavate this, using the removed fill to raise other adjacent land. The result was a 10-acre lake formed on each side of 1`lorthlake Boulevard, connected together with the Farman system. These are North and South Lakes, later bulkheaded. This increased the large number of waterfront lots already created in the Village, all with concrete bulkheading. The Transition Period f`lormally, a very sensitive gap exists between the ownership of a developer and the sale to the public, but this one ran very smoothly. This was largely due to the honorable performance of the Ross group and their ability to pick excellent men for key jobs. While they controlled the Council, in the absence of resi- dents, their actions were invariably right and in the best interests of the future home owners. As the months passed, Jack Schwencke, handling sales to builders and individuals, saw to it that agreements were kept and relationships were harmonious. A great deal of responsibility fell on the shoulders of Al Olson, the Village Manager. In the beginning, he wore several hats: Village Clerk, Village Tax Assessor, and Village Tax Collector. Clntil the Village Hall was completed, he had a desk in a small room upstairs in the Winter Club. One of the first things he had to do was set up a tax roll. This was fairly simple on the surface, as there were only two taxpayers; North Palm Beach Properties (the Ross operating entity) and John MacArthur. There was one other, however, that turned up in the person of a French Duke who owned Little Munyon Island. It seems that he had inherited the island and had never seen it. When Olson sent him a tax bill, a very polite letter came back from Southern France with a check for the taxes due - $23.00. ,F.a t -_--~ - -~ , , ~ ~ ~ {..~ r - ~~, _L,.~3_ ,te Y 1, ---- _ .. ~ ~~~, Albin R. Olson the First Village Manager. The School The developers donated 10 acres of land to the Palm Beach County Board of Education for the erec- tion of a $294,000 elementary school. According to the Post Times, "Developers of North Palm Beach have been congratulated by county officials as well as parents in the entire area for the generosity and fore- sightwhich prompted them to donate 10 acres of the most valuable land for school purposes." This school opened for classes September 1958 and the first Principal was Marian Metcalf. Recreation The Village Marina was completed in December 1957. This is located on the f`lorth Pal m Beach water- way in rear of the water tower and consists of a concrete boat-launching ramp, an electric hoist capable of handling boats up to 20 feet in length, and a large dry-storage area, fenced in. There is wet dockage for 30 boats. Nominal charges are made for both wet and dry storage, and keys are available for the hoist. The shuffle-board courts were completed in 1961. These are located next to the library and have turned out to be very popular. The privately owned North Palm Beach Marina, created by the Rosses, is located east of the country club on the Intracoastal Waterway. This is a large installation, capable of handling yachts, has 68 con- creteslips and an office building. Completed in 1963, it is considered one of the finer marinas in Florida. Director Russell Ruskay says that as of January 1981 the village has the following recreational facilities: 14 tennis courts 2 paddle ball courts 3 volley ball courts 5 outdoor basketball courts 6 ball diamonds 6 racquet ball courts 3 tot .lots This is, of course, in addition to the 18-hole golf course. Ground Breaking Ceremonies for the First Elementary School. die 25~ pnniversaY'Y Celebra~~n o~ Pam Beach a~ Village of 1`I 1956-1981 ,~, ~~~ ~, ~~ ;,~~_~ v a P - ,~., - ~~ ~. ~ ~' ~ ~ 0 > _ ,~ ~- °~o 0 ~ ~ ~o ~ o° o oho 0 4 die of ~~en~ fiche pALI °~\ ~* .~ Sunday, June 28 8:00 -Silver Anniversary Classic Fun Run Starting at Anchorage Park First Annual Invitational Girls Softball Tournament. Ages 9 & 10, 10 teams at Osborne Park Arts and Crafts Show and Exhibition Bring your work to Anchorage Park Silver Anniversary Golf Tournament at the N.P.B. Country Club Mayor's Dinner Dance & Opening Ceremonies at the N.P.B. Country Club Monday, June 29 P.M. - Fashion Show and Luncheon at the N.P.B. Country Club Pinochle Tournament 4:00 -Children's "Disney Film Classic" at Anchorage Park Tuesday, June 30 4:00 -Puppet and Marionette Show at Anchorage Park Library Open House Tour Wednesday, July 1 Evening - Gymnastics Exhibition at Osborne Park Evening - Outdoor Concert at the N.P.B. Country Club Pinochle Tournament Village of N.P.B. N.P.B. Girls Softball Association Recreation Dept. Staff Peter Finlayson & Staff Committee Junior Women's Club N.P.B. Recreation & Shuffleboard Club Recreation Staff Bert Merriam Sharon Leiter & Staff Chase School of r Gymnastics "Big Band Sound" N.P.B. Recreation & Shuffleboard Club ~~~~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ,® ~ ~~ '~ w~ ~~~pALI~~i~ Thursday, July 2 4:00 - Magic Show at Anchorage Park 6-9:00 - Open Swim at N.P.B. Country Club Friday, July 3 4:00 - Clown Show at Anchorage Park 7-9:00 - Old Fashion Square Dance at Osborne Park Saturday, July 4 Elks Breakfast Tennis Tournament & Exhibition at the N.P.B. Country Club Firecracker Open Golf Tournament at the N.P.B. Country Club Cookout at the N.P.B. Country Club 12:00 - Picnic Games and Events at the N.P.B. Country Club 3:00 - Pool Show and Swim at N.P.B. Country Club 4:00 - Country and Western Band at the N.P.B. Country Club 7:30 - Dixie Land Jazz Band 9:00 - Fireworks Display Bill Schmidt Dick Cavanaugh Staff Peggy Havern Pete Sansom Dancers N.P.B. Elks Club Ray Keldie ~ Staff Peter Finlayson N.P.B.-P.B.G. Jaycees Recreation Staff Dick Cavanaugh & Staff Swamp Fever Hank Chernin Recreation Staff and N.P.B.-P.B.G Jaycees P C y~~v~ ``~ . O~ * '•~ ~ ~ ,~ ~ ~ '~ \\ ~~pALI~~~ ; 25th Annniversary Celebration Committee Members - 1981 General Chairman Mrs. Peggy Enders Secretary Mrs. Charmaine Back Vice Chairman Russell Ruskay Treasurer Ray Howland Chairmen: Budget & Activities Co-ordinator Russell Ruskay 25th Anniversary Dinner >; Dance Mrs. Margaret Turney Co-Chairman Mrs. Emiljr Peterson Co-Chairmen: Invitations, Name Tags S Programs Mrs. Patsy Love -Mrs. Marion Little Co-Chairmen: Table Decorations Mrs. Raenell Agnew -Mrs. Charmaine Back Tennis Tournament Ray Keldie Golf Tournament Bob Allen -Pete Finlayson Pool Show Dick Cavanaugh Fashion Show Mrs. Charmaine Back Opening Day Ceremonies Clay Walker Co-Chairmen: Mrs. Patsy Love -Mrs. Marion Little 25th Anniversary Pictorial History Bill Young Co-Chairmen Bob Allen -Bob Huey 71 1 The library (n 1968, a revenue bond issue was arranged in the amount of $325,000. $200,000 of this amount plus another $100,000 from the government created the library. The other S 125,000 provided for two additions to the village hall. The bond issue was secured by utility franchise revenues and was purchased in its entirety by the First American Bank. Mayor Lewis and Village Clerk Dolores Walker had to sign 325 bond certificates. The interest rate was 5 ~/a% and, the final payment will be made in 1986. 4~~ Issuance of North Palm Seach Village Bonds. The Post Office Ground was broken on February 27, 1964, and the building was completed later that year. Political Village Hall The Village Hall What is called one of the most attractive town halls in Florida was completed in 1957. For a time, it was used jointly by North Palm Beach Properties, lnc., and the small village government. In 1958, it was turned over to the village at the developers' actual construction cost, together with the land which was appraised by two independent realtors. The total price was $206,213. This was financed by a munici- pal bond, the final payment on which was made in January of this year, 1981. Two additions to the building were made in 1969. On the north end, a wing containing offices and council chamber was built .and another on the south end containing a police complex and atwo-bay fire station. The Parks In 1961, what is now Osborn Park was a sandy lot with a tall television tower in its center owned by Channel 5. The company had plans to build a new one in another location, and upon learning this the council acted, and the result was that this large desir- able lot was purchased at a very nominal figure and gradually developed into a sports center. The land which became Anchorage Park was do- nated to the village by the Rosses at the same time as the marina, 1957. Lakeside Park, the entrance to which is located at the easterly end of Lighthouse Drive, is a strip of shaded lawn running south along Lake Worth to Atlantic Road. (t is certainly one of the prettiest spots in Florida. When North Palm Beach became a legal village, there were no residents, and in the absence of any voters a village council was appointed by the devel- opers. The law called for the first election to be held in March of 1959, three years after the village received its charter. Two elected candidates would replace two of the appointed members. The first two elected councilmen were Walter Thomas and William Young. The next year, three new members were elected, thus filling out a completely elected council of five members. These three were Louis Aiello, Frank J. Hahn and Emery tyewell. The Mayors are elected by the council, and the following served in that capacity over the years: Charles Cunningham ..........1956 and 1957 Richard E. Ross .......................1958 Jay H. White ..........................1959 Walter E. Thomas ............1960 and 1961 Warren B. Tatoul .............1962 and 1963 Harold Beery .........................1964 Thomas F. Lewis ............1965 thru 1971 H. Mallory Privett Jr. ..........1972 and 1973 Walter N. Colbath Jr . ..................1974 M.C. Love Jr. .........1975 and 9/76 to 3/78 Ronald L. Heraty .........3/ 16/76 to 6.24/76 Al Moore .. ..............3/23/78 to 3/22/79 W.H. Brown .............3/22/79 to 3/27/80 VA. Marks, M.D . .................3/27/80 to d )• ._ l \ ~ . ~• ,L .- _. _,,.~ - .. -t ; _ - r .. . • 1 x: . ~y ..t~~ _ s '- ~-fem.. ~j_~-~.l~J •,". ~. -~r___ _ _~......r'- - a .. __ '~ rte, ~~ --._..` ..... __ ~. _ i _ _ . w-: ~ ~.... _ _ i - w ~ ~~ i - - .t -~ - -- - ~ :..: ~mv' ~; i~;~r. ~>~ -~:. .. ~~ ~ - ~•~.: _ ~. `~. ~; .,r A -~_ - _ ~,b"^„-- al ~ _a ~ `_,,, . ' I X ~ £ ,,.~ y~„~ ~ r 'Gyp •. y . „ ~ . }ems ~ '~ r ~::: aa~ .~.</y' ~~~ ~~. ~' ~i'4: f? ~- .v'~,:~• ~ r,lq s it 1!,C~ ~1a~~1 •~ .~rJ"~ i .,..~~!~' .:'yy~i'.. 7j'i~, N ~. - -s ^~ ~~ ~°~ ~. _ _ ,.~__ ~~ ,- ~.. -~ - ' F _ a ~"' ~ -.' ~ '~ ~ ~ 7ti _~ _ ~~~ {~ ~~ ~~~~ '~ --1'- .~ '-..~~ .~ Vr °~c" _ l ~'_~ ~' .. _: / 4 ~~~ ~'-.. { t. A~ y - C''n~;_ ~r~_ - _ .. _ , :. ~z ---------~- .._~._ . .s. .''., _~ ~~ ..... ?fir, _.r-,. u,._.. .. .. ~' _ - ,~ f. .._ ._.- .. ... ' The Churches The Lighthouse Baptist Church, the first services were held on Easter Sunday, 1962. The first minister, Rev. Theodore Burrell. St. Clare's Catholic Church, 1961. First Pastor, Rev. Joseph McLaughlin. Frst Presbyterian Church, 1967. First Minister Rev. Gerald L. Boye. Faith Lutheran Church, First Minister Robert E. Wolter. Our Lady of Florida Passionist Retreat. Com- pleted June 1962, dedicated June 14 by Archbishop ~`-~_ c r'....-'..11 rl l'l F Minmi l.Olef T 18111 L. l,al ~ Vtl, ~.~. v~ •~ - uu~ .... Palm Bible Chapel. Completed March 1962. First Pastor C. Ernest Tatham. First Church of Christ Scientist, 1969. The Country Club After the Rosses bought the North Palm Beach land area in 1956, extensive improvements were made in the 18-hole golf course. Several new holes were created, fairways widened, and greens rebuilt. The result was a more playable course. The old Winter Club was refurbished, kitchen equipment installed, and meals served. In late 1959, informal talks between the owners and the village council indicated a possible salt of the entire property, and the village was given the first refusal in that event. In January 1961, notice was given of the intention to sell, and the village was given time to make a study of the question. The council spent considerable time investigating the advisability of purchasing the property and was assisted by aseven-member citizen committee ap- pointed by the North Palm Beach Civic Association. It was decided to hire the Charles M. Graves organiza- tion of Atlanta to prepare a feasibility study, a plan of development, and a schedule of anticipated income and operation costs. This was done, and it was unanimously decided that the village should go ahead and develop the area into a recreation center. 51,015,000 was set as the price for the existing country club of 145 acres plus all buildings, golf carts, sprinkler systems, trucks, equipment, and including attorneys' fees, bonds, and marketing expense. An additional 5415,000 covered the swim- ming pool, dressing, shower and clothes check building, golf shop, locker rooms, dining room facili- tiesand anexpanded parking area. This made a total of 51,430,000. The council took great pains to in- form the residents at each step of the process; all questions were answered. The next step was to put it up to th~ people. A special referendum election was called for July 25th to determine the matter of issuing $1,430,000 of general obligation bonds to purchase and develop the North Palm Beach Country Club. The result was 601 FOR and 80 AGAINST. The bond issue was duly validated by the Circuit Court of Palm Beach County and the Supreme Court of Florida. The bonds were sold at an interest rate of 4.07335 per cent and the last payment will be made in 1988. Putting a value on the property today in 1981 would indeed be a classic exercise for a team of appraisers. The pleasure for generations of old and young is beyond estimation. .r. . ~ ,. i =- .rte ^ ~ ~ .~ , y-`. ~s~ .~Y ~ J ~ rYt The North Palm Beach Country Club. The Delacorte Building In April of 1980, a very nice thing happened to the Village of North Palm Beach. Mr. George Delacorte, publisher of Dell Books, offered to fund ageneral- purposerecreation center in the amount of $600,000. The only conditions attached to the gift were that the building be named the Delacorte Building afterValerie Delacorte and that no fee ever be levied for the use of the building. The Village Council happilyaccepted this offer and proceeded to retain the architectural firm of Yeches and Luchner to go ahead with plans. Also, an option has been taken on 10 acres of land along the east side of Prosperity Farms Road. The building would have a stage with seats for 800, plus facilities for basketball. Delacorte's fine gesture will go far in rounding out the recreational and cultural aspects of the village and give an added reason for celebrating our 25th anniversary. ~,.~, p~~ 1~ ,,' ;ll;lal.y~ ~ ~ `~ ~r~~~ ~e delocorte ~Y - - ~ `' :? ;~ ~~'± ~~ ~ ~~ ..~ ~ ~~ - M r'. ~~ ~ ~ __r~+(( L ~_ 1w. ai _ ~' i Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Pratt ~ Whitney Aircraft The Oceanfront Many employees of this Research and Development installation Gve in North Palm Beach. Its growth has been a steady one. Over 7,000 are employed, and new buildings are being added. Many engines for commer- cialand miGtaryaircraft which maintain the Company's worldwide leadership in its field were developed here. Landmarks THE TWIN CITY MALL In 1957, North Palm Beach Properties sold 40 acres to Food Fair Properties, inc., and the market now called Pantry Pride was built early in 1958. This was followed by the J.M. Fields store, now known as Jefferson's. The mall and Sears construction came along in May of 1971. As the land for the Sears building was being cleared, the bulldozer flushed a family of foxes, last seen racing in a westerly direc- tion. As the building neared completion, bystanders watched a helicopter lift the air-conditioning units from trucks and place them in position on the roof. During the Food Fair construction, a minor problem arose. !t developed that the boundary line between North Palm Beach and Lake Park ran through the building. How to split the taxes was one thing, but the revenue from the sale of tobacco was another. At 50Q per carton of cigarets in tax money to the towns, how to divide it? Atoa meeting of the councils.of the two towns, an amicable agreement was reached, and the relations between the neighbors remained excellent. OLD PORT COVE Started in 1969, this condominium complex has proved to be one of the finest and most successful in Florida. With its perfect lake location, its own marina, and private security system, it has grown rapidly and is nt,.,f roarinn itc_final_cana~ity ~f 1.062 units. .._-____L..F- -~-~.~'J'Z 7.._~~~i~u-~ .w ,?ai ~~L~ ~~„i`.,d. _ .. r-,3 °°_:~trY_ T:. 111111111111 a 11111111 Ill IIi111 1111IIIr11111111111111f I111a1111I11111111/1111111 0 IIrf11lli tlltllllllllllllllllll111l1lI !11!1!1!! 1111 1111 t1/!I '~- ~~ 1dl1lw/ ~ a.nmui»vwnlwtnmia~ ~~ ~~.: ~ 1 ~ /n:n~ ~a:~aan~a~:-uuna.~,~-F~,;~run~uaasaa~ti~aa ~~ .L-~~ ~"~Ta 1 r'r~/1311111'RASllF~[r../ms::aan gc~a.7lxt~~~a. -. _-_-- _-__ ~~_ . +~ After extended negotiations between the State of Florida, Palm Beach County, and the J.D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the oceanfront land which lay within the Vilage of North Palm Beach was sold to the county for $23,000,000. 1 ~/Zmiles of oceanfront and 345 acres of land include the controversial Air Force Beach. Half the cost was borne by the state, half by the county. It was dedicated on November 7, 1980. Cinder the terms of the deed, the property comes under the jurisdiction of the county and must be kept in a natural state. Some park facilities may be iristall- ed, but under the general control of anon-profit corporation consisting of representatives of Bankers Life, Palm Beach County, North Palm Beach, and Nature Conservancy. This transaction preserves the beauty of Lake Worth and creates an accessible prime oceanfront recreation area, two big plusses for our village. Conclusion As North Palm Beach reaches its 25th year,' its citizens can take pride in a Village that was the first in Florida to be awarded the National Association of Home Builders award for excellence, a village that still looks new with no depressed neighborhoods, no cheap commercial strips. Real estate values have remained solid. Our local government has been clean, public services excellent, and recreational facilities superior. It is truly a village that was well planned and which turned out beautifully. 's ul ~ ~.-~ ~r;i ~ f"~.~ ~ `''~1;~- j s f ;.«: ~t'Y ~.~,rtt~, ~,! x'34 ~ ~ ,,, aI `~' . ~ ~~ • '~ .r--...ate i a~ i' ~+ :~ ~. ~• ?! .. ~ iii ~ ~ ~ ,.:~ "[3x~ a~oe ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ y~ .-~4 ~~ ~~ .:Y ~ ^Y~ ) __ ;,~. w < ': \~ ~i. ~ _,1 i a, ~ ~ ,~ ~• ~.' ~.. ooh pa{m Beach In 1 The Village of N ~~~ ~~ r> Sponsors American Agency, Inc. Ancient Mariner Restaurant Berg Agency Brown and Orr, Realtors, Inc. Bruce King Chevrolet, Inc. n... :s.. Z'..~.1.. ..1 Cam.. ... .a i t.VIl1l11Ullll.y 1 GUGraI ~7QVlllgs a11U Loal! John F. Doran Inc., Realtor Fidelity Properties, Inc. Fidelity Federal Savings and Loan Joe Finch, RE/MAX Realtor First American Bank First Federal of Broward Bill Garrison Realty, Inc. Great Southern Realty, K.D. Greenside, Broker Martha A. Gottfried, Inc. Real Estate Hamm ~ Price Funeral Home, Thomas L. Price, Funeral Director Hasco Management Corporation Duane C. Heiser Realty Company Home Federal Savings and Loan Wm. N. Howard Funeral Home, P.A. Lewis-Killoren Properties, Inc. Marian V. Lewis Inc. Realtor Old Port Cove Developments, Ltd. North Palm Beach County Board of Realtors North Palm Beach Datsun, Inc. North Palm Beach Gulf Station Clif Perry and Associates Inc. Realtek Real Estate Inc. Wilcox Gallery of Homes, Inc. Winship's Prescription Center Worrells Interiors l"''. •, P :~" -~ ~ ~.t. _ ' -r. / .: S.a 1 3 ~{~ jr+ • f _ ~ L _" ~- ~4~ 1. j ` l l~ y ~.,; • ~- 9 Ca r