The greatest railroad story ever told flaglers legacy. Instead, henry flagler chose to spend the last 30 years of his life building a railroad line in florida and establishing floridas tourist industry. The corridor was never used as a road, however, and the railroad was eventually abandoned in the fifties. Back in the early 1900s, florida was a popular winter destination for the upper crust, and some of the floridas most extravagant works of architecture were. Last train to paradise is a mesmerizing account of gilded age titan henry flagler and his extraordinary dream to build a railroad across the sea. Henry flagler and the key west railway extension us.
The story behind the abandoned florida overseas railroad. The florida east coast railway reporting mark fec is a class ii railroad operating in the u. Henry flagler looked at what he had done in florida and said, this is good, and if one were to encapsulate the work of mr. Henry flagler and the overseas railroad the iron road. Florida east coast railway mcgill university school of. Last train to paradise by les standiford is the true story of henry flagler and his great railroad adventure. Henry flagler and the spectacular rise and fall of the railroad that crossed. He originally visited florida with his first wife, mary. Henry flagler research papers henry flagler and go into how he developed floridas entire east coast with railroads, hotels, schools, etc.
Popular henry flagler books showing 16 of 6 last train to paradise. Julia tuttle of fort dallas in a fever heat of excitement. The railroad that went to sea and was blown away paperback may 1, 1987 by rodman j. Flagler also agreed to immediately start a large hotel and build water, electric and sewer public facilities for a new community, a contract was signed, and the railroad reached miami on april 15, 1896, with the first passenger train operating into the community on the shores of biscayne bay on april 22. Marion county is in the central time zone utc 6 hours. Have a seat with railroad tycoon henry flagler there is a brand new bronze statue of henry flagler outside the oldest wax museum in the united states, and its. Florida east coast railway in 1912 henry flagler arrived aboard the first train into key west, marking the completion of the florida east coast fec railways oversea railroad to key west. You can examine his life or his railroad industry ties. The story behind floridas abandoned overseas railroad will boggle your mind if you live in florida, youre probably familiar with some of oil tycoon henry m. Sixty miles 97 km south, the area today known as miami was reportedly unharmed by the freeze. Work on the line started in 1905 and it operated from 1912 to 1935, when it was partially. Henry flagler and the spectacular rise and fall of the railroad that crossed an ocean kindle edition by standiford, les.
Aug 02, 2018 have a seat with railroad tycoon henry flagler there is a brand new bronze statue of henry flagler outside the oldest wax museum in the united states, and its the only statue in st. But without fleshing out the story, there might be a lack of understanding as to the why and the how, and that is the purpose of this chapter, for, simply put, henry flagler never rested. By 1900, florida had more than 3,000 miles of railroad and its transportation problems had been solved. To further develop the area surrounding the fort dallas railroad station, flagler dredged a channel, built streets, instituted the first water and. The county was named after henry morrison flagler, a railroad and oil tycoon, who was a developer of the florida east coast railway during the 1880s and 1900s. Henry flagler and the spectacular rise and fall of the railroad that crossed an ocean paperback. Henry flagler and the spectacular rise and fall of a railroad that crossed an ocean was a captivating book by les standiford of robber. Two cool ladies piloting heavy md11f ultimate cockpit movie airclips full flight series duration. Barbour rode a train from jacksonville to the end of the line out in the pine woods it was a bad trip. With the completion of the oversea railroad the entire east coast of florida, from jacksonville to key west, was linked by a single railroad system. While sojourning on the east coast he became impressed with the possibilities of that region as health resorts and for the development of agriculture and fruit raising. Prologue the goal of this page is show most phases of building the key west extension using photos with a minimum of text.
Building the railroad that went to sea with photos. Apr 17, 2020 flagler model railroad club news on november 16, 2015 the daytona beach newsjournal published an article about the flagler model railroad club. Jan 08, 2012 january 22, 2012 will mark the 100th anniversary of henry m. With sharp, evocative reporting, the book captures an era, the florida landscape, and the very human dream of doing the impossible. Henry flagler and the spectacular rise and fall of the railroad that crossed an ocean by les stan. Oct 16, 2016 this video is about flaglers railroad. They were so happy to see a train going to come through, they could hardly believe it. Henry flagler and the spectacular rise and fall of the railroad that crossed an ocean. A more detailed text is on the web page for henry flagler and the railroad. Sep 01, 2002 last train to paradise by les standiford is the true story of henry flagler and his great railroad adventure. It is the exclusive rail provider to south floridas ports, linking them with the rest of the u. In 1904, the brilliant and driven entrepreneur henry flagler, partner to john d. This was the first appearance of an article about the club in over 10 years.
Flagler, a well known capitalist, went to florida in quest of health and recreation. This is a henry flagler topic suggestion from paper masters. He could have been as rich and as famous as john d. The little engine academy, 499 south nova road, ormond beach, florida 32174. Believing that one day the canal would be built, he worked through the florida legislature as early as 1891 to keep his options open for building a railroad to key west.
Barbour who was not a member of our chamber of commerce recorded impressions in his book florida for tourists, invalids and settlers. Just as the louisiana purchase opened the west to settlers in 1803, the disston purchase of 1881 cleared the way for a mass development of south florida, a development that would seriously reshape florida s political and economic future. Henry flaglers quest to build an overseas railroad has all the elements of a classic greek tragedy, and les standiford has captured both the man and his times with pitch perfect grace. The last train to paradise is a really good history book about henry flagler, who played a huge role in the development of modern day florida. It is the exclusive rail provider for portmiami, port everglades and port of palm beach. The original mainline of the florida east coast railway. Over a hundred years ago, the first train to cross the overseas railroad, technically known as the key west extension of henry flagler s florida east coast railway, chugged into key west. In september 1895, flagler s system was incorporated as the florida east coast railway company and by 1896, it reached biscayne bay, the largest and most accessible harbor on floridas east coast. Henry flaglers railroad comes to miami miami heritage. Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the fec was a project of standard oil principal henry flagler. Flaglers overseas railroad completion and its arrival in key west. Under floridas generous landgrant laws passed in 1893, 8,000 acres 32 km. Jan 22, 2017 henry flagler is a name that will be instantly familiar to florida history enthusiasts, and his influence is still apparent throughout the state.
The overseas railroad also known as florida overseas railroad, the overseas extension, and flagler s folly was an extension of the florida east coast railway to key west, a city located 128 miles 206 km beyond the end of the florida peninsula. Sep 18, 2017 flagler county was created in 1917 from portions of southern st. This page provides a directory of websites offering railroad books including new, used, rare, and outofprint books covering railroad history, train operations, railroad photography, and model railroading. The fec was historically a class i railroad owned by florida east coast industries from 2000 to 2016, foxx holdings between 1983 and 2000, and the st. Oversea railroad for as long as henry flagler could remember, there had been talk of one day building a canal across the isthmus of panama. Flagler populated place profile marion county, iowa data. Jan, 2012 flagler was a great man, and through the keys everybody loved him, said minnie dameron, 87, of key west, who took several trips on the oversea railroad as a young girl. I love this silly little ritual in our ride down the overseas highway, and each time i imagine what it must have been like to take this incredible trek on henry flagler s railroad down to key west from 1912 to 1935. Flagler s forward thinking vision of connecting the dots of the florida keys to the mainland was an astonishing engineering feat.
Flagler originally intended west palm beach to be the terminus of his railroad system, but in 1894 and 1895, severe freezes hit the area, causing flagler to reconsider. But flagler had built a tiny overseas railroad much earlier, right here in palm beach at the breakers hotel. Over a hundred years ago, the first train to cross the overseas railroad, technically known as the key west extension of henry flaglers florida east coast railway, chugged into key west. The florida east coast railway fec is a class ii regional railroad that owns all of the 351mile mainline track from jacksonville, fl, down to miami. One of flaglers many projects in florida was the development of the railroad system which tied in to his interest in promoting and popularizing florida as a tourist destination. Shortly afterward flagler began to push rails down the coast toward the indian river country and beyond to miami. Assurred that it was possible, flagler replied, very well then.
Florida east coast railway is a class ii railroad operating 351 miles of mainline track along the east coast of florida. The flagler trail is located along an abandoned railroad known as the okeechobee branch of the florida east coast railway that later came to be known as state road. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Apr 11, 2014 over a hundred years ago, the first train to cross the overseas railroad, technically known as the key west extension of henry flagler s florida east coast railway, chugged into key west. While consulting with his general manager, joseph parrott, flagler asked if the railroad could be built. Flagler was a brilliant business man and is often studied in mba and business courses. The florida east coast railway built by henry morrison flagler. The railroad south of west palm beach was constructed in phases by the fec and the predecessor systems. Its economy thriving, floridas growth had only just begun. The book combines a very good biography of mister flagler and his building of a railroad, primarily down the east coast of florida, and then through the florida keys. Abebooks 100 million books from independent booksellers, including thousands of railroad titles. Find railroad ties in flagler county, fl on yellowbook.
This is a book that anyone will enjoy whether you are. She knew it would eventually open up all south florida to northern commerce and she was keenly aware of the boon it would be to the country once it reached the biscayne bay region. Flagler, and its final hours of operation before the labor day hurricane of 1935 destroyed much of it. In 1902, henry flagler made the decision to extend the florida east coast railway to the nearest deepwater american port. From 1905 to 1912 flagler built a rail line linking jacksonville to miami 366 miles and from miami to key west. Flagler county by sisco deen, the flagler county historical.
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