Found 143 blog entries tagged as History.

Palm Beach Island is known for its multi-million-dollar mansions and its famous residents, but the town is also known for its rich history, high-end shopping, luxury dining experiences, and legendary resorts. 

Palm Beach Island earned a luxury reputation during the Gilded Age when Industrialists and Inventors travelled to Palm Beach to vacation. Henry M. Flagler was an American Industrialist and founder of Standard Oil. Flagler built a mansion on the Intracoastal, which is now The Flagler Museum, for his wife Mary as a wedding gift. The mansion is now open to the public for tours. Flagler is known to have made Palm Beach, “America’s First Resort Destination”.

Today, Worth Avenue is considered one of the most famous streets on the island. The…

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The popular Evening on Antique Row is back this Saturday, April 1st. The event is known to be the most fashionable street party in all South Florida. 

This Saturday, the streets of downtown West Palm Beach will transform into the ultimate street party with live music and entertainment, gourmet foods and cocktails, an antique appraisal tent, shopping, and much more.

Evening on Antique Row features antiques from the 17th through 20th centuries, decorative arts, fine art, design services, and more. The annual event is a signature fundraiser for the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. 

Tickets are available online prior to the event or can be purchased at the door. VIP tickets and Special packages are available for the event.  To purchase…

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One of the most famous homes and landmarks on Palm Beach is open for tours. The Flagler Museum, once home to American Industrialist and founder of Standard Oil, Henry M Flagler, and his wife Mary, features more than 100,000 square feet and is filled with some of the most important history of the Gilded Age and Palm Beach. 

Flagler as a wedding gift to his wife Mary gifted the home to her. The elegant grand estate was commissioned by John Carrere and Thomas Hastings to design and build the estate. Hastings and Carrere were also famous architects for other US Landmarks such as the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City and the New York Public Library during the Gilded Age. 

The elegant mansion features a large central courtyard, white marble…

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The iconic Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum hosts a list of calendar events each month for residents and visitors to attend. This February the schedule is full of events for everyone to enjoy. 

February 2023 Events at the Lighthouse 

Monday:

Twilight Yoga at the Light at 6 pm

Tuesday:

Native Plants of the ONA at 1 pm

Wednesday:

Five Flags Over Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse at 1 pm

Lighthouse Sunset Tour at 5:45 pm

Friday:

Friday, February 24th: Fourth Friday Jupiter Library Presentation at 2:30 pm

Saturday: 

Saturday, February 18th: Lighthouse Story Time and Crafts for kids at 10:30 am

To view the complete calendar and to purchase tickets, click here. 

In addition to the events, The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and…

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The idea of a new year is an integral part of many cultures and societies. It is something that we commemorate together and enjoy! It is no surprise that the celebration has changed over the years. Individuals have been celebrating New Year’s Eve for as long as many can remember. South Florida is host to many celebrations for the new year.

Some are inclined to believe that the celebrations of New Year’s Eve began before the 19th century. According to scholars, people have been celebrating new year’s eve since 46 BC when Julius Caesar re-instituted January 1st as New Year’s Day.

Since there is no clear record of people celebrating New Year’s Eve during the Middle Ages, most academics agree that the first recorded celebration took place in England…

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Today marks the 81st Commemoration of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day throughout Palm Beach County and all over America. This day marks the moment to the minute 81 years ago when Japanese warplanes descended on Oahu, killing 2,403 service members and civilians, injuring thousands more and dealing a near fatal blow to the Navy’s fleet at Pearl Harbor.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese military made a surprise raid on the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 U.S. service members and civilians. More than 1,100 people were injured in the attack, which also destroyed aircraft and naval vessels. The following day, Congress would declare war with Japan. This led the United States into World War II. During an address to a joint…

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Many Southeast Floridians have a lot of confusion about Daylight Savings Time. Daylight Saving Time officially ended at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November the 6, 2022. For decades, shifting the clocks during the months that have the most sunlight was promoted to save energy.

Millions of Americans want to abandon daylight saving time each year. It disrupts our circadian rhythms and creates confusion. More than a third of U.S. states now back a permanent shift to daylight saving time. If that happens, it would be a final victory for a plan that businesses have praised for more than one hundred years.

For decades, shifting the clocks during the months that have the most sunlight was promoted to save energy. In the late 1700s, Benjamin Franklin was a…

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The history of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is remarkably interesting. The lighthouse sits on top of a midden shell mound on the northern side of the Jupiter Inlet. This location in Jupiter was chosen in 1853 when Congress authorized the construction. The Jupiter Lighthouse project was assigned and designed by George Gordon Meade, a young Army Lieutenant. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse was constructed in stages over the next eight years. 

The Lighthouse was one of six Florida lighthouses assigned to Meade before being completed under the supervision of Lieutenant William Raynolds. Lieutenant Raynolds enhanced the final design by increasing the height of the lighthouse tower to 105 feet and doubling the masonry wall for protection from the storms. The…

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The following account is written by Rick Herter, Internationally Recognized Historical Aviation Artist,  back seat qualified participant of Operation Noble Eagle, and resident of Palm Beach.  Herter actually flew over "Ground Zero" during Operation Noble Eagle (see photo below).  Photography is by Herter, as is painting.  The following account is as it was recounted to him by the first pilots to scramble. Eternal gratitude to all the heroes who protect America and all who reside here.   At Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, the morning of September 11, 2001, was sunny with blue skies and unlimited visibility. For pilots, maintenance personnel, and the Fighter Jets of the 102nd Fighter Wing on Cape Cod it was business as…

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As they say, “a day late and a dollar short,” but in fact, we are years and years too late! Read on and be astonished about what you could buy for $1.00 back in the day. In 1821, land in Jupiter was sold for just $1.00 an acre! Florida became a formal state of the colonies in 1821 and a property-owner named Don Eusebio Gomez considered releasing acreage he owned.

In 1815, the King and Queen of Spain had awarded Don Eusebio Gomez 12,000 acres. The land was an area bordering the Indian and Loxahatchee Rivers, as well as a barrier island between the Jupiter Inlet and the St. Lucie Inlet.

The granted land to Gomez was for his “services to the crown.”  He was a merchant/shipper and a defender of St. Augustine. When Florida became a U.S. territory all…

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