PBSCV1599
Gen. James Patton Anderson Camp 1599
Celebrating 34 Years 1992 - 2026
Hotel Palms
The Palm Beach Post
Thu Aug. 21, 1919
Page 1
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Holder of Option On Palms Hotel Views Property
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B. H. Beverley, manager of the Leon Hotel at Tallahassee, who has an option on the Palms Hotel, was in the city yesterday. He was accompanied by Dr. F. F. Ferris, also of Tallahassee, his partner in the Leon Hotel. Mr. Beverley has paid a $1000 on a deal for the purchase of the Palms Hotel from M. J. Hoeing. A purpose of his visit here was to hasten his decision whether or not to exercise the option. There was a good deal of interest in his visit, for it is understood there are other persons who want to deal for the property if Mr. Beverley does not take it over.
Mr. Beverley went out of town yesterday without indicating what he intended to do about it. Doctor Ferris is a practicing physician at Tallahassee. As he is interested with Mr. Beverley in the Leon Hotel, it is suspected that he had in mind taking an interest with him in the Palms if a deal is made for its purchase. Doctor Ferris intimated that he might locate in West Palm Beach for the practice of his profession. The Gruber property at Narcissus and Clematis, across the street from the Palms Hotel, was sold last week to W. J. Conners, the Buffalo, N. Y. boat owner and Everglades land owner, and the prospect that Mr. Conners will erect a fine building on the corner makes the disposition of the Palms Hotel property of corresponding interest.
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The Palm Beach Post
Sun Sep. 27, 1964
Page 4​
By MARY KELLEY Staff Writer
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West Palm Beach's first postmaster, John C. Stowers, was typical of the pioneering men of his time.
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Stowers, whose daughter, Miriam Stowers, now lives at 113 E. Main St., Palm Beach, was brought up on the coast of Maine, but unlike his ancestors and his brothers, "he wanted to cover the land and not the water," Miss Stowers reports.
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He came to this area in 1894, but not before he had panned for gold in the Black Hills of the Dakotas. Not too successful in this venture, Stowers went into business in St. Paul, Minn., until he was forced to move south for his health — an ailment called "neuralgia of the heart" by the doctors of the day.
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When Stowers arrived in West Palm Beach it was literally a "tent town." Lumber was a very scarce commodity because there was no railroad into South Florida, and its residents mostly made their homes in tents.
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It was in a tent that Stowers opened a general store and the city's first Post Office April 17, 1894, according to postal records. When this first Post Office was opened the records show that the name of the city was spelled in all one word: Westpalmbeach.
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This tent, located on the northwest corner of Narcissus and Clematis Streets, was replaced a year later by an "office building" which actually contained a grocery store and Post Office on the first floor and office space on the second floor. The demand for a hotel in the new village later persuaded Stowers to convert his building into the Palma Hotel.
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On April 11, 1895, the first day that the new Post Office opened for business in the solid building, three money orders were issued, according to old newspaper reports. One of those taking advantage of the service was C. C. Chillingworth, an attorney and father of the late Circuit Court Judge C. E. Chillingworth.
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In 1896 the name of the city was changed to West Palm Beach. It wasn't until 1912 that postal records show the current spelling: West Palm Beach.
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The Post Office in the Palma Hotel was located just south of the alley on Narcissus Avenue between Clematis and First Streets. The Florida Theater now stands on the spot.
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The Post Office remained in the hotel for another 19 years until it was moved to Olive Avenue, and then to an arcade on the south side of Datura Street in 1925, adjacent to the Florida East Coast Railway tracks. It was moved in 1937 to its present location at 400 S. Olive Avenue. The old Palma Hotel building was razed in the 1920s.
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Total receipts for the Post Office for the fiscal year ending in June, 1897, were $2,562.11. In 1963 the Post Office receipts totaled over $2 million.
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The first carrier service was established in 1913, three years after Stowers retired as postmaster. Today, 51 years later, there are over 120 carriers employed in the city. Stowers died in 1925.
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The Palm Beach Post
Fri, Nov 03, 1922
Page 1
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J. C. STOWERS' FUNERAL TO BE HELD ON SUNDAY
Pioneer Resident Died Before Dawn Yesterday
WAS ACTIVE IN BUSINESS HERE
Was a Founder of Union Congregational al Church
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John Clifford Stowers, aged 76, a pioneer resident of West Palm Beach, passed away at 4 o'clock yesterday morning at his home "Little Palms", on South Narcissus Street after an illness of several weeks. Mrs. Stowers and his daughter, Miss F. Miriam Stowers, were with him when the end came, the family having returned last Sunday from Searsport, Maine, where they had been spending the summer. Funeral services will be held from the Congregational church Sunday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock and interment will be in Woodlawn cemetery.
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Since the establishment of the Town of West Palm Beach, Mr. Stowers was a prominent figure in its active church and business life. He was a lifelong member of the Congregational church, having been one of the founders of the Union Congregational church of West Palm Beach as the Union church on the present site, which was contributed by Henry M. Flagler, this being the first church here. He and Charles White, of Philadelphia, were the first two male members. He had held all the offices of the church and had always been a deacon and a member of its board of trustees. He was actively interested in the upbuilding of the Sunday school and for many years taught a class.
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His business activities of late years were devoted largely to banking and financial interests. He was chairman of the board of directors of the Palm Beach Bank and Trust Company at the time of his death, having in past years served that institution in various executive capacities. He was also chairman of the board of directors of the Palm Beach Guaranty Company, builders of the Lake Court Apartments.
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In all the business and social developments of West Palm Beach since the founding of the town, the name of John Clifford Stowers stood well to the front. His name appears on the original charter of the town; he aided in establishing the Library Association and for two years served as its president. He was a member of the first Knights of Pythias lodge organized in the town, and at the time of his death and for many years, was a member of Harmonia lodge, F. A. M., though he took no active part in the work of the order on account of his limited strength.
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He was a member of the Pioneer Association and was greatly pleased when he learned of the memorial park being prepared on south Poin- settia in honor of the old settlers. He was also interested in getting the home here for Y. W. C. A.
John C. Stowers was born at Sandy Point, Maine, June 15, 1846,
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and was the youngest of 10 children. His father was owner of a ship building yard and a country store in which was located the post office. It was there at the age of 21 that Mr. Stowers first held the position of postmaster, a position which he later held in this city. During his school vacations, he helped his father in his enterprises, thus getting his early business training, or taught school.
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After finishing school, his love of pioneering and adventure asserted itself and he went to the Black Hills of South Dakota in search of gold. There, he had many thrilling experiences, including many with the Sioux Indians. Disappointed in his search for gold, he went to St. Paul Minn., where he engaged in business and where in 1874, he took his bride, Miss Mary McGilvery, of Searsport, Maine, and established their first home.
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He was in business in St. Paul at the time of the great panic there. After many financial vicissitudes in Minnesota, South Carolina, and Alabama, he came to Florida in 1886 in search of health and lived for a few years in Daytona, and then came on here, before the rail- road was extended to this point and when the Hotel Royal Poinciana was under construction.
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During the building of the Royal Poinciana hotel, Mr. Stowers operated a grocery store on what was then called the "Midway" and about the middle of the winter of 1894, he and his family moved to this side of the lake and became residents of what was then only a tent city. He engaged in the grocery business and the post office was in his store, located at the corner now occupied by the Palms hotel. He was made postmaster under Cleveland and held the position seventeen years.
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Built Palms Hotel.
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In 1895, he began the construction of the original Palms Hotel. It had originally been planned for a business and office block, but when it was nearly completed a man visiting here suggested that it would make a fine hotel and forthwith rented it. When the time came for him to take the hotel over, he did not appear, therefore, Mr. and Mrs. Stowers opened it up themselves. It was therefor,e by the merest accident that he established the business that was destined to be the means of making him one of the city's most successful men. That part of the present hotel that stands on Narcissus Street was the first addition and at first consisted of only two stories. Later, the old frame building was moved to its present location and the present four-story corner wing later being built up to four stories.
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JOHN C. STOWERS' Palms Hotel housed the second Post Office in West Palm Beach. The hotel was on the corner of Narcissus and Clematis Street, and the Post Office section was located just south of the alley on Narcissus Avenue between Clematis and First Streets. Photo Courtesy of Sam Quincey
