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Gen. James Patton Anderson Camp 1599
Celebrating 34 Years 1992 - 2026
A SHORT HISTORY
BOCA RATON
Boca Raton History Part 2: The Pioneer Era
Through our first entry, we reviewed the sometimes sordid history between the natives and the eventual settlers of South Florida. For centuries, the area known as Boca Raton was a sparsely inhabited area known for its beauty by the Spanish and Seminoles alike. The wild, salt-kissed hammocks of Boca Raton were hardly inhabitable save for the cultures who knew the land for millennia and the pirates who sheltered from storms and attacks by the Spanish galleons they sought to plunder. During the late 19th Century, Palm Beach and Miami became the only significant American towns in the region. Boca Raton was host to less than a dozen white families for the decades that followed, supplying the honorable Joshua Bowen as its first serving congressman. As evidenced by the legend of the Barefoot Mailmen, the journey from Palm Beach to Miami was made solely by doggedly determined pioneers, soldiers, outlaws, and natives.
In the 1890s, this would change drastically. Led by a legendary entrepreneur with a near-ubiquitous name in our state, the first surveys and settlements began to truly take root in Boca Raton. Today's story begins with that man, his right hand in the region, and the few brave enough to settle and change the landscape of Boca Raton forever.
FEC RAILROAD
RICKARDS AND FLAGLER MAKE THE WAY
Thomas Moore Rickards is the first settler credited with carving the city lines for Boca Raton. Rickards first bought land in 1892, arriving on a schooner from Titusville, which at that point served as the southernmost terminus of the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railroad. Rickards was a civil engineer, surveyor, and farmer who was impressed by the natural beauty of the area, returning the year after to build the first home in Boca Raton. This home was built entirely from beachfront wreckage, going as far as the doors and windows, proving the remarkable ingenuity of Rickards. In 1897, Rickards provided the first surveys, divided into ten-acre tracts and sold to northerners. During this time, Rickards planted his pineapple plantation, beginning what would be a short run on pineapples as the predominant agrarian product of Boca Raton. In 1884, Henry Flagler, then already a millionaire with 35 years of business legacy behind him, gained a second wind to carve a second legacy - both apart from and part of his legend in the business.
The Rickards House, the first home built in Boca Raton
(Courtesy of the Boca Raton Historical Society)
PARTS 2 & 3 BY ANTHONY CARRIUOLO
Flagler first visited St. Augustine to escape the cold snap of a northern February, where the private university of his namesake would eventually be founded. It was there he commissioned a grand hotel and frequented the town during his winters. It was a friend of his, Mr. Frederic Robert, who lured him to Palm Beach, where he would become so enamored with the mystifying natural beauty that he immediately set upon the transformative work that led to the Palm Beaches we know today. According to the records of Harley Gates, one of the best primary sources from the era, Flagler cared little for luxury or extravagance. He was neither a huntsman nor a fisherman, caring purely for the thrill of doing things big. Turning his beloved new home from a backwater settlement to a palatial wonderland was the last of his major undertakings. Flagler set about establishing the Florida East Coast Railroad from Palm Beach to Miami, with Boca Raton serving as a midpoint. With Rickards serving as his agent, the earliest underpinnings of real settlement took place. No longer would Boca Raton be solely inhabited by a ragtag bunch of newcomers looking to start anew or escape something old? With the creation of the FEC Railway Station and the maps provided by Rickards, Boca Raton began its emergence from pre-settlement to the fullness of the Pioneer Era.
The First Farmers Arrive
Rickards's farm, The Black Cat Plantation, named for the silhouetted Florida Panthers spotted at dusk, thrived during its early days growing pineapples and tomatoes as primary staple crops. In 1902, George Long and his family came to Boca Raton. The Long's if known for anything, are known for the George Long Packing House. This large warehouse facility served the farmers in the packing, shipping, and receiving of agricultural products while doubling as a place for municipal meetings, social gatherings, and as a general all-purpose assembly hall. In 1908, the historic packinghouse served as the first school in Boca Raton, while a schoolhouse for white children was under construction at the current Boca Police HQ. Another prominent name in Boca Raton's early agrarian history is Frank Chesebro. Chesebro and family ventured from Michigan and by 1903, had more land in Boca than any other. His land and farm were intelligently built nearby the FEC railroad tracks, where he would join Rickards and others in providing pineapples, tomatoes, and winter vegetables to ship northward. In 1909, Palm Beach became an official county.
The Ladies of the Yamato Colony enjoying a luncheon
(Courtesy of the Boca Raton Historical Society)
The Rising Sun Sets On Boca
If there was any international influence to credit for the flair of Boca Raton, it would be the Spanish, Italian, and Latin-American influences that led to the early architectural development through the vision of Addison Mizner. For many, the name "Yamato" and the presence of a sprawling Japanese Garden don't fit the idea of Boca Raton and its geography about Japan. However, as part of the early Pioneer Era, the small group of Japanese families who settled in Boca Raton in 1905 made a lasting impact on the region. In 1903, Jo Sakai, a graduate of New York University, arrived to speculate what would eventually become the Yamato Colony. With the promise to introduce new crops and agricultural methods, the locals were enthusiastically supportive of this fledgling Japanese enclave. Sakai contracted with James Ingraham, a Vice-President of Flagler's and the Model Land Company. Unfortunately, the practical application of the colony never truly took hold. Sakai struggled to recruit young families necessary for the long-term success of the colony, and eventually, the promise of new crops reverted to those that would sell and were known to thrive. The best years of the colony saw several families on small 5-20 acre farms cultivate and ship 10,000 crates of fruit from just 43 acres. During this same season, 20,000 crates of tomatoes were shipped, further cementing the colony's commitment to the most profitable cash crops of the day. Unfortunately, the agrarian revolution never took hold the way it was envisioned.
By the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s, many families cashed out and moved on. The few remaining families would lose their land to the federal government in 1942 as the Army Air Corps expanded their base of operations at today's Boca Raton Executive Airport. Fortunately, despite the mass internment of Japanese-Americans during the war, none of the remaining families would be interned, although the Kobeyashi, Kamikama, and Morikami families would have their assets frozen and movements restricted as resident enemy aliens. George Morikami was the last to leave, passing away in 1976 in Delray Beach. For his part, he ensured the legacy of the Japanese Yamato Colony would remain. The beautiful gardens that carry his name would be donated by Morikami with the condition they would become what we all know to love. The opening of the Morikami Gardens in 1977, just a year after his death, would ensure the legacy of the Japanese settlers during Boca Raton's Pioneer Era lasted far longer than any pineapple crop could.
An early map of Pearl City
(Courtesy of the Boca Raton Historical Society)
Pearl City
In 1915, Dixie Highway was completed through Boca Raton. Soon after, Pearl City, a segregated community for African-Americans, was established between Dixie and Federal Highways just south of Glades Road. 1915 also saw Boca Raton get its first telephone service and establish its first Board of Trade. The ever-determined locals also dug out the closed Boca Raton inlet by hand, paving the way for the modern Intracoastal canal system that is part of the waterfront real estate market in Boca Raton. Pearl City promised to be the only segregated city east of the country road that extends to the canal system. Set to be governed solely by African-American residents, Pearl City became part of a peaceful but separated triumvirate of communities in Boca Raton - joining the Yamato Colony and the white pioneers as part of their new venture. Housing mostly farm workers who made the trek south to Deerfield, Pearl City would start from humble beginnings to eventually include its own churches, businesses, schoolhouse, and entertainment. Much of the best records and quotes from the time were taken from the Demery family, who wrote of the earliest days of Pearl City, where new residents took up abode in wooden shacks on sandy grounds, years before asphalt would be poured. Residents farmed, hunted, and fished in the old traditions that many held from the deep South, inheriting knowledge from their ancestors, many of whom were enslaved.
A Deerfield Family working for Frank Chesebro
(Courtesy of the Boca Raton Historical Society)
Many of the migrants to Pearl City would work for Frank Chesebro and later Butts Farm. Residents made better incomes. According to resident Ulysees Brown, he made $0.30 per day in Georgia and was raised to a full $1.00 by Chesebro. Without the well-entrenched mindset of a still very segregated and prejudiced south, Boca Raton and Pearl City provided a new lease on life to African-Americans looking for better pay, new landownership opportunities, and a relative shelter from the predations of bigotry. Families carried on the tradition of Southern African Americans at the time, holding church, discipline, and family togetherness at the center of life. For the most part, the people of Pearl City kept to themselves and mixed well when necessary with local whites. Without centuries of sordid history, there was less to strain race relations, despite Florida's presence in the South and as a former Confederate state.
Rev. and Mrs. Henry Clark at Ebenezer Baptist Church
(Courtesy of the Boca Raton Historical Society)
Pearl City residents helped establish the first Baptist Churches in Boca Raton, brought new music, ways of living, and recreation to the city, and worked determinedly to change their circumstances while elevating the prospects of those who were fortunate to employ them. Like the rest of the South, Pearl City desegregated following the U.S. Civil Rights Act. While this undoubtedly changed the landscape and populace of this historic place, the legacy left behind has never been lost.
Setting The Stage
By 1920, Boca Raton emerged from a tiny enclave of wily settlers to a tri-pronged community of immi-grants, migrants, and black settlers to a vaunted paradise sold to the highest bidder. In the decade that followed, "The Roaring '20s" as history remembers transformed Boca Raton from the colony that it was to the bustling city it became. The glitz, glamor, and wealth that would permeate the landscape and be seen in the style the city posed would define the next era of Boca Raton's history, and the place our story continues. In our next chapter, learn of the legendary Addison Mizner, the Florida Land Boom, and the eventual crash that would define the period between the world wars. Stay tuned!
A SHORT HISTORY
Boca Raton History Part 3: Addison Mizner,
The Land Boom, and The Great Depression
Posted by Anthony Carriuolo on Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 8:00 AM
Images and sources were provided in partnership and with immense gratitude to the Boca Raton Historical Society.
In the annals of Boca Raton's young history, the city has seen many historically significant names pass through its ranks. Today, the city is renowned for its gorgeous white sand beaches, remarkable luxury, and thriving business climate. From its initial groundbreaking via the likes of Henry Flagler and his agent, Thomas Moore Rickards, Boca Raton went from an untamed wetland to a global resort destination in less than a century. There are several crucial events from the late 19th century forward that deserve the attribution of success from Boca Raton historians: The importance of Boca Raton during the Second World War, establishing the lone RADAR school which led to the defeat of Nazi Germany among other factors. Then there is the IBM campus, where the personal computer (PC) was invented during Project Acorn, a major development in a city not among the first when "tech capitals" come to mind. The Yamato Colony of 1903, spearheaded by Jo Sakai left an indelible presence and one of the most majestic sanctuaries in South Florida. These names and events all played a crucial role in the ascension of one of South Florida's finest cities, but perhaps none played a bigger role than Addison Mizner. A short drive around Downtown Boca Raton will yield dozens of examples of his namesake. Whether that be on luxurious condos like Mizner Court or Mizner Tower, the famous Mizner Park, which includes some of the best shopping and retail in Boca Raton, the Addison Hotel, which features prominently in our holiday and event blogs for their decadent pre-fixe meals, and event the Addison Mizner Elementary School. Today's Boca Raton Historical Blog will dive into the life and times of Addison Mizner, the man he was, the things he accomplished, his downfall at the hands of the Great Depression, and the impact we feel today all across Palm Beach County.
Who Was Addison Mizner?
Addison Mizner was an American Architect born in Benicia, California in 1872. The child of Lansing B. Mizner, a lawyer, senator, and Minister to Central America, Mizner enjoyed a remarkably wide array of travel experiences in his youth. As a youth, Mizner visited China, and briefly mined for gold in the Canadian Yukon. In 1889, at the age of 15, Mizner journeyed with his father to Guatemala. His first stop in Mazatlan, Mexico was his first encounter with the Hispanic world. He would then go on to describe this as the greatest day of his life. He and his father both spoke fluent Spanish by the end of his tenure, where Mizner would remain - visiting Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras before his return to California. It was here that Mizner first became enamored with the blended architectural styles, combining Spanish influence with native practicality.
Famous Hand-Painted Portrait of Addison Mizner
Though Mizner lacked formal training, he apprenticed with San Francisco Architect Willis Jefferson Polk, earning his place as an architect. By 1904 he relocated to New York City, and eventually to Port Jefferson, Long Island. Though he never built any homes in his first five years there, he did receive commissions for interior design, including those on luxury yachts. At age 46, in January 1918, Mizner visited Palm Beach, Florida for the first time.
Mizner Comes to Boca
To use a colloquial expression: Henry Flagler walked, so Addison Mizner could run. It was the historic industrialist who built the remarkable Breakers and Royal Poinciana Hotel. Mizner noted that both were built with wood in a more northerly style, rather than in the stucco, stone, and colored tile of Central American structures. Unironically, Mizner's concern for hurricane susceptibility would ring true when the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane destroyed much of the Royal Poinciana Resort, leading to its eventual demolition and sale across the early 1930s. Mizner would truly carve out his influence during the Florida Land Boom, which lasted from 1924 to 1926.
A Snippet from one of the Mizner Development Corporation brochures showcasing the flowery language and idyllic concept of what would later become the city we know today.
Boca Raton: A Grand Vision
Ever the idealist, Mizner's lack of formal training kept him unfettered when considering exciting styles and innovative ideas that collegiately trained architects may scoff at. Mizner did not build in a way that others did, working to "copy and paste" a sensible structure in a dependable but mundane way. Mizner's vision layered influences from the French Rivieria to Guatemala City, Moorish Spain, and Tuscany. Mizner is quoted as saying "I have based my design largely on the old architecture of Spain - with important modifications and to meet Florida conditions. I studied the architecture of Spain itself and drew somewhat on my knowledge of Spanish tropical America." Mizner would create his first structure - The Everglades Club, on behalf of sewing machine heir Paris Singer, who initially recommended he visit Palm Beach for his health in 1918. Originally, the club was to be designed as a recovery hospital for World War I veterans, but with the war ending shortly after, the structure was converted to a private resort club. All medical equipment was donated to a West Palm Beach hospital, and the transition began. The club opened in January 1919 and would soon lead to more development that year. Mizner oversaw the construction of a nine-hole golf course, landscaping the 60 acres, and Via Mizner an addition to Worth Avenue which would include apartments and shops. Though perhaps not the most famous of his designs, this structure (which still stands and is open today) is regarded as the single greatest success of his career. From here, a new paradigm shift occurred, and the Mediterranean revivalist influence we see across South Florida would take root with The Everglades Club. Mizner received four commissions later that year, and the opportunity to exact his vision would begin.
In 1925, Mizner threw his weight behind Boca Raton, which then was spelled as "Boca Ratone." Mizner bought two miles of oceanfront and 16,000 acres of land, surrounding himself with "pioneering men of affairs," From here, Mizner would blitz the luxury market across America, showcasing this newfangled slice of Palm Beach County real estate as the next great resort town. By August 1925, Mizner would begin construction of the Cloister Inn, a luxury resort that would elevate the prospect of Boca Raton. The Cloister in allowed for an additional $7 million in contracts for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel (designed by Mizner) and to apply necessary infra-structure, mainly through a bridge over the East Coast Canal to connect Camino Real to the waterfront. These projects would see the largest material requisition in the history of Florida, with an enormity of tile, steel, lumber, quarried stone, asphalt, electrical conduits, plaster, piping, porcelain, and palmetto trees.
Classic photo of the elegant interiors at The Everglades Club
If Boca Raton was a small backwater town looking to emerge in the limelight, Mizner would be the one to illuminate this city to the world. Twenty-one states furnished materials for this project, further cementing the notion that Florida's prosperity is the prosperity of our nation, something that today still rings true during real estate downturns and economic crises.
Hand drawing of the finished Cloister Inn
The Cloister Beach Resort and Mizner's Finest Structures
The Cloister Inn was finished in just 22 weeks - something that even with today's equipment and manpower would be absurdly fast. Whether this is due to working conditions then or today's bureaucracy, to bring a project from untamed tropical wilderness to the remarkable structure it would be is a titanic achievement. During this time, Mizner was advertising heavily to the wealthiest and most elite of early 20th-century society, inviting numerous business barons and socialites to buy into America's next resort destination, with rapidly appreciating land prices to match the promise of comfort and hospitality. The way Mizner presented himself and his vision personified the concept of "society architect" - an individual who looks to their structures as part of a broader social current, rather than a practical standalone project. The integration of health, wealth, and infrastructure to his vision had an impact on Boca Raton that far exceeded the beauty and use of his buildings alone. It must be noted that despite the incredible beauty and attractiveness of the Cloister Inn, it is perhaps the infrastructural work around it that has the biggest impact today. The inlet tying The Atlantic Ocean to Lake Boca Raton was drastically widened to allow for the largest yachts of the day to sail and anchor, while the Lake itself would serve as a place to anchor ships while its owners enjoyed the veranda. Following the downfall of the Mizners and the acquisition of The Cloister Inn (see more below), the property would eventually be incorporated in The Boca Raton, the most well-known and upscale resort in the city. Today, the Boca Raton is not just home to the Cloister Inn and its surrounding properties, but also several ultra-luxury condo communities like One Thousand Ocean and Presidential Place. The inlet that yields the Atlantic Ocean and the condos built on the outcropping are among the most significant and recognizable land features in the county.
Hand sketch of the Old City Hall by Addison Mizner
Though there is an obvious tie between Mizner's affinity for Spanish architecture, it is an injustice to simply regard Mizner's work as the "Spanish Style." Much like Charlie Christian popularized the electric guitar, it wasn't the medium itself, but what was done with it that separated their impact. The lack of formal education and the willingness to transcend architectural norms often led to his dismissal by purists and collegiately trained professionals, although much of this could be perceived as jealousy or wanton negativity, seeing that at this time, Mizner was perhaps the most famous architect in the United States. Mizner also designed The Old City Hall, which today houses the Boca Raton Historical Society, but also the Fred C. Aiken house, and El Mirasol, a mansion that was completed in 1920 and demolished in 1959.
Mizner's Fall and the Great Depression
Mizner's personality was as big as his 6 foot 2, 250-pound stature. Mizner was as much of a socialite as the guests he entreated to buy land in Boca Raton. Often accompanied by pet monkeys, his outgoing personality shown through and his good nature was never called into question. If anything, the lone attribution to Addison Mizner that may have led in part to the destruction of his corporation had more to do with his big dreams and unorthodox ambitions, rather than any malignant act. Similarly to Nikola Tesla, the brilliant scientist who was more of a visionary than a businessman, perhaps Mizner's kindness and affectionate nature led to the lack of foresight into the future. Mizner sold millions on his first day, and millions more in the days that followed, surrounding himself with legacy families such as The Vanderbilts, DuPonts, Singers, and Clarence H. Geist among several major investors behind his corporation. Mizner's aforementioned whimsical style and ad-libbed, off-the-cuff design planning unfortunately extended to his business sense. In his own Tesla Tower-type situation, the strong language and grand designs that attracted so many investors to Florida would soon betray him. Several factors that led to the Florida land boom in part would begin its downfall. World War I, which raged from 1914-1918, severed many multimillionaires from their French Riveria estates. In part due to questionable deed restrictions and significant publicity, the Florida Land Boom kicked off in 1924. The Roaring 20's were at the backdrop of the speculation, and in many cases, as time wore on, the Florida Land Boom became just that: speculation. Since Booms are based on confidence, the waning specter of Florida's Land Boom quickly led to lost profits and a free fall for the Mizner Development Corporation.
Another ad showcasing the idyllic vision of Boca Raton
By the Mizner Development Corp.
This, in conjunction with the untold power of hurricanes, such as the Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928, would diminish confidence in the prospect of Boca Raton. Most notably, after financial backer T. Coleman DuPont urged the Mizners to dampen the strong language selling South Florida Real Estate. Following their refusal, DuPont took out an ad in the New York Times separating himself from the Mizners, a publicity death knell for what was to come. Soon confidence waned, the "blue bloods" that were depended upon could not make their second payments, and the Mizners lost it all. In 1928, the Cloister Inn was sold to former Mizner Development Corporation board member Clarence H. Geist, a utility tycoon who managed the Sea View Club of New Jersey. Geist quickly sought to right the ship, adding the palatial structures that ensconced the original Cloister Inn. Geist added three hundred rooms, five patios, a wide terrace, swimming pools, and a special dining room for maids, children, and chauffeurs of the guests. Geist also oversaw the further expansion of the inlet, allowing saltwater to flow into Lake Boca. The new rail station was completed this same year at the junction of Palmetto
Park Rd. and Dixie Highway, at the behest of Geist, who purchased $200,000 in bonds in a deal with the FEC. Geist should not be seen as an adversary to the mission Addison Mizner undertook, but rather a more pragmatic utilitarian who built upon the ambitions that gave Mizner his name, but also served as his Achilles heel.
Mizner's Impact
Mizner reversed the perception of architects as mere mathematicians and designers, whose role was to follow orders and get the job done. Today, architecture around the world is more than a standalone project and is seen as an integration in the cogs of social development. Mizner's love for landscaping both inside and outdoors is felt throughout Boca Raton, where lush gardens and subtropical flora dominate the landscape, blending seamlessly with the years of growth and expansion. Though Mizner's boom and bust business was gone in a flash, the imprint he had on Boca Raton was as large as his life. Beyond the many communities, schools, and institutions that bear his name, Mizner inspired the beauty, both manmade and natural that enraptures so many with this magnificent city and attracted the wealth and status that Boca Raton maintains to this very day.