Palm Beach, Florida


	On January 9, 1878, the ship "Providencia" was shipwrecked on a beach near Lake Worth. It was carrying a cargo of coconuts bound from Havana, Cuba to Barcelona, Spain. The early settlers on the island, claimed salvage rights to the "Providencia" and planted the coconuts along the beaches. Within 10 years, over 350,000 trees had sprung up all over the coast and the land was called "Palm Beach".


			Florida became a territory in 1821 but its inhabitants were mostly Seminole indians. With coming of the Civil War in 1860, Florida developed as a result of the need for food for the southern troops.

	From end of the Civil War in 1865, through the Industrial revolution, until the stock market collapse in 1929, there was a huge expansion in the economy of the United States. This led to investments in oil, railroads, steel, automobiles, and land.


	Henry Flagler, the owner of the Florida East Coast Railway, began buying up land on the island. His interest led to the island's development into a winter resort. His mansion "Whitehall" is now a museum. Today, Palm Beach is the home of 10,000 year-round and 20,000 seasonal residents.