Palm Beach

1905

In 1905, Palm Beach, Florida, was blossoming into America’s ritziest winter playground. Nestled along the Atlantic, this sun-soaked island was the brainchild of Henry Flagler, the oil tycoon turned railroad magnate. His Florida East Coast Railway had reached Palm Beach by the 1890s, and by 1905, it was ferrying in the nation’s elite—think Rockefellers and Vanderbilts—eager to escape northern snow for tropical breezes.
The jewel in the crown? Flagler’s Hotel Royal Poinciana, a sprawling wooden palace that, in 1905, was the world’s largest resort, boasting 1,100 rooms. Guests lounged on verandas, sipped cocktails, and pedaled “Afromobiles”—wicker chairs pushed by staff—along palm-lined paths. The Breakers, another Flagler gem, had just reopened after a fire, its opulence dazzling the Gilded Age crowd.
Palm Beach wasn’t just a resort town; it was a social circus. Newspapers buzzed with tales of lavish balls and yacht parties, while locals—mostly fishermen and farmers—watched the wealthy transform their sandy shores. With a population barely topping 1,000, the island’s 1905 vibe was exclusive yet wild, a place where millionaires mingled and modernity met mangrove. Flagler’s vision had struck gold, and Palm Beach was on its way to fame.

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Contributed by OldPik on January 6, 2025