The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1909-07-23
THE HISTORY OF EAST COAST
continued from pace n

VI,
and there constructed the Colon;o,
hote'' thus establishing large tourist
trade to the Bahamas via the Florida
East Coast Railway.
In 1904 he built the railroad 70 pah
10 Beach, extended it to Mavnort
where he constructed great coal and
lumber wharyes, He built the Cont.
mental hotci at Atlantic Beach near
Mayport, which gave an ocean beach
resort to jacksonville and the State
generally.
In 1905 he extended his railwaS %
miles to Homestead, and in 1907 began
the greatest and most important rail.
road construction ever before under.
taken by one man, in the extension of
his railroad to Key West, by bridging
by concrete viadlcts, steel bridges and
heavy fills of rock the opening between
the Florida Keys.
In January, 1903, this road was
opened for travel to Knights Key, AT
miles south Of Jacksonville, where con-
nection is made by steamship for Ha-
vana and Key West. The construction
of the 46 miles between Knights Kew
and Key West is progressing rapidly
and most satisfactorily. A large force
of men and all the various kinds of
machinery that can be utilized in that
class of construction are steadily work.
ing to finish the track into Key West
by January 2, 1910, the eightieth birth
day of Henry NJ. Flagler, the man who
has done these things. The efficiency
of the organization of Mr.. Fagler's
Florida East Coast Railway is of the
highest class, his officials are practical,
liberal and far-sighted and devoted to
the successful accomplishment of his
views in the development of his great
project.
To show some of the results of this
mans persistence in developing the
East Coast of Florida the following
figures, compiled from reliable sources
are appended: +,
The population of the State has in
creased to over S50,00O There were
in 1880 but few postoffces on the East
Coast. In 1908 there were l4l on the
line of the Florida East Coast Railway.
many of them being centers of various
side postoffice routes. In 1880 there
were lO,6Sl school children in Duval,
st. JON IS, Volusia, Brevard, Dade and
Monroe counties, while in 1908 there
were 81, CAB.
The gross valuation of the seven
East Coast counties in 1884 was Sl2,-
l66, 1877: in 1908, $37,6O3, 724, while
total valuation of the entire State has
increased from 500, 0l2, 655 in 1884 to
$l59, 800, 23O in 1905 The seven East
Coast counties bear 81 per cent of this
entire valuation made up of 40 counties
of the State.
Shipments of all kinds of fruit and
vegetables are made from the East
Coast in trainloads on fast passenger
schedules to all parts of the United
States. Hotels accommodating nearly
40 GOO tourists have been provided,
towns and cities have grown up hKe
magic. churches and schools always
being the first to be established IN the
pioneer settlements.
The railway mileage in Florida has
grown from 4OS miles in 1880 to $3.50 III
1907 of which Mr.. FIagler owns o3Z
miles, or little over one-slXth'
Mr.. Flagler's example has had a
tremendous influence for development
all over the State and, indeed, III nluch
of tbe south. The Pullman car mes
from the West and North that were
originally established for the p"ne''' OF
his hotel guests have been made per-
manent al-year-around lines mus CIV
ing strong impetus to tfaVel 10 va!
nlaces" that could not alone nave DC
cured such business facilities
Large cities have grown up 1T ''' =,
State and numerous factories OF al
k;nds are established or being es'ao-
lished to meet the business require
ments. n tor.
Kew West, which is the sou'ner" n ,e,'
uinal of the Florida East Coast nan .n
wav is 523 miles south OF JacKSo',V. :.
f. is the Southern port OF 'he o''''e'
ct.tes soon to be its most southern
railroad port, and deserves more l""''
a passing word. 1t has me harp u u,
with a 2s-foot channel to it. IL Is pu'
| u,yopa b()l from l Iu-