John
A. Markett oder Johann Market wie Altendorf und New York sich finden von Ernst Maissen |
Where
The Tropics Begin
How
The City Was Born At
the dawn of the 20th century, Lake Worth was an unpolished jewel. In
fact, that was its name - Jewel. In 1911, a year after former
slave-turned-proud-landowner Samuel James died, his wife Fannie sold
the core area of their land to Palm Beach Farms Company when Harold
Bryant and William Greenwood started to formulate plans for a City
along the water. The
name Jewel was changed to the Townsite of Lucerne and the platting
began. In January, 1912, Lake Avenue became the first street to be
graded and rocked, but because there was no train station nearby,
developers had to haul the material 2½ miles from Lantana. As the
townsite began to grow, residents saw the need to construct a dock
at the foot of Lake Avenue that extended 1,000 feet into the
Intracoastal Waterway. Next came Bryant Park, a park that is still
beautifully active today, complete with a modern Bandshell where
people enjoy Concerts in the Park on Thursday nights. As
settlers came to the untamed wilderness that was South Florida of
the early 1900's, they built their homes, a grocery store and a
restaurant. They even had their own town pump where all the
residents met to obtain their water and share in the events of the
day as they formed Lake Worth. The
first woman to come to Lucerne was Mrs. Lockwood. She looked around
at the pioneer conditions and she did what she did best - she gave a
party. The custom in those days was to hold a dance in every new
building just before it was occupied and she had her hands full as
the new buildings popped up. Lucerne's oldest house was, until just
recently, the home of the Greater Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce. During
the summer of 1912, the newly-developing City experienced a
thunderstorm and it flooded everything. As settlers fought to rescue
their new City from the water that covered it, people in neighboring
communities shook their heads predicting a very short life for
Lucerne. By August, the water had dried, the City's survey was
completed and it provided for 55 miles of streets, and nearly as
many miles of alleys, as well as 7,000 lots.
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The
entire waterfront was deeded to the City by Palm Beach Farms and
that included riparian rights that extended 1½ miles long. As the
City was being platted, representatives from Palm Beach Farms were
negotiating with the Florida East Coast Railway to provide
transportation facilities. Arrangements were made for the company to
give the railway a block for a small tract of land near a section
house. Today, that property is the Lake Worth Utilities Plant. J.O.
King was the first Town Marshall. He used his shotgun, not to catch
criminals, but to catch fish for his dinner. He used his stopwatch
to make sure those with motor vehicles did not exceed the
eight-miles-per-hour speed limit. In the City's early days, the mail
went through Lantana since the City's post office was not open until
August, 1912 with F.H. Billups serving as the first postmaster. In
October, the City's name changed from Lucerne to Lake Worth after
post office representatives learned there was already a town in
Florida called Lucerne. During the fall of 1912, Lake Worth became a
thriving City with its first school, a 24-foot by 36-foot building
constructed of Florida pine on "M" Street between Lake and
Lucerne Avenues where Amanda Snyder was the first teacher. As
the City continued to grown, the first church sprang up known then
as the Union Church and today as the Congregational Church with A.H.
Shipman as the first pastor. The first organization, the Social
Club, was formed and is still in existence today as the Pioneers of
the City of Lake Worth. The first business club, the Board of Trade,
is now known as the Greater Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce and the
City's first business, the Lake Worth Herald began as the Lucerne
Herald and still operates today. The
City's first barber, Mr. Regal, started his business using a soap
box for a chair. Mr. Waltz owned the first automobile in Lake Worth.
The year 1912 ended with the publication of the City's first census
showing 308 residents, 125 houses, 10 wagons, seven automobiles, 36
bicycles and 876 fowls. In 1913 concentrated efforts were being made
to organize the Lake Worth Light, Water and Ice Company at the same
time the Lake Worth Herald was calling for donations of books to
start the City's first library and books poured in from all over the
continent. The
first bathhouse, a two-story building made of Florida pine, was
built just north of the present Casino building. The City's first
band was formed that year called the "First Marine Band"
and the first Roman Catholic church, headed by a group of people who
moved to Lake Worth from Michigan started. Just a few months after
they established a building fund and the church opened its doors in
time for Easter Sunday services. The
first Clubhouse, later called the Auditorium in 1916, was built on
Dixie Highway between Lake and Lucerne Avenues, which is the site of
the present City Hall. In April 1916, A.E. Detweiler became the
first contributor to the fund that was set up to pay off the
outstanding debt against the Clubhouse in the amount of $800.
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Politics
began to creep into Lake Worth in 1913 when the first vote was taken
to decide whether the City would have a franchise granting a
Commission form of government. The first City Officials were elected
in April 1913 when the City received its first Charter. J.W. Means,
President of the Lake Worth Bank, was elected by acclamation to the
Office of Mayor. A.H. Shipman was elected Vice-Mayor and K.L. Hifner
was elected Town Clerk. In
June 1913, the first girl was born in Lake Worth. Her name is Jean
Childs Addison and she still proudly makes Lake Worth her home. Also
that month, ground-breaking was held for the erection of the Florida
Hotel and work on Ocean Avenue was assured after $85,000 in bonds
was given to the banks. Improvements
were made to the FEC Railroad, road work upgraded the streets, a
600-pound bell for the Fire Department was purchased in October,
1913, the first sugar cane quantity raised in Lake Worth was
produced and on October 17, the official opening of the Bank of Lake
Worth was held when $16,018.76 was deposited. City Commissioners
promised to build sidewalks in the business section and in November
the first street signs were erected. In
1913, City Commissioners voted that no buildings would be erected in
the future unless a permit was obtained. The necessity for street
lighting became so great that the people didn't want to wait for
electric service and kerosene lamps were provided on Lake Avenue
from the railroad tracks to the lakefront between 17th Avenue and
6th Avenue. Soon, Lake Worth built its own power plant. The first
ferry was used to cross the Intracoastal Waterway in 1913 to reach
the Atlantic Ocean and beachgoers were charged five cents to take
the ferry. By
the start of 1914, improvements were being made at Ocean Beach where
the water temperature on January 1st was 75 degrees. Bids were
advertised for a telephone franchise. On March 20, 1914, the first
carload of paper ever consigned to a newspaper in this part of
Florida reached the Lake Worth Herald containing 20 tons of paper 35
inches by 48 inches. In May, 1914, the City held its first municipal
election and James Love was elected Mayor with a total of 44 votes. At
6 p.m. on May 18, 1914, the electric current was turned on. Lake
Worth had modernized and the kerosene lamp was relegated to the past.
In 1914, the City's first baseball team was formed and they had an
undefeated first season. Work began on the new Episcopal Church at
the corner of "P" Street and Lucerne Avenue where
Episcopalians still worship at St. Andrew's and the Brophy, the
City's first movie house was open. That year, the City fathers voted
to pay the Marshall a small salary. In
Oct. 1914, moving pictures of Lake Worth were taken to advertise the
City and surrounding area. The idea originated with the Lake Worth
Herald and the work was donated by H.J. Bryant of Bryant and
Greenwood. The pictures were shown in hundreds of cities and towns
in the United States.
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Between
1914 and 1915, the first municipal building was constructed and was
a combination City Hall, Fire Station and Library. It also held two
jail cells, but those cells were not used until 1917. In early 1915,
the first lighted sign was installed across Lake Avenue and Dixie
Highway. Its job was to advertise the City of Lake Worth, but it had
one minor error - Lake Worth was spelled "LakeWorth" in
one word. In
August, 1915, the City's first twins, Irvin and Irvene Childs were
born. In 1916, as more children were born, the City's first school
house moved and the second school was dedicated at the site
currently known as the City Hall Annex. By
the end of World War I, City Commissioners, with a firm belief in
Lake Worth's future, levied higher assessments against properties to
pay for the many improvements. The first bridge across the
Intracoastal Waterway was built in July, 1919 and was one of the
longest wooden toll- free bridges in the United States. A
permanent Fire Chief was appointed in 1921 and in 1922 the Lake
Worth Casino was opened where gambling was legal until the
mid-1930's and bathers enjoyed a salt-water swimming pool. Lake
Worth High School was dedicated in 1922 and the first graduating
class in 1923 was made up of seven girls. There were approximately
439 graduating seniors in Lake Worth High School's Class of 1998. In
1924, the Oakley Theatre opened on the site of the current Lake
Worth Playhouse. It had to be remodeled after the 1928 hurricane.
The first stop light was installed in 1925 at Lake Avenue and Dixie
Highway. The Lake Worth Golf Course opened and the Gulfstream Hotel
was dedicated. Both are still fully operational today. The
first Fire Station was built in 1925 at 1020 Lucerne Avenue with the
second floor used as the Police Department. The outer shell of that
building is still being used by the Fire Department today until the
City's new Public Safety Complex is completed in the summer of 1998.
In
1926, North Grade and South Grade Elementary Schools were dedicated.
Both schools are in operation today with North Grade still an
elementary school and South Grade as a high school, is being
reconverted into an elementary school. The hurricane of 1928
destroyed much of the City, claiming one life, while 2,000 people
were killed in the county. In 1934, the WPA Auditorium was dedicated
at 7 North Dixie Highway and today the Moorish-Mediterranean style
building is the Lake Worth City Hall. In 1937, the second bridge was
constructed in concrete over the Intracoastal Waterway replacing the
wooden structure that was destroyed in the hurricane.
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In
1939, the Lake Theatre opened on Lake Avenue and the art deco
building is now the home of the Palm Beach Community College Museum
of Contemporary Art. In 1941, the Lake Worth Post Office and the
fourth home of the Lake Worth Library were dedicated. The Casino
pool was converted to a fresh water pool and in 1954 the Lake Worth
Pier, one of the longest municipal piers on Florida's Atlantic coast,
was opened to the public. In 1961, the Tom G. Smith Municipal Power
Plant was placed into operation and in 1970, the shuffleboard courts
moved to the location of the first power plant. The
Ira Van Bullock Hall of Justice was dedicated in 1972 as the City's
new Police Station and in 1980, the Fire Department's Station II
opened at 1229 Detroit Street. In 1982, the Museum of the City of
Lake Worth was established with Helen Greene as its curator on the
second floor of the City Hall Annex. The Osborne Community Center
was dedicated in 1990 and in 1991, the Second Avenue North Utilities
Complex was dedicated. In 1996, Lake Worth voters approved a bond
issue for a new Public Safety Complex which will streamline the
efforts of the Police and Fire Departments. The
downtown area, Lake and Lucerne Avenues, as well as Dixie Highway,
underwent extensive renovations by the Florida Department of
Transportation by repaving the roadways, extending the sidewalks and
installing bicycle paths.
Palm
Beach County's Focal Point For Art Evoking
images of gallery-lined streets not unlike the Village and Soho of
New York - Lake Worth is emerging as Palm Beach County's focal point
for the area's contemporary artists. The artists and their works,
displayed in the Palm Beach Community College Museum of Art,
represent a wide range of diverse cultural images. With
its international series of contemporary exhibitions featuring
paintings/sculptures, as well as extensive glass and ceramic art,
critically acclaimed artists have found a venue to display their
works. Because of the location of the Palm Beach Community College
Museum of Art in downtown Lake Worth, new galleries will soon be
opening and veteran galleries will soon be moving to Lake Worth from
other locations. Lake Worth offers artists a premiere location to reach upscale buyers in an elegant and charming atmosphere. Because of the City's many attributes, Lake Worth has attained a rich and vibrant gallery life in recent years. Lake
Worth may be small, but it is a cosmopolitan city. Now, the Lake
Worth Art League is adding to the city's reputation by creating a
positive and cohesive environment for artists. Founded in 1941 to
"further studies of arts and their development as a part of the
cultural life of Lake Worth," the League offers classes taught
by qualified professional artists; members exhibits as well as guest
artists in the Gallery, located at 416 Lake Avenue; Outdoor Shows on
the grounds; monthly membership meetings with demonstrations by well
known artists, and lectures on specific topics. Above
the Lake Worth Art League Gallery is the Museum of the City of Lake
Worth. Each room in the Museum tells a story about specific people
and events at a certain time in history. The Museum is a blend of
Lake Worth history and special donations. It is dedicated to the
Pioneers of the City, and to those who have made events happen,
change take place, and visions become realities.
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