The Founding of Lake Worth: A Pioneer-Developer Partnership During South Florida’s First Agricultural Boom

New research on the origins of the City of Lake Worth Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida. Sheds light on the dynamic relationship of Palm Beach Farms Company and pioneer settlers in the 1910s. The effort to drain the Everglades and create a small farming economy was slow to emerge. The developer did not abandon the project but reoriented themselves to the founding of a vibrant town, through a sustained effort to create amenities for residents and a vibrant economy. Beach access, ferry service, parks, clubhouse, sports, and recreation with a host of vibrant activities drew settlers and seasonal tourists as the town sprang out of the South Florida sawgrass-palmetto scrub.