By 1905, realizing the value of the Florida Keys' tropical climate and transportation possibilities when the Panama Canal opened, he had determined to extend his rail line through the Keys to Key West.
Why did they build a railroad to Key West?
“The only real natural port in those days was Key West. In 1900, it was Florida's largest city, a bustling port alive with the cigar industry, fishing and sponging. So the impetus for building an overseas railroad was that Henry Flagler needed a port .”
When did they build the railroad to Key West?
Construction on the Florida Overseas Railroad began in 1905 and continued through 1912 , when Flagler himself rode the first train from the mainland to Key West, where he was celebrated as a hero. Builders had to struggle through three devastating hurricanes during the seven years of construction.
Who built railroad to Key West?
Over a hundred years ago, the first train to cross the Overseas Railroad, technically known as the Key West extension of Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway, chugged into Key West.
How many people died building the railroad Key West?
Historical Remnants of the Florida Keys Railroad
The seven-year project to build the railroad employed thousands of men working in harsh conditions, and more than 250 died .
Is there still a train to Key West?
The Florida Keys have no train service running since 1935 , when the last train left Key West and got hit by the big Labor Day hurricane.
Why was the railroad to Key West never finished?
It was completed in 1912 and what had originally been referred to as “Flagler's Folly” suddenly became “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” In 1935, nature delivered a fatal blow when a Category 5 hurricane took out a large part of the middle section of the railroad and made it unusable.
What happened to Flagler's railroad?
The railroad was finally complete in 1912 and was called the 8th wonder of the world. The railroad remained in operation until the Labor Day hurricane in 1935. The hurricane ripped through the Florida Keys with winds estimated at 200 mph. It is considered the most intense hurricane to make landfall in the U.S.
What is the history of Key West?
Key West, or Cayo Hueso (Island of Bones) was discovered by Ponce de Leon , named Las Martines and claimed by Spain in 1513. In 1815 Don Juan de Estrada granted Key West to Juan Pablo Salas for meritorious service to the crown. John W. Simonton, from Alabama, bought the island from Salas for $2,000 in 1821.
How did Flagler's railroad help Florida?
In the early 1900s Flagler, affiliated with John D. Rockefeller in the Standard Oil Company, conceived and oversaw the construction of the Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad, paving the way for the Keys' evolution into the destination that is internationally recognized today.
Who built the railroads in Florida?
During the 1880s, Henry Plant expanded train lines to Tampa and the West coast. Henry Flagler expanded train lines through Jacksonville and down the East coast. By 1912, his Florida East Coast Railway Company had completed the first railroad connecting Key West with the mainland.
Why did Henry Flagler decide to build a railroad to St Augustine?
Flagler wanted to take advantage of additional trade with Cuba and Latin America as well as the increased trade with the west that the Panama Canal would bring . In 1912, the Florida Overseas Railroad was completed to Key West.
How many people died making the 7 Mile Bridge?
The Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway cost him an estimated $50 million. About 200 men died building the line, most during a 1906 hurricane. “About 140 died that day.
When did the last train go to Key West?
In the late summer of 1935 , the United States was in the midst of The Great Depression, the “worst and longest economic collapse in the history of the modern industrial world.” The nation's economists were cautiously predicting that the worst was over.
What city did the Flagler railroad end in?
Palm Beach was to be the terminus of the Flagler railroad, but during 1894 and 1895, severe freezes hit all of Central Florida, whereas the Miami area remained unaffected, causing Flagler to rethink his original decision not to move the railroad south of Palm Beach.
