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Lake Worth
City Directory

Lake Worth History

The City of Lake Worth was named for Major General William Jenkins Worth who was born March 1, 1794. Worth entered active military service during the War of 1812 and promoted to the rank of Major by the time he was 20 years old.

When he was 26, worth became the commandant of West Point where he taught military tactics for eight years. Cadet Robert E. Lee, formally announced his resignation in 1828.

In 1841, worth was named the tenth commander appointed to close the war in Florida with the Seminole Indians. On April 9, 1831, the final battle took place against Hallect, the last resisting chief of the Indians. Worth was honored by the State of Florida for his military skill and dedicated service. He went on to distinguish himself in Texas and Mexico during the Mexican War. Fort Worth, Texas is also named for this military hero.

The development of what is now Lake Worth, has its beginnings in the early 1900s. The Palm Beach Farms Company, with its vice-president, Harold Bryant, purchased thousands of acres of Everglades land in 1909. In 1910, this company bought a large tract of coastal land. Harold Bryant, his brother F.E. Bryant, and William Greenwood were hired as agents to promote this new land. These agent developers concentrated on the section now known as Greenascres City. They sold five, ten acre tracts of fruit and truck land for $250. As an added incentive, a free lot in town on the shores of Lake Worth was offered with each tract purchased!

Platted in January 1912, as the town of Lucerne, the area of the givaway lots became so popular that the area to the west was virtually abandoned until the late 1920s. Because a post office was now necessary and there was another “Lucerne” in Florida, the founders changed the name to Lake Worth, honoring the famous General.

Between April and December of 1912, the early settlers changed the town site from a “sand lot in a clump of wild palmetto land with 38 residents” to a town of 308 permanent residents, 77 completed buildings and 48 more under construction. It became know as the “Wonder City” when, in this short time, they formed the Chamber of Commerce, a Women’s club. The Lake Worth Herald, Lake Worth’s oldest business, printed its first issue in August 1912.

In May 1914, electric lights were turned on the fhe first time. Settlers in the community before that date, and their descendents are know as the Pioneers of the City of Lake Worth.

A 30-mile roadway opened in 1917 connecting Palm Beach to Delray Beach; however, its shortcoming was no access from the mainland portion of Lake Worth to this new linking road. The solution to this problem was a bridge bond issued for $55,000.

The city was officially incorporated in 1912. Many of the first residents were farmers from other parts of the American south and mid-west, looking to benefit from the growing winter vegetable market of the time. The city benefited with the rest of south Florida during the Florida land boom of the 1920's. A wooden automobile traffic bridge over Lake Worth was completed in 1919. The 1920s also saw the completion of the Gulfstream Hotel, which towers over the downtown to this day.

Lake Worth, FL stone marker -Lake Worth SCENE

With all obstacles overcome, the bridge opened on a beautiful Fourth of July in 1919. At 3,200 feet, it was the longest toll-free bridge along Florida’s east coast set on 200 concrete pilings. Although long, the bridge was so narrow two cars of that day barely had enough room to pass. One resident chose to ride her bike across the bridge rather than “mess up” the bow on the back of her dress while sitting in an automobile.

Lake Worth, FL -Lake Worth SCENE

The devastating Hurricane of 1928 moved the bridge off the pilings and was replaced by a second bridge at an estimated cost of $250,000. Part of this 2nd bridge is still in use as a fishing pier. In 1973, a third higher, wider and more modern bridge was built alongside the 2nd.

The mainland portion of the City is situated along a wide stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway with the same name as the city, Lake Worth. The municipal beach complex located on Palm Beach Island is a focal point for the residents and visitors who take advantage of the sun, surf sand, dining and shopping. This complex is called the Casino. Built in 1922, it has seen many architectural changes, especially after the 1947 hurricane.

In the heart of the Palm Beaches, Lake Worth is cooled by the easterly tropical prevailing Trade Winds and warmed by the Gulf Stream. (“Nature’s Beauty Path”), comes closer to the shore than any point in the United States. It IS Lake Worth, where the quality of life is seen in its people.

After Henry Flagler extended his rail line south from West Palm Beach to Miami in 1896, a land development scheme was created to plant a townsite between the railroad and the lake. Purchasers of lots within the townsite would also receive a larger plot of land west of town for agricultural use. The initial name proposed for the new town was Lucerne. The city was severely damaged in the 1928 hurricane, toppling the bell tower on the elementary school (today the City Hall Annex) and destroying the beachfront casino and automobile bridge over Lake Worth. This led to a severe economic decline within the community which led into the Great Depression. Things were so dire in the city in the 1930s, that FDR's Works Progress Administration built a striking, moorish-styled "City Gymnasium" on the corner of Lake Avenue and Dixie Highway to provide employment for the impoverished citizenry. The building today serves as City Hall.Development started again after World War II with many modest pensioners, especially from Quebec, Finland and eventually Germany, moving to the city and building 1,000 square foot cottages. These new immigrants brought their industrious nature with them as well as their native customs, restaurants, shops, and churches and for decades the town flourished. To this day one can find an unusual abundance of beer halls, chocolatiers, Bavarian delicatessens and Lutheran churches, which stand out in the semi-tropical urban sprawl of south Florida. After a short period of neglect and decline in the 1980s and 1990s, the downtown area has seen a huge resurgence in interest and development and once moribund property values have soared. The city's charming main street, Lake Avenue, contains some of the oldest commercial structures in south Florida, including the Lake Worth Play House and the art deco building, originally a cinema, which formerly housed the PBICA. The re-discovery of this unique charm has spurred new interest in the city.

The Exquisite Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is the region of the southeastern coast of the U.S. state of Florida between Palm Beach and Miami. The region consists of the long urban cluster that runs along the eastern shores of Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade County; also called the South Florida metropolitan area. It includes the cities of West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Pompano Beach and Hollywood, as well as the famous beach chic Fort Lauderdale.

The name "Gold Coast" comes from the coins that occasionally wash up on the shore in the area.[citation needed] This is due to a large number of Spanish Galleons that sank off the coast carrying large amounts of gold and silver coins. However, the term is also used as a double entendre to indicate the fabulous wealth that has accrued in the area, especially near the coast (such as Miami Beach, Palm Beach, etc), including Donald Trump's $125 million estate. Used in that sense, the 'Gold Coast' wouldn't really include the entire 'South Florida' area, just that part east of U.S. 1 or, some would say, the Intracoastal Waterway.

spanish guard Lake Worth, FL -Lake Worth SCENE

Over 300 years ago, several ships of Spanish galleons carrying gold and silver are thought to have shipwrecked off the southeastern shore of Florida dumping their vast treasures into the ocean. Then, over 100 years ago, Palm Beach became a popular vacation destination of the rich and famous – coming by way of Henry Flagler's railroad. Many stayed... and you could say the rest is history.
After Henry Flagler, came Addison Mizner, an architect with a penchant for Mediterranean-styles. Both men dreamed of Palm Beach as an affluent mecca and since that time Palm Beach has attracted money and influence. Palatial homes of the rich and famous – including Perry Como, the Kennedy's, and Donald Trump – dot the island. The Gilded Age estate of Flagler, which is a National Historic Landmark, is open to the public as the Flagler Museum where Flagler's private railcar is exhibited on the South Lawn. As one of the world's premier destinations, Palm Beach's warm and breezy climate is perfect for just about every recreational activity imaginable and Palm Beach and its neighbor to the west, West Palm Beach, provides them all – golf, croquet, tennis, horseback riding, polo, and rollerblading. Plus, the area boasts 47 miles of pristine beaches, superb parks, unique attractions, cultural venues, shopping, and a fantastic nightlife. Connoisseurs of fine dining delight in the vast selection of four-star restaurants with plenty of after-dinner delights including after-hour cafes, dinner theaters and discos.

Palm Beach advertises itself as offering "The Best of Everything." No doubt that is true but it is not financially accessible to everyone. Although the area boasts 16,000 guest rooms in more than 200 hotels offering accommodations to fit any budget, its "affordable luxury" may be out of reach for some.

Top 10 Tips for …
Staying Sane During Season!
By ML Baker

#10 Remember that it’s only 6 month’s till they’re gone!

#9 Repeat “They’re putting $ in my pocket” over and over like a mantra.

#8 Be happy when you can’t find a parking spot at the beach. Think of all the gas you’ll save when you ride your bike next time!

#7 Be grateful when you’re sitting in the parking lot known as
I-95; you’ll get that warm and fuzzy ‘we’re all in this together’ feeling!

#6 Realize that you really didn’t want to eat in your favorite restaurant tonight anyway – time enough for that in the summer!

#5 Hey, here’s a plus: now the homeless people will have fresh meat to bum $ from – maybe they’ll leave US alone for awhile!

#4 Same goes for the cops, who’ll go after out-of-state plates
first – maybe they’ll leave us alone too! (Yeah right.)

#3 Take a vacation somewhere cold for Christmas –
it won’t be crowded; they’re all here and in Arizona!

# 2 What a bonanza for us single people –
more to choose from! YAY!

And, the # 1 tip for staying sane in season
(besides massive amounts of mood-enhancer’s)

ALWAYS REMEMBER :

This is NOT ” Grand Theft Auto”, and we do NOT get points for Snowbirds, even if they ARE wearing socks with sandals!

Lake Worth City Directory

City Commission ....................................................... 586-1730
City Attorney ............................................................... 586-1631
City Clerk .................................................................... 586-1662
City Manager .............................................................. 586-1630
Finance ....................................................................... 586-1654
Human Resources ..................................................... 586-1658
Information Technology ............................................. 586-1783
Purchasing ................................................................. 586-1674
Building Administration ............................................. 586-1644
Business License ...................................................... 586-1647
Code Compliance ..................................................... 586-1652
Permits ....................................................................... 586-1647
Community Services Zoning .................................... 586-1687
Emergency ........................................................................... 911
Fire .............................................................................. 586-1711
Golf Course ................................................................ 533-7365
Information .................................................................. 586-1600
Library ......................................................................... 533-7354
Museum ...................................................................... 586-1700
Police (non emergency) ............................................ 586-1611
Public Services Administration ................................ 586-1720
Building Maintenance ................................................ 586-1720
Cemetery .................................................................... 586-1677
Garage ........................................................................ 586-1722
Streets ........................................................................ 533-7346
Traffic Maintenance ................................................... 533-7346
Waste Removal ......................................................... 533-7344
Recreation Administration ........................................ 533-7359
Pool and Beach ......................................................... 586-1773
Topics in the Tropics ................................................. 586-1791
Utilities Administration .............................................. 533-7316
Business Services ..................................................... 533-7300
Emergency Dispatch ................................................. 586-1695
Meter Readers ........................................................... 533-7300
Meter Shop ................................................................. 586-1701
Power Plant ................................................................ 533-7379
Power Outage (to report) .......................................... 586-1695
Water Treatment ........................................................ 586-1710

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