Tag: the florida keys

Flagler’s Folly

The remnants of the Flagler Railroad. Construction began in 1905 and finished in 1912 and cost 50 million dollars (@ 1.5 billion in today’s dollars). It was destroyed by the Labor Day hurricane of 1935.

The storm was the first Category 5 to strike the US in recorded history. It claimed @ 485 lives, including @ 260 WWI veterans who were working on a section of the Overseas Highway as part of a federal relief project. On the day of the storm a rescure train was sent to evacuate the men, but it never made it. Strong winds and an 18 foot storm surge swept the train off the tracks.

Rescue Train Swept off the Tracks by the Labor Day Hurricane. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -09-05] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021670725/>.

There’s no question the project was an engineering marvel for its time and equally that the Florida Keys would not be the vacation destination they are today without Flagler’s vision. But ultimately the train only operated for @ 23 years at great expense. Hindsight seems to tell us the money and manpower would’ve been better spent on the Overseas Highway that eventually debuted in 1938 on the foundations of the original railway spans.

Stock Island, Florida

Sunset views from our king suite at Ocean’s Edge Resort on Stock Island, Florida.

All credit to my spouse who took these while I was napping!

Long Key, Florida

One of the many Keys on the way to Key West, Florida. It was called Cayo Víbora (Snake Key) by early Spanish explorers, a reference to the shape of the island, which resembles a snake with its jaws open, rather than to its denizens.

In the early 20th century Henry Flagler’s Fishing Camp was located here and was a popular luxury destination along his railroad to Key West. It was destroyed by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and never reopened. Today, it’s Long Key State Park, popular for kayaking, hiking, birding, picnicking, flats fishing and snorkeling.