A Man worth Remembering

Gideon Burrell
Contributor

During the month of May we remember the death of a man named Henry Flagler. One hundred ten years ago, Henry Flagler died. Many people don't know that name. Did he do anything important worth remembering? Mr. Flagler has actually made a big impact in Florida in many ways.
Henry Flagler was born in New York in 1830 to a Presbyterian family. Later, he moved to Ohio and worked with his cousins. After a few years there, he joined forces with a trader (John D. Rockefeller) and started a business called Standard Oil. They made lots and lots of money. After that, Flagler settled down in St. Augustine, Florida. Flagler died in May of 1913, but not before he made some big accomplishments.
You might recognize one of Flagler's most famous achievements, which is known as Flagler College. In his day it was called the Ponce de Leon. The Ponce de Leon used to be a hotel for rich people. You would normally stay for a month or a season. When you would arrive, the women would automatically be ushered into the women's parlor and the men would go to pay. Legend has it that it was done this way because the men thought the women would faint if they saw how much money was being paid! The Alcazar is right down the road from the Ponce de Leon and was a second hotel that Flagler made. Now it is a place for small stores. There is a fountain in the middle of the Alcazar's courtyard. It is a very pretty sight.
Not far from the Ponce de Leon is the Presbyterian Church that Mr. Flagler built in honor of his daughter when she died. The Presbyterian Church is still in use and a lot of people go to the church. I believe Flagler's greatest accomplishment was building a railroad from Florida to the Florida Keys. He proved that it could be done, and made a way for people to be able to live in the Florida Keys.
Henry Flagler's life is fascinating and I recommend you get a book about him. If you want to go on the tour that I did where I learned all of this information and many other interesting things about Henry Flagler and his exciting life, you can go to landmarkevents.org and look for the Pirates, Presidents, and Conquistadors tour.