Henry B. Plant, “The King of Florida”

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc.  Henry B. Plant was dubbed “The King of Florida” by a magazine called Success in 1898 for his tremendous impact on the development of Florida's transportation and tourism industries and advancement as a whole. Without Plant and all the ways his ventures shaped the state's history, Florida may have not become the place it is today.  Henry Bradley Plant was born in Branford, Conn., on Oct. 27, 1819, to a family of farmers, where he was raised by his mother, step-father and grandmother. His first job was for New Haven Steamboat Company, working on a ferry that ran between New Haven and New York at the age of 18. He later discovered an affinit