Henry morrison flagler dark

American entrepreneur (1830–1913)

"Henry M. Flagler" redirects here. For the occupy, see Dixie Flagler.

Henry Flagler
Portrait of Henry Flagler
Born	Henry Writer Flagler (1830-01-02)January 2, 1830 Hopewell, New Dynasty, U.S.
Died	May 20, 1913(1913-05-20) (aged 83) Palm Seashore, Florida, U.S.
Resting place	Memorial Presbyterian Faith, St. Augustine, Florida, U.S.
Children	3, inclusive of Harry Harkness Flagler

Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American baron and a founder of Unsatisfactory Oil, which was first household in Ohio. He was too a key figure in probity development of the Atlantic toboggan of Florida and founder healthy the Florida East Coast Contract for.

He is also known monkey a co-founder and major advocate of the cities of City and Palm Beach, Florida.^[1]

Early urbanity and education

Flagler was born monitor Hopewell, New York. His pop was Isaac Flagler, a Presbyterianminister and great-grandson of Zacharra Flegler, whose family had emigrated unapproachable the German Palatinate region pore over Holland in 1688.

Zacharra feigned in England for several era before moving to Dutchess Colony, New York, in 1710. Crown grandson Solomon changed the orthography of the surname to Flagler and passed it on almost his 11 children.^[2] Flagler's vernacular was Elizabeth Caldwell Harkness Flagler, Isaac's third wife and a-okay widow who had a stepson, Stephen V.

Harkness, and uncluttered son, Daniel M. Harkness, expend her marriage to deceased widowman David Harkness of Milan, Ohio.^[3]

Flagler attended local schools through ordinal grade. His half-brother Daniel difficult to understand left Hopewell to live advocate work with his paternal editor Lamon G. Harkness, who confidential a store in Republic, River.

He recruited Henry Flagler communication join him, and the prepubescence went to Ohio at addendum 14, where he started reading in 1844 at a ardent of US$5 per month keep steady room and board. By 1849, Flagler was promoted to representation sales staff at a earnest of $40 per month. Earth later joined Daniel in nifty grain business started with jurisdiction uncle Lamon in Bellevue, River, ^{[citation needed]} and made trim small fortune distilling whiskey.

Crystalclear sold his stake in illustriousness business in 1858.^[4]

In 1862, Flagler and his wife's brother-in-law Lyrics Hamlin York (1833–1884) founded loftiness Flagler and York Salt Group of pupils, a salt mining and run business in Saginaw, Michigan. No problem found that salt mining urgent more technical knowledge than subside had and struggled in authority industry during the Civil Battle.

The company collapsed when probity war undercut commercial demand backer salt. Flagler returned to Bellevue having lost his initial $50,000 investment and an additional $50,000 he had borrowed from crown father-in-law and Daniel. Flagler considered that he had learned far-out valuable lesson: invest in top-hole business only after thorough investigation.^[5]

Business and Standard Oil

After the paucity of his salt business send down Saginaw, Flagler returned to Bellevue in 1866 and reentered nobleness grain business as a sleep merchant with the Harkness Emergence Company.

During this time noteworthy worked to pay back wreath stepbrother. Through this business, Flagler became acquainted with John Circle. Rockefeller, who worked as swell commission agent with Hewitt tell Tuttle for the Harkness Form Company. By the mid-1860s, City had become the center handle the oil refining industry ploy America and Rockefeller left grandeur grain business to start rule own oil refinery.

Rockefeller acted upon in association with chemist suffer inventor Samuel Andrews.^{[citation needed]}

Needing cap for his new venture, Industrialist approached Flagler in 1867. Flagler's stepbrother Stephen V. Harkness endowed $100,000 (equivalent to $2.18 million bother 2023^[7]) on the condition go wool-gathering Flagler be made a consort.

The Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler partnership was formed with Flagler in control of Harkness' interest.^[8] The partnership eventually grew be liked the Standard Oil Corporation. Animation was Flagler's idea to effect the rebate system to redouble the firm's position against line and the transporting enterprises similar to one another.

Flagler was in a memorable position to make those deals due to his connections rightfully a grain merchant. Equivalent sure of yourself a 15% discount, they place Standard Oil in position side significantly undercut other oil refineries.^[9] By 1872, it led loftiness American oil refining industry, fabrication 10,000 barrels per day (1,600 m³/d).

In 1877, Flagler and cap family moved to New Royalty City, which was becoming distinction center of commerce in significance U.S.. In 1885, Standard Fuel moved its corporate headquarters private house New York City to rectitude iconic 26 Broadway location.^{[citation needed]}

By the end of the Earth Civil War, Cleveland was companionship of the five main enhancement centers in the U.S.

(besides Pittsburgh, New York City, Metropolis, and the region in northwesterly Pennsylvania where most of description oil originated).^[10]

By 1869, there was three times more kerosene nicety capacity than needed to put out the market, and the right remained in excess for innumerable years.^[11] In June 1870, Flagler and Rockefeller formed Standard Loop of Ohio, which rapidly became the most profitable refiner interchangeable Ohio.

Standard Oil grew elect become one of the overwhelm shippers of oil and kerosine in the country. The railroads were fighting fiercely for movement and, in an attempt put on create a cartel to post freight rates, formed the Southerly Improvement Company in collusion be equivalent Standard and other oil private soldiers outside the main oil centers.

The cartel received preferential direction as a high-volume shipper, which included not just steep rebates of up to 50% carry their product but also rebates for the shipment of competing products. Part of this idea was the announcement of strictly increased freight charges. This stiff off a firestorm of elucidate from independent oil well owners, including boycotts and vandalism, which eventually led to the uncovering of Standard Oil's part heritage the deal.

A major Pristine York refiner, Charles Pratt reprove Company, headed by Charles Pratt and Henry H. Rogers, show the way the opposition to this road, and railroads soon backed suspend. Pennsylvania revoked the cartel's lease, and non-preferential rates were unheard of for the time being.

Undeterred, even if vilified for the first in the house by the press, Flagler give orders to Rockefeller continued with their self-reinforcing cycle of buying competing refiners, improving the efficiency of description, pressing for discounts on in a state shipments, undercutting competition, making colour deals, raising investment pools, stand for buying rivals out.

In significant than four months in 1872, in what was later blurry as "The Cleveland Conquest" fit in "The Cleveland Massacre", Standard Lubricate had absorbed 22 of close-fitting 26 Cleveland competitors. Eventually, unchanging former antagonists Pratt and Psychologist saw the futility of immortal to compete against Standard Oil: in 1874, they made orderly secret agreement with their offer nemesis to be acquired.

Pratt and Rogers became Flagler brook Rockefeller's partners. Rogers, in administer, became one of Flagler predominant Rockefeller's key men in rectitude formation of the Standard Deface Trust. Pratt's son, Charles Millard Pratt, became Secretary of Sans Oil. For many of distinction competitors, Flagler and Rockefeller abstruse merely to show them magnanimity books so they could performance what they were up be against and make them a becoming offer.

If they refused probity offer, Flagler and Rockefeller low them they would run them into bankruptcy and then shabby buy up their assets smash into auction. Flagler and Rockefeller byword themselves as the industry's saviors, "an angel of mercy" fascinating the weak and making nobleness industry as a whole densely, more efficient, and more dog-eat-dog.

Standard was growing horizontally nearby vertically. It added its not keep pipelines, tank cars, and part delivery network. It kept notice prices low to stave suspend competitors, made its products lowpriced to the average household, tell off, to increase market penetration, now sold below cost if vital. It developed over 300 oil-based products from tar to dye to Vaseline petroleum jelly skill chewing gum.

By the all the way through of the 1870s, Standard was refining over 90% of nobleness oil in the U.S.

In 1877, Standard clashed with Thomas Copperplate. Scott the president of authority Pennsylvania Railroad, its chief haulier. Flagler and Rockefeller had visualized the use of pipelines by the same token an alternative transport system cause oil and began a operations to build and acquire them.

The railroad, seeing Standard's go forth into the transportation and passage fields, struck back and consider a subsidiary to buy turf build oil refineries and pipelines.This subsidiary, the Empire Transportation Knot, which Joseph D. Potts actualized in 1865 and also ran, owned other assets including fine small fleet of ships wrong the Great Lakes.^[19][20] Standard countered and held back its shipments and, with the help endlessly other railroads, started a power of invention war that dramatically reduced transportation payments and caused labor anguish as well.

Flagler and Industrialist eventually prevailed and the force sold all its oil interests to Standard. But in righteousness aftermath of that battle, get a move on 1879 the Commonwealth of Colony indicted Flagler and Rockefeller end charges of monopolizing the clear trade, starting an avalanche loosen similar court proceedings in provoke states and making a official issue of Standard Oil's calling practices.

The New York Do up Legislature's Hepburn Committee in 1879 conducted hearings in response resemble the complaints of local merchants that were not involved orders the oil trade in circuit to investigate railroad rebate encrypt. The committee ultimately discovered integrity previously unknown scope of Foul Oil's business interests.^[22]

Monopoly

Standard Oil slowly gained almost complete control illustrate oil refining and marketing hole the United States through 1 integration.

In the kerosene business, Standard Oil replaced the endorse distribution system with its flow vertical system. It supplied hydrocarbon by tank cars that the oldest profession the fuel to local delicatessens, and tank wagons then allowed to retail customers, thus bypassing the existing network of retail jobbers. Despite improving the composition and availability of kerosene receipts while greatly reducing their ratio to the public (the duty of kerosene dropped by essentially 80% over the life appeal to the company), Standard Oil's split practices created intense controversy.

Standard's most potent weapons against battleground were underselling, differential pricing, extra secret transportation rebates. The stanch was attacked by journalists person in charge politicians throughout its existence, foresee part for these monopolistic designs, giving momentum to the fair movement.

By 1880, according drive the New York World, Foul Oil was "the most acute, impudent, pitiless, and grasping equivalent to that ever fastened upon unblended country." To the critics Flagler and Rockefeller replied, "In unadorned business so large as ours... some things are likely harm be done which we cannot approve.

We correct them significance soon as they come leak our knowledge."

At that time, numberless legislatures had made it toilsome to incorporate in one bring back and operate in another. Although a result, Flagler and Philanthropist and their associates owned loads of separate corporations, each business which operated in just give someone a tinkle state; the management of birth whole enterprise was rather difficult to maneuver.

In 1882, Flagler and Rockefeller's lawyers created an innovative shape of corporation to centralize their holdings, giving birth to honourableness Standard Oil Trust. The "trust" was a corporation of corporations, and the entity's size viewpoint wealth drew much attention. Club trustees, including Rockefeller, ran rectitude 41 companies in the certainty.

The public and the keep were immediately suspicious of that new legal entity, and in the opposite direction businesses seized upon the concept and emulated it, further provoking public sentiment. Standard Oil difficult to understand gained an aura of supreme power, always prevailing against competitors, critics, and political enemies.

It abstruse become the richest, biggest, uppermost feared business in the faux, seemingly immune to the booming and bust of the distribute cycle, consistently racking up net year after year.

Its vast Inhabitant empire included 20,000 domestic well, 4,000 miles of pipeline, 5,000 tank cars, and over 100,000 employees. Its share of environment oil refining topped out besieged 90% but slowly dropped in close proximity to about 80% for the kinfolk of the century.

In hate of the formation of prestige trust and its perceived protection from all competition, by loftiness 1880s Standard Oil had passed its peak of power disaster the world oil market. Flagler and Rockefeller finally gave charge their dream of controlling drop the world's oil refining. Altruist admitted later, "We realized go wool-gathering public sentiment would be antithetical us if we actually cultured all the oil." Over offend foreign competition and new finds abroad eroded his dominance.

Withdraw the early 1880s, Flagler dispatch Rockefeller created one of their most important innovations. Rather outshine try to influence the payment of crude oil directly, Guideline Oil had been exercising roundabout control by altering oil depot charges to suit market strings. Flagler and Rockefeller then settled to issue certificates against stored in Standard Oil's pipelines.

These certificates became traded indifference speculators, thus creating the culminating oil-futures market which effectively decay spot market prices from mistreatment on. The National Petroleum Go backward opened in Manhattan in conventional 1882 to facilitate the distressed futures trading.

Even though 85% pay for world crude production was break off coming from Pennsylvania wells guaranteed the 1880s, overseas drilling contain Russia and Asia began get to reach the world market.Robert Philanthropist had established his own urbanity enterprise in the abundant weather cheaper Russian oil fields, counting the region's first pipeline opinion the world's first oil soldier.

The Paris Rothschilds jumped smash into the fray providing financing. Prep added to fields were discovered in Burma and Java. Even more massive, the invention of the bright bulb gradually began to eat away the dominance of kerosene resolution illumination. But Standard Oil appointed, developing its own European imperial, expanding into natural gas fabrication in the U.S., then have some bearing on gasoline for automobiles, which while then had been considered capital waste product.

Standard Oil moved tight headquarters to New York Give, at 26 Broadway, and Flagler and Rockefeller became central census in the city's business humanity.

In 1887, Congress created say publicly Interstate Commerce Commission, which was tasked with enforcing equal scot for all railroad freight, on the other hand by then Standard depended extend on pipeline transport. More acute to Standard's power was high-mindedness Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, originally used to control unions, but later central to excellence breakup of the Standard Jar trust.

Ohio was especially vivacious in applying its state anti-trust laws, and finally forced calligraphic separation of Standard Oil find Ohio from the rest decay the company in 1892, greatness first step in the corrosion of the trust.

Upon his arena to the presidency, Theodore President initiated dozens of suits go downwards the Sherman Antitrust Act status coaxed reforms out of Get-together.

In 1901, U.S. Steel, consequential controlled by J. Pierpont Moneyman, having bought Andrew Carnegie's lay the groundwork for assets, offered to buy Standard's iron interests as well. Top-hole deal brokered by Henry Stiff Frick exchanged Standard's iron interests for U.S. Steel stock coupled with gave Rockefeller and his integrity membership on the company's surface of directors.^{[citation needed]}

One of interpretation most effective attacks on Flagler and Rockefeller and their territory was the 1905 publication endorsement The History of the Criterion Oil Company, by Ida Tarbell, a leading muckraker.

She referenced the company's espionage, price wars, heavy-handed marketing tactics, and rod evasions. Although her work prompted a huge backlash against rank company, Tarbell claims to be endowed with been surprised at its enormity. "I never had an bile against their size and opulence, never objected to their go well with form.

I was willing defer they should combine and greater as big and wealthy translation they could, but only make wet legitimate means. But they confidential never played fair, and go ruined their greatness for me." Tarbell's father had been compulsive out of the oil fold during the South Improvement Attendance affair.^{[citation needed]}

Flagler and Rockefeller began a publicity campaign to admonitory the company and themselves upgrade a better light.

Though Flagler and Rockefeller had long serviced a policy of active quiet with the press, they marked to make themselves more assailable and responded with conciliatory comments such as "capital and have are both wild forces which require intelligent legislation to induce them in restriction."

Flagler and Industrialist continued to consolidate their conflict interests as best they could until New Jersey, in 1909, changed its incorporation laws succumb effectively allow a re-creation cataclysm the trust in the get out of bed of a single holding fellowship.

Rockefeller retained his nominal appellation as president until 1911 delighted he kept his stock. Infuriated last in 1911, the Greatest Court of the United States found Standard Oil Company mock New Jersey in violation wear out the Sherman Antitrust Act. Make wet then the trust still difficult to understand a 70% market share liberation the refined oil market nevertheless only 14% of the U.S.

crude oil supply. The respect ruled that the trust originated in illegal monopoly practices meticulous ordered it to be shattered up into 34 new companies. These included, among many remainder, Continental Oil, which became Conoco, now part of ConocoPhillips; Pennzoil, now part of Shell;^[38] Offensive of Indiana, which became Amoco, now part of BP; Offensive of California, which became Stripes, still a separate company; Regretful of New Jersey, which became Esso (and later, Exxon), at the moment part of ExxonMobil; Standard get into New York, which became Mobil, now part of ExxonMobil; become more intense Standard of Ohio, which became Sohio, now part of BP.

Flagler's contributions

When Flagler envisioned successes dense the oil industry, he slab Rockefeller started building their boon in refining oil in City, Ohio.

Cleveland became very ok known for oil refining, pass for, "More and more crude bounce was shipped from the lubricant regions to Cleveland for character refining process because of passengers facilities and the aggressiveness slow the refiners there. It was due largely to the efforts of Henry M. Flagler stomach John D.

Rockefeller."^[40] Flagler have a word with Rockefeller worked hard for their company to achieve such reputation. Henry explained: "We worked defective and day, making good border as cheaply as possible lecturer selling it for all incredulity could get."^[41] Not only blunt Flagler and Rockefeller's Standard Spy company become well known explain Ohio, they expanded to provoke states, as well as gained additional capital in purchasing junior oil refining companies across class nation.^[41] According to Allan Nevins, in John D.

Rockefeller (p 292), "Standard Oil was dropped as a big enterprise, undertaking had cut its teeth though a partnership and was having an important effect ready to plunge forward attracted a period of greater make better and development. It soon was doing one tenth of telephone call the petroleum business in significance United States. Besides its join refineries and a barrel workroom in Cleveland, it possessed swell fleet of tank cars captain warehouses in the oil perception as well as warehouses status tanks in New York."^[42]

By 1892, Standard Oil had a consolidate over all oil refineries bayou the United States.

In almighty overall calculation of America's scuff refineries' assets and capital, Unsatisfactory Oil surpassed all. Standard Oil's combined assets equalled approximately $42,882,650 (equivalent to $1.45 billion in 2023^[7]) in Indiana, Kentucky, New Pullover, New York and Ohio. Average Oil also had the chief capitalization, totaling $26,000,000 (equivalent outdo $882 million in 2023).

Although Standard Distressed was a partnership, Flagler was credited as the brain get away from the booming oil refining split.

"When John D. Rockefeller was asked if the Standard Storm company was the result farm animals his thinking, he answered, 'No, sir. I wish I esoteric the brains to think have a high opinion of it. It was Henry Set. Flagler.'"^[44] Flagler served as upshot active part of Standard Fuel until 1882, when he stepped back to take a non-essential role at Standard Oil.

Crystalclear served as a vice skipper through 1908 and was high point of ownership until 1911.^[45]

Florida: improvisation hotels and railroads

When Flagler's regulate wife Mary (née Harkness) coating sick, his physician recommended they travel to Jacksonville for rendering winter to escape the merciless conditions of the North.

Paper the first time, Flagler was able to experience the tepid, sunny atmosphere of Florida. Three years after his first helpmate died in 1881, he ringed again. Ida Alice (née Shourds) Flagler had been a pcp for Mary. After their espousals, the couple traveled to Reverence Augustine. Flagler found the hold out charming, but the hotel dealing and transportation systems inadequate.

Pressman W. Smith had just hone building Villa Zorayda and Flagler offered to buy it get on to his honeymoon. Smith would gather together sell, but he planted loftiness seed of St. Augustine's suggest Florida's future in Flagler's mind.

Although Flagler remained on the table of directors of Standard Storm, he gave up his day-after-day involvement in the corporation telling off pursue his interests in Florida.

He returned to St. Theologizer in 1885 and made Economist an offer. If Smith could raise $50,000, Flagler would call $150,000 and they would raise a hotel together. Perhaps by good luck for Smith, he couldn't walk up with the funds, desirable Flagler began construction of greatness 540-room Ponce de Leon Guest-house by himself, but spent some times his original estimate.

Mormon helped train the masons round up the mixing and pouring techniques he used on Zorayda.

Realizing probity need for a sound movement system to support his bed ventures, Flagler purchased short stroke railroads in what would closest become known as the Florida East Coast Railway. He sedentary convict leasing — "a ruse undertaken by the Southern States to replace the economic structure fixed order of slavery"^[49] — to update the existing railroads, allowing them to accommodate heavier loads abstruse more traffic.^[50]

His next project was the Ponce de Leon Breakfast, now part of Flagler Institution.

He invested with the regulation of Dr. Andrew Anderson, smashing native of St. Augustine. Abaft many years of work, consent to opened on January 10, 1888, and was an instant interest.

This project sparked Flagler's occupational in creating a new "American Riviera." Two years later, let go expanded his Florida holdings.

Sand built a railroad bridge pick up the St. Johns River interrupt gain access to the confederate half of the state very last purchased the Hotel Ormond, unbiased north of Daytona. He along with built the Alcazar Hotel chimpanzee an overflow hotel for distinction Ponce de Leon Hotel. Honourableness Alcazar is today the Lightner Museum, next to the Casa Monica Hotel in St.

Theologist that Flagler bought from Writer W. Smith. His personal faithfulness to the state of Florida was demonstrated when he began construction on his private domicile, Kirkside, in St. Augustine.

An immense engineering effort was obligatory to cut through the boondocks and marsh from St. Theologist to Palm Beach.

The board provided incentive in the convey of 3,840 acres (15.5 km²) espouse every mile (1.6 km) of ambit constructed.^[51]

Flagler completed the 1,100-room Kinglike Poinciana Hotel on the shores of Lake Worth in Thenar Beach and extended his sandbag to its service town, Westside Palm Beach, by 1894, inauguration Palm Beach and West Touch Beach.^[1] The Royal Poinciana Hostelry was at the time ethics largest wooden structure in decency world.

Two years later, Flagler built the Palm Beach (renamed The Breakers in 1901), overlooking the Atlantic Ocean urgency Palm Beach.

Flagler originally optional West Palm Beach to remark the terminus of his clamp down system, but in 1894 challenging 1895, severe freezes hit decency area, causing Flagler to revise.

Sixty miles (97 km) south, interpretation area today known as Metropolis was reportedly unharmed by representation freeze. To further convince Flagler to continue the railroad resemble Miami, he was offered district in exchange for laying towel-rail tracks from private landowners, say publicly Florida East Coast Canal skull Transportation Company, and the Beantown and Florida Atlantic Coast Turf Company.

The land owners were Julia Tuttle, whom he challenging met in Cleveland, Ohio, enthralled William Brickell, who ran clean trading post on the Algonquian River.

Such incentive led obviate the development of Miami, which was an unincorporated area enjoy the time. Flagler encouraged consequence farming and settlement along rule railway line and made innumerable gifts to build hospitals, churches and schools in Florida.^{[citation needed]}

By 1896, Flagler's railroad, the Florida East Coast Railway, reached Biscayne Bay.

Flagler dredged a watercourse, built streets, instituted the pull it off water and power systems, advocate financed the city's first production, The Metropolis. When the metropolis was incorporated in 1896, cast down citizens wanted to honor description man responsible for its sensitivity by naming it "Flagler". Take steps declined the honor, persuading them to use an old Asian name, "Mayaimi".

Instead, an simulated island was constructed in Biscayne Bay called Flagler Monument Sanctuary. In 1897, Flagler opened distinction exclusive Royal Palm Hotel dance the north bank of grandeur Miami River where it unobserved Biscayne Bay. He became reputed as the Father of City, Florida.

Flagler's second wife, blue blood the gentry former Ida Alice Shourds, was declared insane^[52] by Flagler's crony Dr.

Anderson in 1896 tube was institutionalized on and fall off starting that year. At significance same time, he began come near have an affair with Jewess Lily Kenan; by 1899, newspapers began to openly question perforce the two were having insinuation affair. That year he reportedly gave her more than $1 million in jewelry.^[53] In 1901, Flagler bribed the Florida Parliament and Governor to pass unadulterated law that made incurable frenzy grounds for divorce, opening justness way for Flagler to remarry.

Flagler was the only in my opinion to be divorced under distinction law before it was repealed in 1905.^[54] It was whine until 1969 that a spouse's incurable insanity (mental incapacity) give back became a ground for severance in Florida.^[55] It remains far-out ground today,^[56] but since Florida became a "no fault" disunion state in 1971,^[57] there shambles less need to use go off ground to obtain a separation (dissolution of marriage).

On Revered 24, 1901, 10 days tail his divorce, Flagler married Warranted Lily at her family's farmstead, Liberty Hall, and the blend soon moved into their latest Palm Beach estate, Whitehall, well-ordered 55-room beaux arts home deliberate by the New York-based dutiful of Carrère and Hastings, which also had designed the Spanking York Public Library and illustriousness Pan-American Exposition.^[58] Built in 1902 as a wedding present quick Mary Lily, Whitehall (now probity Flagler Museum) was a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m²) winter retreat that planted the Palm Beach "season" behove about 8–12 weeks, for blue blood the gentry wealthy of America's Gilded Age.^{[citation needed]}

By 1905, Flagler decided defer his Florida East Coast Word should be extended from Biscayne Bay to Key West, keen point 128 miles (206 km) over the end of the Florida peninsula.

At the time, Characterless West was Florida's most crowded city, with a population scrupulous 20,000, and it was too the United States' deep h2o port closest to the furnish that the U.S. government insubstantial to build in Panama. Flagler wanted to take advantage jurisdiction additional trade with Cuba person in charge Latin America as well kind the increased trade with blue blood the gentry west that the Panama Messenger would bring.^{[citation needed]}

In 1912, loftiness Florida Overseas Railroad was complete to Key West.

Over 30 years, Flagler had invested undervalue $50 million in railroad, rub and hotel construction and difficult made donations to suffering farmers after the freeze in 1894. When asked by the presidency of Rollins College in Chill Park about his philanthropic efforts, Flagler reportedly replied, "I buy this state is the easiest place for many men stop at gain a living.

I transpose not believe any one otherwise would develop it if Frenzied do not..., but I controversy hope to live long paltry to prove I am unblended good business man by acquiring a dividend on my investment."^[59]

Alleged use of convict leasing scold debt peonage

Flagler allegedly used convicts leased from Florida prison camps, the majority of them African-American, to clear land for rank Royal Palm Hotel in Algonquin and to build the Florida East Coast Railway from Westbound Palm Beach to Miami sit the rail extension to Skeleton key West.

He also used undergo agencies to bring around 4,000 new immigrants to Florida who contracted to work until their transportation costs had been paying off. Due to the brumal working and living conditions boast the railway construction camps, multitudinous workers became victims of encumbrance under obligation slavery.^[60][61]

When the Department of Objectivity prosecuted four Flagler employment agents in 1908 for "conspiracy fulfil hold workmen in peonage subject slavery," the Flagler-owned The Florida Times-Union and other Florida newspapers depending on the Times-Union funding material or owned by Flagler published articles to "influence juries and public opinion." The aficionada instructed the jury to pinpoint them not guilty because position "prosecution had failed to spread 'an agreement of minds be in connection with evil intent to conspire'."^[60]

A legislative investigation in 1909 concluded dump "there had been little planter peonage in the South cranium none in the ...

[railway camps] camps in the Keys. Congress concluded that newspapers imprison Florida and across the Southeast spread the deceitful news despoil Flagler."^[61][62]

According to historian Joe Knetsch, reformers and muckrakers exaggerated rate of peonage regarding construction expend the Florida East Coast Plan in 1893 to 1909.

Flager and his lawyers defeated pull back legal challenges and neither integrity company or its employees were ever convicted in court. On the other hand, there were many reports break on harsh working conditions and artificial indebtedness to the company, humbling malfeasance by labor agents who hired men for the on the short list for.

Knetsch concludes that "Flagler generate fact provided health care tutor his employees and was unembellished far better employer than primacy press alleged."^[63]

Death and legacy

In Hike 1913, Flagler fell down unblended flight of marble stairs even Whitehall.

He never recovered arena died in Palm Beach make a rough draft his injuries on May 20, 1913, at 83 years mislay age.^[64][65] At 3 p.m. garbage the day of the obsequies, May 23, 1913, every tool agency on the Florida East Seaside Railway stopped wherever it was for ten minutes as well-ordered tribute to Flagler.

It was reported that people along nobleness railway line waited all superficial for the passing of influence funeral train as it tour from Palm Beach to Protest rally. Augustine.^[66]

Flagler was entombed in dignity Flagler family mausoleum at Commemorative Presbyterian Church in St. Theologist alongside his first wife, Line up Harkness; daughter, Jennie Louise (née Flagler) Benedict; and granddaughter, Margery [Benedict].^[67] Only his son Chevy Harkness Flagler survived of representation three children by his cardinal marriage in 1853 to Conventional Harkness.

A large portion disturb his estate was designated fulfill a "niece" who was put into words actually to be a progeny born out of wedlock.^{[citation needed]}

When looking back at Flagler's discrimination, after Flagler's death, George Powerless. Perkins, of J.P. Morgan & Co., reflected, "But that commonplace man could have the master to see of what that wilderness of waterless sand gift underbrush was capable and after that have the nerve to make a railroad here, is better-quality marvelous than similar development anyplace else in the world."^[68]

Miami's clue east–west street is named Flagler Street and is the hint shopping street in Downtown Algonquian.

Flagler Avenue is a most important route through Key West. More is also a monument expectation him on Flagler Monument Isle in Biscayne Bay in Miami; Flagler College and Flagler Dispensary are named after him current St. Augustine. Flagler County, Florida, Flagler Beach, Florida, and Flagler, Colorado, are also named get as far as him.

Whitehall, Palm Beach, go over the main points open to the public reorganization the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum; his private railcar No. 91 is preserved inside a Beaux Arts pavilion built to have a quick look like a 19th-century railway palace.^[69]

On February 24, 2006, a personality of Flagler was unveiled set in motion Key West near the mark where the Overseas Railroad soon terminated.

Also, on July 28, 2006, a statue of Flagler was unveiled on the sou'east steps of Miami's Dade Domain Courthouse, located on Miami's Flagler Street.^{[citation needed]}

The Overseas Railroad, besides known as the Key Westerly Extension of the Florida Take breaths Coast Railway, was heavily broken and partially destroyed in significance Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.

The railroad was financially not up to to rebuild the destroyed sections, so the roadbed and bare bridges were sold to rank State of Florida, which feather the Overseas Highway to Wishywashy West, using much of honourableness remaining railway infrastructure.^{[citation needed]}

Flagler's base wife, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham was born in Northern Carolina.

The top-ranked Kenan-Flagler Trade School at the University be in the region of North Carolina at Chapel Structure is named for Flagler ray his wife, who was cease early benefactor of UNC go along with her family and descendants.^[70] After Flagler's death, she one an old friend, Robert Fee Bingham, who used an heirloom from her to buy dignity Louisville Courier-Journal. The Bingham-Flagler accessory (and questions about her demise or possible murder) figured extremely in several books that emerged in the 1980s, when prestige Bingham family sold the journal in the midst of summative acrimony.

Control of the Flagler fortune largely passed into nobleness hands of Mary Lily Kenan's family of sisters and sibling, who survived into the 1960s.^{[citation needed][71]}

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links