Incorporated in 1881, Canadian Pacific Railway was formed to physically unite Canada and Canadians from coast to coast and the building of the railway is considered to be one of Canada's greatest feats of engineering. As all the pols and delegates headed back north I drove the 150 or so miles south, leaving the mainland for the archipelago of 29 islands linked by bridges, the most spectacular of them being seven miles long. Walking around the old town there was evidence of a quiet wealth at work renovating the Bahamian houses. [Editor's note: Following is an article by a gentleman who was undoubtedly one of the original railroad switch key collectors. It was a railroad that, hopping from island to island, spanned an ocean to reach the luxurious new Casa Marina Hotel in Key West, as well as Key West… The highway won and the F.E.C. Then he faced the 37 miles (60km) of the “overseas” railroad itself, a route demanding 17 miles (27km) of bridges and 20 miles (32km) of embankments—a feat of engineering that has never been equaled. One tramp steamer was tied up, so tired looking that it didn’t seem likely ever to raise anchor again. Historic candid photograph of Henry Flagler sitting at Knights Key. Click here to learn more about our New Visitor Experience and Public Safety Protections. It had been suggested as early as 1832 in an article by Dr. Hartwell Carver and in 1847 he submitted a proposal to Congress. But their strike a century and a half ago was not necessarily in vain. ©Flagler Museum Archives. The sheer hubris of occupying such a tenuous location was as breathtaking as the beauty of it: the rolling blue-green Atlantic on one side, the mangrove-filtered Gulf on the other. Someone said it was getting to be Nantucket with palm trees. We discovered some of the more affably picaresque characters, including a former bank robber from Boston who, having served his time, decided that the tropics was a more congenial opportunity for a new line of business that didn’t involve being the getaway driver. In 1912 Henry Flagler arrived aboard the first train into Key West, marking the completion of the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway's Over-Sea Railroad to Key West. Senator, Stephen R. Mallory, also from Key West, while in Washington in the 1850s advocated the advantages of a Key West railroad. Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Tiger, on The Last Train to Key West “Chanel Cleeton simply never disappoints! The Depression hit hard. Previous Section Overview; Next Section Immigration to the United States, 1851-1900; The American West, 1865-1900 [Cattle, horses, and people at the fair with stables in the background] Popular Graphic Arts The completion of the railroads to the West following the Civil War opened up vast areas of the region to settlement and economic development. The Railroad in American Life, 1996 William Mueller cabin, Snoqualmie Valley. Tennessee Williams had replaced Hemingway as the most eminent writer in residence; Truman Capote and Gore Vidal were frequent visitors. People on wagon trains and subsequently railroad crews killed the buffalo for food and some for sport Buffalo By the the late 1800s, there is only about 1,200 buffalo altogether, for the Indian tribes, it affected their whole way of life and understanding of the universe For many gays it was like living amid the antebellum elegance of the South without the prejudice plus the intellectual life of a cosmopolis, with a touch of the decadence of Weimar Berlin—all playing out discreetly in what superficially looked like a backwater. Hemingway railed against the negligence in a piece headlined Who Murdered the Vets? The article was printed in the Summer, 1985 issue of Key, Lock & Lantern but was originally published in the early 1940's. His Overseas Railroad, the first land route ever from Miami to Key West, never was a financial success and then it became a downright disaster. Erie Canal, historic waterway of the United States, connecting the Great Lakes with New York City via the Hudson River at Albany. He named the extension Key West Over-the-Sea Railroad. Back side has whats left of the A&W hex logo. The Last Train to Key West - Kindle edition by Cleeton, Chanel. I drove deliberately to the end of the road, to the old Havana Dock, where there happened to be a motel, the Pier House, I had heard of as a lively scene. ©Flagler Museum Archives. He wanted his railroad to go another 100 miles or so south – to Key West. Hemingway’s most direct contribution to Key West’s economy was and remains the publicity he gave to a bar. 1910 – Workers drive the first spike at the Key West end of the Florida East Coast Railway on the Trumbo Island railhead. By 1912, he had built a railroad over trestles all the way to Key West. The Transcontinental Railroad was a dream of a country set on the concept of Manifest Destiny. The 1935 hurricane generated a 20-foot high wave of water that swept away a camp of World War vets who had not been warned or evacuated. The Bee Line Railroad almost never was. [Editor's note: Following is an article by a gentleman who was undoubtedly one of the original railroad switch key collectors. By the time Hemingway arrived in 1928 the service was reduced to one train a day in each direction and the company was in receivership. Flagler laid the foundation for the mighty Florida East Coast Railway Company; but the railroad … The First Transcontinental Railroad was a hot topic for many years before construction began. Guests in front of Flagler's 1,150-room Hotel Royal Poinciana (demolished) in Palm Beach, 1886. By then Hemingway’s standing was big enough that his peers (and his editor) would come down to the Keys to pay homage, staying at the La Concha Hotel on the main drag, Duval, and walking the few blocks to the house Hemingway built at 907 Whitehead Street. The Mile Zero sign on Route 1 felt like an invitation to go north rather than the threshold of a sanctuary. The article was printed in the Summer, 1985 issue of Key, Lock & Lantern but was originally published in the early 1940's. The railroad linked the islands through a series of trestles, bridges and viaducts. ©Flagler Museum Archives. One Whitehall WayPalm Beach, FL 33480(561) 655-2833Terms & Conditions - © Flagler Museum, 2020. The town that grew from this wealth looked more Caribbean than American. In exchange for the existing railroad, land for a right of way, and a sum of money, they would build a railroad west to connect with the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf at Gravette. It failed to attract many passengers, and proved to be unreliable since it was affected by bad weather. The place that Hemingway put on the map will always have a special kind of magic. Despite the hardships, the final link of the Over-Sea Railroad was completed in 1912 and the first official train to reach Key West pulled Henry Flagler's private Railcar No. But it worked. No longer do the people of Key West hear the train whistle blowing as the train leaves Trumbo Island and crosses the drawbridge which was at Garrison Bight; there are young children in Key West who have never seen a train. The Union Pacific began construction of their rail in Omaha, Nebraska working toward the west. To Have and Have Not is located there but Spain, Africa and Cuba were far richer territory for his muse.Â. For a century or more the cycles of boom and bust had managed to control Key West’s appeal; each time it reached the apotheosis of its basic character its growth was checked by some cruel blow, economic or natural. In Canada, a primitive railway of this type may have been used as early as the 1720s to haul quarried stone at the fortress of Louisbourg. At its heart were 90 square blocks of houses built in the Bahamian vernacular, many by ship’s carpenters with lower and upper level porches, gingerbread detailing and tin roofs to collect rainwater, since fresh water was in short supply.Â, The first wave of money to build the town was from the salvaging of the many shipwrecks. Work on the line started in 1905 and it operated from 1912 to 1935, when it was partially destroyed by the Labor Day Hurricane. During the seven-year construction, five hurricanes threatened to halt the project, three of them resulted in significant damage and loss of life. Much of the railway was damaged or demolished in the hurricane of 1935. Hawaii’s $9.5 Billion Commuter Rail Project May Never Be Finished. The lure for me was Hemingway. That wasn’t good enough. Following the American Civil War of 1861-1865, the race to build transcontinental railroad began in 1866. The Railroad is an underground movement with the primary aim of freeing sentient synths from their creators at the Institute. Most of it was man-made, including every shade of malfeasance, a wide range of creative talents including one or two approaching genius, and successive waves of mere mortals who sought, and found, the haven from America’s many conformities that they craved. ©Flagler Museum Archives. I saw that sunset from Mallory Square, a grand name for a seriously under-used dock. A hurricane in 1935 wiped out the tracks and the state used the old railroad pilings to build the Key West Highway. There is a delicate equipoise in the lives of special places like Key West that depends on casual rather than commercially promoted discovery. "—Woman's World, on The Last Train to Key West “The Last Train to Key West is a perfect storm of great storytelling, fast-moving plot, and rich historical detail.Tense, tight, … Before that, the surrounding docks were ridden with rats and rot and signs warned “Fish at your own risk.” That was the final sad lingering of a golden age. As the closest deep-water port in the United States to the canal, Key West was positioned to take advantage of significant new trade with th… According to Standiford, Flagler went to Key West … Planned and financed by a cabal of industrialists centered around William H. Vanderbilt, the project produced right of way, grading, bridges, and, surprisingly, some tunnels. Collectors of all ages will enjoy our railroad-related collections and history-themed gift sets. Through this economic death spiral Hemingway only once engaged in political or social action. The railroad was destroyed by a Category 5 hurricane in 1935, but was quickly replaced by the Overseas Highway, U.S. 1, which continues to connect the Keys today. I had been covering the Democratic convention at Miami Beach. J. C. The opening of the Panama Canal in 1905 poised Key West for its biggest role yet as a commercial entrepot for larger Pacific markets. The first passenger train, called Mr. Flagler’s Special, arriving at Key West on January 22, 1912. Given the simple physical asset of its location, Key West, even down on its luck, cast an inimitable spell.Â. In the age of the automobile what the Keys needed was a continuous highway from Miami instead of a poorly-maintained road that involved frequent ferry crossings. Nevertheless, Meredith had built his railroad well. The reconstruction finished in 1938 and the railroad was opened once again. Key West had been relaxed about its gay community for decades. Facts, information and articles about Transcontinental Railroad, an event of Westward Expansion from the Wild West. The Key West Extension became known as The Railroad that Died At Sea. It helped bring tourism to Key West. Flagler laid the foundation for the mighty Florida East Coast Railway Company; but the railroad … Brilliant and driven entrepreneur Henry Flagler’s dream fulfilled, the Hundreds drowned. By early 1912 Flagler was in his early 80s and in poor health, but his railroad from mainland Florida throughout the Florida Keys was finished. Why You Need This Key West Travel Guide . Even if it’s not your first trip to Key West, we’re sure you’ll find some new ideas. Place this quotation on the board. In 1972 I drank daiquiris at the bar—allegedly it was Hemingway’s recipe, the papa doble, two and a half jiggers of white rum, juice of two limes and half a grapefruit, six drops of maraschino liqueur, no sugar. The town’s ethnic diversity, including many Cuban and Caribbean immigrants, was unique in America before the twentieth century development of the Florida mainland.Â, A naval base, an army base and a coast guard station represented the interests of a government that still seemed far distant, creating more the feeling of an exotic colony than part of a state of the union. The extension from Miami to Key West never made money. Cleverly constructed and expertly delivered, The Last Train to Key West is a feast for readers across multiple genres. ©Flagler Museum Archives. A devastating 1935 hurricane brought 200 mph winds and a 17-foot storm surge, washing away miles of railroad. "This dazzling, drama-filled tale set in 1935 follows three women to Key West, Florida. His Overseas Railroad, the first land route ever from Miami to Key West, never was a financial success and then it became a downright disaster. 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