It was 1894, one year after the last Barefoot Mailman walked along its sandy shores and two years before Henry Flagler built his famous railroad, that a former Civil War major from Port Huron, Michigan named Nathan S. Boynton first set eyes on the area that now bears his name.

He was so impressed by the natural beauty of what he saw, the year-round sunshine and pristine beaches, that he returned a year later with a group of colonists and built the famous Boynton Beach Hotel to serve as his family's summer residence.

The first settlers soon realized that an unlimited assortment of fruits and vegetables thrived in the fertile climate. Cultivated pineapples, tomatoes, mangos, oranges, lemons, grapefruits and limes were packed in crates and shipped by the ton on the newly built Florida East Coast Railroad to satisfy the appetites of hungry Americans across the country.

Boynton Beach remained a fairly unknown tropical paradise known for its perfect weather and delicious produce until the end of World War Two.

Soldiers returning home from the war discovered that the small town located only fifty miles north of Miami was an extraordinarilly healthy place to raise a family. In addition, Boynton's close proximity to the Atlantic's Gulfstream soon yielded a bonanza of world-record catches and guaranteed that the best kept secret on Florida's Gold Coast would be a secret no longer.

Since that time, Boynton Beach has grown steadily and never looked back. The city's population has risen from 5,000 in 1958 to a present number of approximately 60,000 residents. Most importantly, Boynton Beach has expanded wisely, retaining the charm of her orange groves, fishing marina and sandy beaches.

Major Boynton and his colorful hotel have long passed into the annals of history, but the irresistable qualities that attracted him and the city's first settlers remain as strong as ever to entice a new generation of visitors and residents.
David J Castello

PAGES FROM BOYNTON BEACH HISTORY
THE BAREFOOT MAILMAN (1885-1893)
THE BOYNTON BEACH HOTEL (1896-1925)
THE WRECK OF THE COQUIMBO (1909)
NATHAN S. BOYNTON (1837-1911)
BOYNTON'S INDIAN MOUNDS (1000BC-1700AD)