This book is a companion to An Illustrated History of Palm Beach: How Palm Beach Evolved Over 150 Years from Wilderness to Wonderland (Pineapple Press, 2020).This book offers three tours that showcase the history of Palm Beach through its architecture. The tours are arranged in chronological order and are illustrated with historical photographs from the archives of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. Chapter 1 features a driving tour that covers the history of Palm Beach from the Pioneer Era to the present day. The tour spans a distance of 10 miles, going as far north as the Lake Worth Inlet and as far south as Phipps Ocean Park. It also includes three optional walks .Chapter 2 offers a biking tour that follows the length of Lake Trail, which was the only real road on the east side of Lake Worth until Henry Flagler arrived and built his two resort hotels and related infrastructure in the mid-1890s. The tour spans a distance of five miles and is the best way to understand the Pioneer Era of Palm Beach. Chapter 3 features a walking tour that takes you through the midtown business district between Royal Palm Way and Worth Avenue, also known as the Royal Park Addition. This area became the center of Palm Beach during the boom times of the 1920s. All three tours overlap at many points, but the driving tour is the most comprehensive of the three. The tours are a great way to explore the rich history of Palm Beach and appreciate its architectural heritage.
The Historical Society of Palm Beach County: After the Historical Society of Palm Beach County was formed in 1937, West Palm Beach attorney A. Stanley Bussey donated a vintage black-and-white photograph of an island street scene to the new organization, the first gift to what would become a remarkable collection of artifacts and documents representing the cultures and communities, failures and successes of life in Palm Beach County. Russell Kelley: Born in Palm Beach, Russell Kelley returned to his hometown after a career spent living abroad. The changes in Palm Beach ignited his desire to learn how his hometown evolved from the sleepy town of his youth into the sophisticated resort of today. This curiosity led to his research with the Historical Society of Palm Beach County resulting in an Illustrated History of Palm Beach.
