![]() In 1908, the workers reached Marathon Key where about seven miles of open water lay ahead. ![]() Folks were chronically hungry and thirsty. Some workers died of heatstroke and snakebite. They had to wade through swamps where boots sank into the mud as crocodiles slipped off the banks. Starting in 1905, he spent $30 million of his own money to lay track and build dozens of bridges, hiring 4,000 workers for the small fortune of $1.50 a day. “Flagler’s Folly.’’ That’s what a lot of folks called it. He wanted his railroad to go another 100 miles or so south – to Key West. By 1896, his train was going all the way to Miami. Augustine and founded the Florida East Coast Railway. In the 19th century he came to Florida, built a hotel in St. Henry Morrison Flagler, a craggy, white-haired business genius who made his fortune in the oil business, hadn’t gotten rich by being cautious. But for some of us, the old bridge reminds us that the Keys have always been a place for dreamers and schemers who didn’t like to be told “You can never do that.” Only the pelicans and great blue herons use it as a perch. As you drive over the modern bridge now you can see the old bridge nearby.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |