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Agenda Exhibits 12-03-19/43/,27/16 ftkr^. M..1% jmmpppmf� 5�64vi Orr own axe Compilation'of Original Lot Owners Compiled by.- Ginger y:Ginger L. Pedersen and Janet M. DeVries, 2014 Source: Palm Beach County Public Records, Tract Books, Reel 7 �rl— .. +r .0 i y b tY1V7ZW AM.&A, ca LA A1X2 wt'.r, c a g L rrr�, 7 a 5S vr+ Ra Y2 S �(L 0 GS� tt7 Yti r, 0+ 61 Cki A VEWCA6 town of )30pnton Brief History of the Land In the 1880x, the State of Florida deeded thousands of acres to the Florida Coast Line Canal and Transportation Company for construction of the Intracoastal Waterway on Florida's East Coast. The canal company in turn formed the Boston &Atlantic Land Company to sell the land and generate funds for construction. George H. K. Charter bought 160 acres of that land in the area that would become Boynton Beach in 1591 for $240. He sold it in January 1892 to Byrd Spilman Dewey for $700. Mrs. Dewey was a prominent writer of the time and gra nd-niece of President Zachary Taylor. In 1894, Major Nathan S. Boynton and William S. Linton wanted to purchase lands in the area to start a Michigan colony. Major Baynton purchased land along the Beachfront and began to build a house and subsequent hotel and cottages. In 1895, William S. Linton purchased the land on the west side of the canal from Mrs. Dewey and had an agreement to pay her over a four-year period the sum of $0,[100. In 1597, Mrs. Dewey and her husband Fred were forced to file a foreclosure suit against Linton. In October 1897 the case was settled with the Deweys regained their lands. The Deweys filed the plat for the Town of Boynton September 26, 1898 on 40 acres of land platted into 12 blocks:. The first recorded sales. occurred December 10, 1897 to Mary E. Murray and Charles W. Pierce. The remaining land were platted as'Dewey's Subdivision" to the north of Ocean Avenue, and as the "Muck Loteto the south of Ocean Avenue. Here the Deweys had a seven -acre citrus grove. haw afl MCI% 14 +hese �tesaa�s }1�.� lMG iin.c +,►der%s-IT64E WIL441. caWs:d J�• r.a "Aa&ak6ff �Okl*wt' a oclnx� Ana a S"J"Votioo as yrke. Viol, k 11*Jt%*'#I%, and d.1htlt& �j d4dif.o*e J -,4e asp OuL V4�1,AL yrit 5. 1rrce�S a� a gi4i ILy % 51Aa 4 n Nkare &� ; +r.r er rtin +/ *'AV 54L` 4l; r++4.x Wrl •1J1.4*tx.; Y6.v rcreipS%0rt rr rcveTS;ti ■ VLi #1+r. JW he avrr d a3 a*in h r4m e d tib 1 a "i ern 1rJs�r elS W1n,trtea} � '�.,o�re Mt,Jau_rSka SC.N* u,t %%64AAS 49LIftae 1+� 1ktis We . �� +� ,. dk o4 S A0,!Jiroil wrL,142�rSeo\*►.� ap,r*dr}er+� '+tiewa S.�a Vft U%'T' nRd 4 V* V Ow ea'i�� 6 Vka s 4r�► a ire * 4ievi e;v kv.e c a c1E' a n Ai & tob V% 05S 1rn•(lin IL Yk carr Many interesting persons appear in the record. Charles T. Harper bought the Dewey house and adjacent four lots in 1912 as the Deweys were forced to sell due to Mr. Dewey's declining health. Charles' wife was Cora Stickney Harper, a Wellesley graduate and known statewide for her efforts with women's clubs and in the Daughters of the American Revolution movement. She started the Boynton Women's Club in 1909. Joseph L Borgerhoff was a well-known professor of foreign languages and a friend of the Deweys who wrote many plays in French and wrote a French phrasebook for soldiers in World War I. Annie C. Phipps was the wife of steel tycoon Henry Phipps, Andrew Carnegie's partner In HS Steel. She was a dear friend of Mrs. Dewey, and bought all her remaining lots in 1917, probably as a gesture of friendship. R. Freeman Burdine held the mortgage of the Murray family's holdings. The Burdine family founded the chain of department stores that carried their name for many years. Charles W. Pierce was one of the original "Barefoot Mailmen" and served many years as Boynton's postmaster. Also among the lot owners is William Cox, who served as Boynton's first postmaster in 1895. Cullen Pence and his wife Emma had amassed the most lots, including all of Block 12. His life ended tragically in a gun accident. John Berk is often listed as "Professor Berk" and wrote an account of his weeks long trek to Boynton on a wagon train that was published around the nation. He was known nationally as a lecturer and used his "magic lantern" (an early slide projector) to show, exotic places he had lived and worked such as Hawaii. He raised pineapples in Boynton. In a gesture of goodwill, the Deweys donated two sets of lots for churches — the Methodist church that once stood at Ocean Avenue and the Federal Highway, and other lots for a church that was never built. The Methodist church property was sold in 1925 for $25,000 to build a large hotel cailed the Cassandra. A steel framework was erected, but the 1926 and 1928 hurricanes and subsequent land bust caused the hotel to never be completed. The names below record the first sale of each lot. Many times the lots did not remain in the hands of the original buyer for long, and were sold to subsequent buyers through the years. Some of these lots remain as vacant land to this day. i i i ZGOCR 5 Lot.BuverBuver – Date Amount - Notes F2— 2 Florida Bast Coast Railway 7/27/1905 $40.0€1 1 13 Florida East Coast Railwav 707/1905 4 Albert H. Kin 6/25/19-12 $550.40 Included other lands 15 Albert H. Kin 6/25/1912 6 Yallahs l.. pierce 4 29 1911 $1.00 $251,00 7Jacob Warrin er 9/28/1898 $1.00 Isaac R. Funk 8 Charles W. Pierce 9/711 01 $25.00 9 Charles E. Earnest 10 /3/1901 1 $50.011 Fayette J. Hall 10 Charles E. M vberry 6/2/1902 $50.00 Included other land 11 Charles B. Mayberry- 6/2/1902 Zrock 8 Lot. Buver Date Amount Nates 1 Yallahs L. Pierce 5 23 1901 $50.00 j Included other lands { 2 Charles LV. Pierre 12110/1897 $251,00 Included other land 3 Isaac R. Funk 10/4/1901 $25.00 $25-00 4 Isaac R. Funk 7/24/1903 5 Fayette J. Hall 6/611903 $250.00 Included other land 6 Charles E. Hall 6 6 1903 $250.00 Included other land 7 Ole Larson 1/4/1904 $60.04 Includes lots 7, 8 and 10 8 Ole Larson 1/4f1904 9 Ole Larson 6 /111900 $250.40 Included other land 10 Ole Larson 1/411904 11 Cullen Pence 6UI1901 $45.04 3 fi 1901 12 Cullen Pence 6Z7 1901 Anworth W Jackson131611901 Z ock 9 Lot Buver Date Amount Notes 1 May N. Hall 6/14/-1902 $250.00 j Included other lands 2 Mvron D. Hall 513011902 $250.00 Included. other lands 3 Emma W. Pence 6/6/1906 r 4 Emma W. Pence ' 61611906 1 5 Charles W. Pierce ` 7/27/1904 $50.00 6 Charles W. Pierce ` 7127/1904 7 firs. E. D. Bartram , 8/11/1912 $65.00 8 lairs. E. D. Bartram 8/11/1912 � 9 Anworth W. Jackson 3 fi 1901 $50.00 (sold to H.M. Flagler) 10 Anworth W Jackson131611901 11 James McKay 11 6 1906 " $20.00 12 James McKay f 8/9/1906 1 $25.00 13 Annie C. Pl#pps 13/13/1917 r $10.40 ! Included otherIan ds 14 Gertrude Smith 1819/1906 $75.00 15 Gertrude Smith 8-/9/1906 16 Gertrude Smith 8/9/1906 PAX I MA Charlie W. Pierce Charles William "Charlie" Pierce (July 16,1864 — July 20, 1939) was one of South Florida's most important pioneer citizens. Arriving in 1872, Pierce was a community leader in banking, seamanship, the postal service, and author of the sentinel book on early South Florida life.(-'] Contents Early life Pioneer life Career Personal life Memoir Posthumous recognition Book series References Early life Charlie Pierce was the son of Hannibal Dillingham Pierce and Margretta Louise Moore. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Pierce's family moved to Chicago. Pierce's uncle, William H. Moore, told the Pierce family of the warm Florida weather, and how he believed it would cure his developing tuberculosis. Hannibal Pierce purchased a sailing vessel (the Fairy Belle) for the family to sail down the Mississippi River towards Florida. Just as they were preparing for the trip, the Great Chicago lore consumed most of the city, but not the Pierce boat. The family set sail and eventually moored at Cedar Key. Hannibal Pierce sold the boat and the family went by train and steamer to Sand Point (Titusville, Florida). They camped for several weeks on the Indian River ung a fire destroyed their possessions. Hannibal Pierce then accepted a position as an assistant lighthouse keeper at the Jupiter Lighthouse. Pioneer life After serving at the Jupiter Lighthouse for a year, Hannibal Pierce homesteaded a large portion of Hypoluxo Island, located in the Lake Worth Charles William "Charlie" Pierce Born July 16, 1864 Waukegan, Illinois, U.S. Died July 10, 1939 (aged 74) Boynton, Florida, U.S. Resting Woodlawn Cemetery place Occupation Postmaster - Barefoot Mailman - Boat Captain - Author Nationality American Period 1900-1939 Genre History Notable Pioneer Life in South works Florida, 1970 spouses Yallahs Wallack Pierce (1896-1922) Ethel Sims Pierce (1924-1939) Lagoon. At the time of their homestead claim, the island had no name. In conversations with the Seminole Indians, Hannibal Pierce learned that the name was Hypoluxo, which meant "water all around, no get out." Here the family built a house from driftwood and palmetto thatch.121 Hannibal Pierce became the keeper of the Orange Grove House of Refuge, in what would become Delray Beach. The United States federal government Charlie Pierce as a young boy. The Pierce Family in Hypoluxo, Florida built five Houses of Refuge in Florida to care for shipwrecked sailors. It was at the House of Refuge that the first child of European descent was born, Lillie Pierce (Lillie Pierce Voss), in 1876. The Pierce family returned to its Hypoluxo Island homestead. Pierce led many expeditions through the Everglades on hunting and fishing trips, being one of the first to explore what would become Everglades National Park. Pierce accompanied his boyhood friend Guy Bradley, Bradley's brother Louis and famed egret plume hunter Jean Chevalier aboard Pierce's boat the Bonton in 1885. The hun*arg party killed thousands of birds for their plumes, which were used to decorate women's hats. The egret plumes were worth more than their weight in gold.[3] Career Pierce began piloting boats through the inland route to Titusville, the main point of trade on the lower Florida east coast at that time.[4] Pierce entered the U.S. Postal Service in 1886, starting as assistant postmaster at Hypoluxo. In 1888, he became one of the famed "Barefoot Mailmen" (a term he was the first to use, in 1939) who walked the beaches and crossed the rivers between Hypoluxo and Miami, a trek of over 6o miles (97 kin). In 1893, Pierce began captaining the mail steamer "Hypoluxo" which delivered mail through the Lake VVorth Region along the 22 miles (351--n) length of the inland watery .ay. Pierce also farmed tracts on Hypoluxo Island on his homestead. In 1845, Pierce moved to Boynton, Florida, where he had a dry goods store near the Florida East Coast railway station. In his store he also served as town postmaster, a career that spanned more than 30 years. He served from igoo until 1903, then from 1908 until his passing in 1939.[61 Pierce also served as president of the Bank of Boynton, and was one of the first masters of the Masonic Lodge in Boynton Beach.[6] Personal life Pierce married Yallahs Lizette Wallack February 26, 1896 in Lemon City, Florida, north of Miami.171 They had one son, Charles Leon "Chuck" Pierce, the first boy of European descent born in Boynton Beach. Yallahs Pierce was the daughter of traveling entertainers Watty Wallack and Fannie Petersen Wallack.1$1 Yallahs Pierce died February 14, 1922.[9] pierce then married Ethel Sims August 16, 1924. Charlie Pierce died July 1o, 1939, following a short illness; Charlie and Yallahs are interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in West Palm Beach.[1O] Memoir Towards the end of his life, Pierce worked on a manuscript of his experiences and adventures in his Florida pioneer days. The 698 -page work, titled "On the Wings of the World" remained unpublished for decades. In the 196os, Judge James R. Knott, a prominent Palm Beach County historian, sought the help of Florida Atlantic University history professor Dr. Donald Walter Curl1111 Dr. Curl took the manuscript and added historical context to the masterpiece. The resulting book was "Pioneer Life in South Florida," heralded as an authoritative work on pioneer history in South Florida.f` Y ' • - �� ill r. �. Charlie Pierce as a young boy. The Pierce Family in Hypoluxo, Florida built five Houses of Refuge in Florida to care for shipwrecked sailors. It was at the House of Refuge that the first child of European descent was born, Lillie Pierce (Lillie Pierce Voss), in 1876. The Pierce family returned to its Hypoluxo Island homestead. Pierce led many expeditions through the Everglades on hunting and fishing trips, being one of the first to explore what would become Everglades National Park. Pierce accompanied his boyhood friend Guy Bradley, Bradley's brother Louis and famed egret plume hunter Jean Chevalier aboard Pierce's boat the Bonton in 1885. The hun*arg party killed thousands of birds for their plumes, which were used to decorate women's hats. The egret plumes were worth more than their weight in gold.[3] Career Pierce began piloting boats through the inland route to Titusville, the main point of trade on the lower Florida east coast at that time.[4] Pierce entered the U.S. Postal Service in 1886, starting as assistant postmaster at Hypoluxo. In 1888, he became one of the famed "Barefoot Mailmen" (a term he was the first to use, in 1939) who walked the beaches and crossed the rivers between Hypoluxo and Miami, a trek of over 6o miles (97 kin). In 1893, Pierce began captaining the mail steamer "Hypoluxo" which delivered mail through the Lake VVorth Region along the 22 miles (351--n) length of the inland watery .ay. Pierce also farmed tracts on Hypoluxo Island on his homestead. In 1845, Pierce moved to Boynton, Florida, where he had a dry goods store near the Florida East Coast railway station. In his store he also served as town postmaster, a career that spanned more than 30 years. He served from igoo until 1903, then from 1908 until his passing in 1939.[61 Pierce also served as president of the Bank of Boynton, and was one of the first masters of the Masonic Lodge in Boynton Beach.[6] Personal life Pierce married Yallahs Lizette Wallack February 26, 1896 in Lemon City, Florida, north of Miami.171 They had one son, Charles Leon "Chuck" Pierce, the first boy of European descent born in Boynton Beach. Yallahs Pierce was the daughter of traveling entertainers Watty Wallack and Fannie Petersen Wallack.1$1 Yallahs Pierce died February 14, 1922.[9] pierce then married Ethel Sims August 16, 1924. Charlie Pierce died July 1o, 1939, following a short illness; Charlie and Yallahs are interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in West Palm Beach.[1O] Memoir Towards the end of his life, Pierce worked on a manuscript of his experiences and adventures in his Florida pioneer days. The 698 -page work, titled "On the Wings of the World" remained unpublished for decades. In the 196os, Judge James R. Knott, a prominent Palm Beach County historian, sought the help of Florida Atlantic University history professor Dr. Donald Walter Curl1111 Dr. Curl took the manuscript and added historical context to the masterpiece. The resulting book was "Pioneer Life in South Florida," heralded as an authoritative work on pioneer history in South Florida.f` Posthumous recognition In 1981, the Florida Department of State and the Florida League of Cities created the Great Floridians program to recognize deceased individuals who made significant contributions to the state's history and culture. Charlie Pierce is one of 89 Floridians given this great honor. His plaque is at the Oyer Building (site of the old Boynton Beach Post Office), 523- 525 East Ocean Avenue, Boynton Beach, FloridaE'33 Book series In 2oo8, Pierce's great -grand nephew Harvey Oyer III, published a children's book based on Pierce's early Florida adventures. The American Jungle: The Adventures of Charlie Pierce became a standard reader for children in many Florida school districts, where Florida history is an integral part of the fourth grade curriculum. The book's popularity resulted in subsequent books in the series, including The Last Egret, The Last Calusa and The BarefootMailman. [141 References 1. "Archived copy" (hftps://web.archive.org/web/20160828085158/hftp.,//lwpa.org/pioneer hannibal—dillingham_pierce.ht ml). Archived from the original (http://www.lwpa.org/pioneer—hannibal—dillingham—plerce.htmi) on August 28, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016. 2. "Palm Beach Post" April 26, 1931, page 11 3. The Cruise of the Bonton, Tequesta, The Joumal of the Historical Association of South Florida, Vol. 1, 22, 1962. 4. "The Tropical Sun" February 18, 1892, page 1 5. "Palm Beach Post", February 2, 1936, page 2 6. "Palm Beach Post", June 16, 1924 page 10 7. "Palm Beach Post" July 12, 1939, page 1 8. "Baxter Springs News" March 15, 1890, page 4 9. "Palm Beach Post" February 15, 1922, page 7 10. "Palm Beach Post" July 13, 1939, page 2 11. "Pioneer Life in South Florida", ed. Donald W. Curl, Coral Gables, FL: University of Miami Press, 1970. 12. "Boca Raton News", February 25, 1971, page 4 13. http://dos.myflorida.com/historicaVpreservation/great-floridians-program 14. httpJ/www.theadventuresofcharliepierce.com Retrieved from"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charlie_W._Pieres&oidid=924642716" This page was last edited on 5 November 2019, at 02:11 (UTC). 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Log in Register JSTOR Advanced Search Browse Tools About SupportLog in Register .'F hoR1 DA III1YIgY� .,I 1{fl Y�1 4{ 1' JOURNAL ARTICLE Notes on the Barefoot Mailman Theodore Pratt The Florida Historical Quarterly Vol. 44, No. 3 (Jan., 1966), pp. 200-204 Published by: Florida Historical Society, hftps://www.jstor.org/stable/30145667 Page Count: 5 Topics: Letter carriers, Beaches, Mail services, Post offices, Passengers Give feedback f -W t u Viewing page 200 of pages 200-204 NOTES ON THE BAREFOOT MAILMAN'S by TKzcmoRE PaA rr XSE THREE QUESTIONS most asked of the about the barefoot mailman are these: Was he real or did you just make him up? Why did he walk barefoot? How much was he paid? The mailman was very real, and perhaps he was the most unique mail carrier of all time. The reason for his eidstence was very simple. Bach in the early eighties if someone in the trading post village of Miami wanted to send a letter to the lighthouse community of Jupiter about ninety miles up the roast, the letter was first sent by the mail schooner to Key Fest and then taken to Cuba, cohere it went by steamer to New York and iinaRy hack down to Jupiter by train and Indian River boat. It worked the other way, too, and sometimes took up to six weeks, even two months, travelling about an even three thousand miles to get less than one hundred. 5o the government started the famous barefoot mailman route, first between Jupiter and Miami. The only road then in wdsteance was the ocean beach and along this the mail carrier walked. The reason he walked barefoot was that it is easier wab ng barefoot on sand than it is with shoes. Additionally, the hardest part of the heath, making it the best for walking, is down where the surf washes the beach, so he took off his shoes and slung them over his shoulders in order not to get them wet. Them was not one barefoot mailman, but quite a number over the approximately ten years the mail was carried in this manner. The post office department made contracts with the men. '!'heir pay during the first part of the period was $300 per year, later it was raised to double that. The post office department has no record of their mim barefoot mailmen. In fact, when I was researching the material for my novel, The Barefoot Mailman, in the early thirties, I asked the department in Washington to let, me have the information on them, but the officials had never even heard of their own barefoot mailmen. The officials became rather tired of me after mg third inquiry and finally confessed the retards had been lost or destroyed., but they ere appreciative when I sent them a copy of my boob, their only record now. *Ali rights to this article are vested in the author. [2001 —Fv.� F�0'41 d'6' t�,'oD'fi -, e10K REVIEQ6' PIONEER LIFE RV S01,Tff FLORIDA By Charles W. Pierce Edited by Donald. Walter Curl. (Coral Gables: University of Miami Press, 1970. Pp. 264.) When he died in 1939, Charles W. Pierce left behind a 698 -page manuscript which he called "On the Wings of the Wind." These memoirs told a vivid, personal tale of pioneer life along the southeast coast of Florida in the later part of the nineteenth century. His story covered the period from the early 1870s, when the Pierce family settled on Hypoluxo Island, just across from today's Palm Beach, until 1894, when the arrival of Henry Flagler's railroad and the completion of his Royal Poinciana Hotel signaled the end of pioneer days. In the said -1960s, Judge James R. Knott, for many years the president of the Historical Association of Palm Beach County, began seeking a publisher for this remarkable manuscript. The result was Pioneer Life in South Florida, published in 1970 by the University of Miami Press. It is still the best account of life on Florida's Gold Coast at a time when no one dreamed the adjective "gold" might be applied to the world these early settlers knew. For people who eked out a living raising vegetables and fishing, "gold" or even cash was a utopian concept. But if you had called it "sandy coast," "palm coast" or even "mosquito coast," they would not have argued with you. Charlie Pierce was born in Waukegan, Illinois, in 1864. Eight years later Hannibal; Dillingham Pierce 29 shoved his family to Jupiter, where he accepted a job as assistant keeper of the Jupiter Lighthouse. Charlie's father was later to become the keeper of the Orange Grove (Delray Beach) House of Refuge and later still the Biscayne House of Refuge near Miami. Man of Many Talents In those formative years Charlie helped his father at the lighthouse and at the Douses of Refuge. As he grew older, he became a sailor, a plume hunter, an explorer, a barefoot mailman, a musician, a student of the flora and fauna of the southeast coast, and finally a writer who kept copious notes and journals. Pierce lived on the southeast Florida coast at the time of the "Great Wine Wreck" which strewed the coastal area with barrels of wine, as well as the wreck of the Providencia, which was stocked with the coconuts that would later become the palms that created Palm Beach. He lived on Hypoluxo Island when the barefoot mailman, Ed Hamilton, lost his life at the Hillsboro Inlet. Two days before he vanished, Hamilton had spent the night at the Pierce horde. Charlie led a party which searched the inlet for his friend's body. Charlie lived on the shores of Lake Worth when an alert group of pioneers wrested control of the Dade County government away from the settlement on the Miami River and moved the county seat to Juno. He lived there when the Celestial Rasilroad was the pride of. the Lake Worth community and he still lived there when Flagler brought a bigger railroad, the Florida East Coast, to the area and escorted the lake people into a new and totally different world,: Most of Pierce's narrative concerns the Palm Beach area, but it also contains a few references to what is today's Sroward County. He wrote: The ocean was extremely rough so we were forced to take an old Indian canoe through the Everglades to the bay. This trip was my first sight of the upper (New) river. It was crooked, kept turning first north, then south, and at no time could we see any dis- tance ahead on account of the bends in the channel. A short way up the river and before we reached the pine timber, we passed a large dense ham- mock on the north bank. This was known as "Coulee Hammock," noted for the massacre of the Coulee family there by the Seminoles about 1838. All the land hereabouts was solid rock and it became evident to me as I looked at it that at some time in the remote past there had been an earth- quake that had opened up this fissure from the Glades to the coast, making the channel now called New River. He wrote, too, of Frank Stranahan, who operated a "halfway camp" at New River during the construc- tion of a road from Lantana to Lemon City. "Frank Stranahan was the only resident at, this camp during its first year," Pierce wrote. "He was general manager, cook, dishwasher, chambermaid and enter- tainer for the guests." Imperfect Gem In editing the Pierce manuscript Dr. Donald W. Curl, Chairman of the Department of History at Florida Atlantic University, faced a formidable task. Although Pierce finished the manuscript before his death, he did not live long enough to complete the polishing and the elimination of stories that were repeated more than once. Dr. Curl has given the book a uniform style which makes for greater clarity and much easier reading than the original. A portion of the Pierce manuscript had been published in 1962 as one entire issue of Tequesta, the journal of the Historical Association of Southern Florida. Entitled "The Cruise of the Bouton," this segment, edited by Dr. Charlton W. Tebeau, former Chairman of the University of Miami History Depart- ment, retains the flavor of the original manuscript. Students of south Florida's past will also find this a fascinating account of the natural history of the area. Judge Knott and Dr. Curl, who were so important in bringing the Pierce story to us in an easily accessible form, are :now at work on a history of palm Beach County. It is a tribute to Charles W. Pierce that no one, including these authors, can write a serious history of southeast Florida without turning again and again to his material as a primary source. Stuart McIver Charles Pierce at his desk. 30 = Menu = Tag Archives: Charles W. Pierce The Barefoot Mailman's Wife — The Amazing Story of Yallahs Pierce 8y Ginger Pedersen I December 28, 2015 1 Interesting' Characters r Comment Something was gnawing at me today — a name I see every time I help conduct cemetery tours at Woodlawn Cemetery in West Palm Beach — an unusual name belonging to a woman whose husband is among the most well-known local pioneers. Charles W. Pierce, of Barefoot Mailman fame and chronicler of local history, married a woman named Yallahs Lizette Wallack February 26, 1896 in Lemon City, north of Miami. Yallahs Pierce, 1906 It was said she was from Jamaica, but nothing more was known of her. i surmised she was named for the Yallahs river in Jamaica. The 1910 federal census entry for Yallahs states that both her parents were born in England. Yallahs died early at age 47, February 14, 1922. Articles had mentioned she was treated for an illness at Jacksonville and at Johns Hopkins, and was not expected to live. I began to search for Jamaican records in various sources such as Familysearch.org and general Google searches. A most unusual story emerged, pieced together which told of her famous parents. I found the first clue in a book by Errol Hill titled "The Jamaican Stage, 1655-1900." In it, Hill told the story of Walter Hope "Watty" Wallack, born January 23, 1830, a traveling showman from Liverpool, England who was a one-man production of comedy, singing and acting involving dozens of characters he would portray on stage. The book mentions his many stops in Jamaica, with his young wife, Fannie Wallack. Searching their names revealed that Fannie Wallack died of malaria when only 30, and her obituary helped to crack the case. Fannie Louise Petersen was born in London, England May 1, 1854. She traveled with her parents to St. Kitts, where her father, Peter Petersen, a native of Sweden, had a mercantile house. Fannie's musical talents were known very early, with her beautiful soprano voice. She first appeared with Watty Wallack at the age of IQ and married him when Fannie was 15 in the Cathedral of St. John's, Antigua. Together with Watty Wallack and his cousin the comedian James A. Rider, the three formed the group "The Wallack Tripologue." They toured the Carribbean, South America and the American South. In 1872. Yallahs Wallack was born in Jamaica, probably as her parents were on tour, and her emigration date to America was listed as 1874. In 1880, Yallahs appears on the federal census as living in Key West at the age of 8 (listed as the phonetic"Alice Wallack"), with the Patterson family, one of Key West's most important families. Fannie Wallack died in Kingston, Jamaica, November 26, 1885 at the age of 30. Her obituary mentions "She leaves one child, a daughter thirteen years old, who is at college in Key West, Fla." It could be that Yallahs was boarding with the family while attending school in Key West. Fannie Wallack and her troupe were renowned or the stage. In 1881, they played a six- month stint at Vercelli's Theatre on East 42nd street in New York City. Fannie could sing in seven languages, and was much loved for her singing, dancing and elaborate costumes. The resemblance between Yallahs and her mother in the illustration below are striking. Fannie Wallack Jil3r WAD441z C�3 0 : • . { r*w RF RRL dm _ A T 1w ussXrxrr rl< 0 x 110 C #F X -� �� 1 F�►r�t�.lauw,�� i1�fiL' , i 41 OiR WtrTt #,rri �prrs TMX fuk1WCIMa AT 1!leM After Fannie's death, Watty Wallack continued to tour with his cousin and managed the Heine Concert Hall. Watty Wallack died in St. Louis, Missouri, July 26, 1301 at age 71 with cousin James A. Rider by his side. The obituary stated "In recent years they lost their fortunes. Captain Rider is now in St. Luke's Hospital, prostrated with grief over the death of his friend." Yallahs eventually moved to Lemon City where she met and married Charles W. Pierce, and the couple moved to Boynton at its beginning. They had one child, Charles Leon "Chuck" Pierce, one of the first babies to be born in Boynton, who had a long career in banking. The Pierce family lived on Ocean Avenue, where Yallahs passed away. She now rests at Woodlawn Cemetery, with Charles by her side. Charles W. Pierce Road to recognition By Erika Pesantes Staff Writer South Florida Sun -Sentinel MARCH 25, 2009 The Barefoot Mailman's been given the stamp of approval to step into a Hall of Fame of sorts for Floridians. Charles W. Pierce, one of the legendary Barefoot Mailmen who delivered mail by boat and foot along South Florida's beaches from 1885 to 1893, is being recognized today in Tallahassee as one of six Great Floridians. Pierce, who was part of the first U.S. postal route between Palm Beach and Miami, is Palm Beach County's only award recipient this year. Pierce's family moved from Illinois and, in 1872, settled in Palm Beach County when the area was considered Dade County and Henry Flagler's railroad had not yet revolutionized South Florida. Pierce was a farmer on Hypoluxo Island when he took over the mail route after Barefoot Mailman Ed Hamilton disappeared. Hamilton was presumed to have died on the route. It was Pierce who became the iconic image of the Barefoot Mailman after a book and movie were made. Harvey Oyer III, chairman of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County, nominated Pierce, who was his great -grand -uncle. He and his father, Harvey Oyer Jr., a former Boynton Beach commissioner and mayor, plan to travel to the state capital for the ceremony. "He was a fine uncle; he was a fine person. And when you look at his picture there - he was dressed with a stiff collar and coat and tie - it was hard to think of him taking a boat and coasting down South Florida," Oyer Jr. said. He remembers his uncle as an avid fisher and hunter and a great storyteller who shared tales with him and his stamp -collecting friends. Pierce eventually became Boynton Beach's first postmaster and served until his death in 1939. Pierce Hammock Elementary School in Loxahatchee was named after him. The younger Oyer never met Pierce but considers him an important influence in his life. He said Pierce provided perhaps the only known account of pioneer life in Southeast Florida in a manuscript of journal entries from his childhood through his old age. He preserved stories that might have otherwise been lost today, the younger Oyer said. "All of my interest in local history or the ability to understand it is due to his work," he said. "I have always held Charles Pierce, a person I've never met, as a role model and a historian." And he, too, followed in his great grand -uncle's footsteps. Harvey Oyer III wrote a children's book about Pierce's life last year called The Adventures of Charlie Pierce: The American Jungle, which he plans to donate to the governors library collection, he said. The annual Florida Department of State's Great Floridians program began in 1981 and already lists 35 other Floridians. Pierce will the join the likes of Flagler, author Zara Neale Hurston and environmental activist Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Erika Pesantes can be reached at epesantes@SunSentinel. corn or 561-243-6602. Copyright O 2099, Sun Sentinel This article is related to: Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Miami Historic Preservation Boynton Beach Boulevard and Seacrest Boulevard Heritage Trails Black History Historic Sites Documents Interact Boynton Beach Boulevard and Seacrest Boulevard Go: Home ) Heritage Trails > Down Location Boynton Beach Blvd and Seacrest Blvd, Boynton Beach, FL See map: Google Maps The junction of Boynton Beach Boulevard and Seacrest Boulevard is one of the most important intersections in the city as it provides access from Interstate 95 to tl' and to the many municipal, cultural, and religious buildings located there. Boynton Beach Boulevard was originally named Lake Avenue. All of the streets in the city were named until the introduction of the current street numbering systerr which was requested by the Post Office to help with mail delivery. Seacrest Boulevard, named Green Street until 19541, originally stretched only as far as Woolbrfght Road. In 19502, It was extended to Swinton Avenue in Delray BeE The following map shows the Intersection of Boynton Beach Boulevard (Lake Avenue) and Seacrest Boulevard (Green Street) marked with a red dot and the original streets in the downtown area. The only street which retains its original name is Ocean Avenue. City Hall is located on the block named "Boynton Center" Ana „� a s.r 1xeSK lrq l_dfitr7tF3Y�1`°�' •b �3! ! �{H t dI• ��r.rsaf oserB; rs si `arrow e,, - •+..cneN.wr.. 'aapy .ro'''w .�'S':-.r a ,rr4M s y.'•' i�, s:,or ilG1H 4w aRr. T 9AMIC fi N6K1 zljuul+ Irxrslr3wlTto 4f a� 1 �_ .� aj Cl •Ja r� d!!!T¢ i• arBSs,,_YY ¢' a1ifi�w' � � � rd ♦+on,a s+7N`�rl agar - wJ14N111A rr G I` ...f�„ Boynton Beach Blvd (Lake Ave) & Seacrest Blvd (Green Stl City Hall 870!0! e a_T _ — The original City Hail was located on U.S. 1 just north of Boynton Beach Boulevard on r � _ present Memorial Park. As can be seen from the photograph on the left, the building t small. The structure to the north (right) of C(ty Hall was the Fire Station. f The current City Hall was completed in 1958 and was built without Incurring any debt being set aside for the new building in previous years. The building originally had an a feet and was planned to allow future expansion on three sides3. The photograph belc City Hall building viewed from Boynton Beach Boulevard. The 1958 building was signif ! - and expanded between 1967 and 1990. As the photographs show, the only recognizal _ gs IF .tM— feature from the 1958 building is the setback in the facade. i Qty Hall Building on US.1 9YY1 4 MIa�sYway'1N /SIM n,.w.l •h. " +�, '••.w -', %; a rah 422—, B B• S �� rTwt yW prr.xw, y f S • J :•� ! AT 8 A,0 AF add,gfa T r- r 1r� � 6 rB3 f7 p a 7II �fsY *^�-� - s f pro,rxoxns ra imn se s3Y �,+,D9a-f6a sfY�' ,tl9 at 65afYV1 T a9�rl$ ua{Seniaalir 4+�AK•re R.VN a •.r i vGOalA+� arl vu_ A4f k WMO]�., 6SaS pati n04er6J sSaF C4 a T.D 43a �A 4w aRr. T 9AMIC fi N6K1 zljuul+ Irxrslr3wlTto 4f a� 1 �_ .� aj Cl •Ja r� d!!!T¢ i• arBSs,,_YY ¢' a1ifi�w' � � � rd ♦+on,a s+7N`�rl agar - wJ14N111A rr G I` ...f�„ Boynton Beach Blvd (Lake Ave) & Seacrest Blvd (Green Stl City Hall 870!0! e a_T _ — The original City Hail was located on U.S. 1 just north of Boynton Beach Boulevard on r � _ present Memorial Park. As can be seen from the photograph on the left, the building t small. The structure to the north (right) of C(ty Hall was the Fire Station. f The current City Hall was completed in 1958 and was built without Incurring any debt being set aside for the new building in previous years. The building originally had an a feet and was planned to allow future expansion on three sides3. The photograph belc City Hall building viewed from Boynton Beach Boulevard. The 1958 building was signif ! - and expanded between 1967 and 1990. As the photographs show, the only recognizal _ gs IF .tM— feature from the 1958 building is the setback in the facade. i Qty Hall Building on US.1 Historic Preser cation -ieritage Tra is Black History H'.storic Sites Documerts Interact City Had in' 958 and City Ha!I Today First Baptist Church of Boynton Beach The =irst Baptist Church of 3cyritor Bea:'. :,as constituted in 1925. Records indicate that se^rices originally took dace it a church an ?aimetto Avenue urtil 1926 rj moved to a charcn on Green 5treet. Ir. 1929, a new church was erected at the shut^east corner a` Boynton 3eacr. Boulevard and SeacreS< Boulevard where City Hal This buiVng was a rectangular stucco and wocd str-cture which :vas cainted a cream coior4. The church was moved to its new location in 1947 when a new structule was built in the Neodass=cal Revival style. Tt1's style, also known as Classical Revival, resuitF adaptation of the Greexter-,pie front. -.rst Bar'ist Churcr? The Post Office Over time, the church has peen enlarged; however, :ne original 1947 b-`.ck builcirg 's the rectangl..`'.a• large portico ;`acing 5eacrest Boulevard). Notable features :nch:de the fu!'-helght entrance portico wit supported by four souare Dorc co'urrns, the arched and rectangular wood-frar-e, doable-hurg sash ornamental door surround which features a broken pediment, an urn, and a icestone detail. The :r�u` contained a large steeple: However, this has beer. removed. The photograph below, shows the churc and the;Unctior of 5eacrest Bou':evard and Boyntcn Beach 3ou!erard c.1961. s ��r iSwa- x.._.14 m.y . s rst Baptist Church c. 1961 Boyr ton's fist post office was estab;ishea on April 28, 1896, with William H. Cox as the postmaster. In 19oo, after Cullen Pence and Ira Butler had served as oostr:a Pierce tock over the position and put the post office in his general store6. Pierce +Paas a significant figure it the history of the Boyntcn Beach Post Office. Pierce, vmo was barn !r 1864, came to Fior da 1-11872 and started the postal seri:.e in Hypoluxo in 1886 as a barefoot m ma:imen carried mall from West ?acro Beacn to Uliarn! by boat and by 1va:kirig along the beach. From 1893 until 1895, P:e mai' stea.T^er'i4,ypc!.:xo'that made da"y de!"Veries to Lake V.Fo .h. He served as Boynton postnas:erfrom 1900 until 19C to,vcrk on Henr y Fiagier's raiiroa.�; he vever, he ;h`as reappointed as pos:masler in 1908 and served '.n this oosition Or: h's death, his :^rife Ethel succeeeeci h'm and heid the position until 19567. `.n 2009, Charles W Pierce was designated a which is an award presented byte Florida Department of State In recogniCor Vthe outstandirgachieverrcents of men a `,ave raaoe s'.gr''f cant contributions to the progress and welfare of the state.. The Boynton Beach Post Office has been situated'- a number of buildings. The ear!iest offices were located :r, the downto%vri area is genera! stores such as Lyman's general store and Nerce's geriera! stores. Around 19'. 5, the post cffce was moved into a wood frame building located on t:'e north side of Ocean. k-jenue just east of Dewey Park cn the site of the c::rrent Arcade build! ng9. The dost office was badly damaged by the 1528 Charles W. Ferce nurricare b::t was reCuilt in a couple of days by friends of the Pierce'st C. ,r.1949, the post off°ce was re!ocatea to anedler site on Ocean Avenue and was for.^.aily apered on December 1011, The post office remained here unt71 196"3 -j-4,.en it was moved to its current location.. N. Historic Preservation Heritage Trails Black History Historic Sites Documents Interact i77 � t The [.1915 Post Office after the 1928 Hurricane The altered roof and stucco/paint on the adjacent building suggest this is the rebuilt Post Office First United Methodist Church The Methodist Episcopal Church South was established in 1905 with 21 members. Services were conducted in various homes and at the school house by a travelling Reverend Ludwig Oser. By 1908, the Methodist congregation had constructed its own building on the corner of U.5.1 and East Ocean Avenue on land donated by F Cullen Pence12. This building was later sold and, in 1926, a new Methodist Tabernacle was built on the site of the present church at the corner of Seacrest Bou levar Avenue13. This building was destroyed by the 1926 hurricane and replaced in 1930 with the present Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall and Youth Building. The main sanctL 1945 and dedicated In 1955, and the church was continually expanded and remodeled until 19S914. The church is built in the Gothic Revival style which achieved popularity in the United States between 1840 and 1870 and remalned a favored style for religious and First United Methodist Church buildings, including those In Florida, well into the twentieth century. Identifying features of the Gothic Revival style include steeply pitched able roofs, pointed elliptical arches, lancet windows, corner towers, recessed panels and arches, and oculus windows. First United Methodist Church 1. Boynton Beach City Commission Minutes, December 6,1954. 2, Boynton Beach City Council Minutes, November 6, 1950. 3. Farace V.K et. al., Boynton Beach, The First 100 Years, Boynton Beach Historical Society & Friends of the Boynton Beady Cny Library, 1995, p.28. 4. Flodda Memory Image number 1301020 5, Simons G.W., Comprehensive Plan, Boynton Beach Florida, May,1962 6. 'Boynton Opens New Post Office", The Boynton Beads News, December 1, 1949. 7. 'From Fourth Class to First Class: Boynton Beach Post O[fice:1900-1974", The Examiner, July 25, 1974. & "Boynton Opens New Post Office", The Boynton Beach News, December 1, 1949. 9. Faraee V.K. at, al., Boynton Beach, The First 100 Years, Boynton Beach Historical society & Friends of the Boynton Beach City Library, 1995, p.17. 10. 'From Fourth Class to First Class: Boynton Beach Post OfRce:1900.1974", The Examiner. July 25, 1974, 11. Boynton Beach City Council Minutes, December 5, 1949. 12. Research Atlantica, Inc City of Boynton Beach, Florida, Historic Sites Survey. Coral Springs: 1996. P.20. 13. DeVriesJ_ Around Boynton Beach. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2006, p,89, 14. First United Methodist Church, A People Persevering. Boynton Beach, 1990. Boynton Beach Methodic Historic Preservation HeritageTra8s Black;"istory Historic Sites Domments Interact t Phone: 5611.742.6260 Q Address: City Ha;"': 330E Quantum Blvd, Suite 131, Boynton Bea, -.,i 33425 h'storic preservation grant assistance provided by the National Park Service, U.S. Departmentcfthe inter'.or, administered through the Bureau c:F H storlc Preservation., L-Msion of Historical -Resources,=lor'da Department of State, ass!stec by "he !?crida Historica: Co—mission. Ho•.veae.<, the contents and op^ions do not necessar.ly refiect the : ews and coiniors of the Department of the Interior or the Fior;da Department of State, no, does the mention. of trade names or corrmercial procucts consft;ate endorsement or recorrmendaticn by the Depar :ment of :he Interior c r the roc= ida Department of State. Zeac project descr',pt°or., d;'sclaimers, and acknowledgements. availar;e for your referer the Her tage -rail or brc. E-.'.' - D.XLf-: I, :r rr-- Aa e -mw ....C1-'L;;....a .-•g put._--: rE',, U.. if"t J r '--Lw-,M3" a ea 1 1'2-.' --,15e tO a GUI-": ;1s roc; - t ciWror c Fr. tr r . e,. nst; w. _- ti .- _ . _. -_ ° . -�r . or °i :r` 3 �r13�aa1 Gran^ 12/3/2019 RD 5 Connect to Greatness, Inc. City of Boynton Beach Data Analysis and Final Report Cassondra Corbin-Thaddies, President, Connectto Greatness, Inc. Sheila D. Acevedo, Project Consultant, GEMMS Foundation, Inc. Student Participants: ➢ Boynton Beach Community High School (30 Students), Congress Middle School (2 Students) South Technical Preparatory Academy (29 Students) ➢ South Technical High School (10 Students). 45 Females and 25 Males 1 Student who did not respond to Gender. 2 1 12/3/201` MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT LANGUAGES ■ English only 0 HatlanCreole ig Lithuanian Spanish 5 IF HIGH SCHOOL. STUDENT LANGUAGES r r. . S MIDDLE SCHOOL: I SET GOALS AND WORK TO ACHIEVE THEM 12/3/2019 3 12/3/2019 QS HIGH SCHOOL: I SET GOALS AND WORK TO ACHIEVE THEM Q12 MIDDLE SCHOOL: I WILL ACHIEVE MORE FtNANCIAL SUCCESS BY BUILDING AND RUNNING MY OWN BUSINESS A&] (4,- Q12 HIGH SCHOOL: t WILL ACHIEVE MORE FINANCIAL SUCCESS BY BUILDING AND RUNNING MY OWN BUSINESS CHART 1: ENTREPRENEURIAL INDICATOR SCORING SORE ASSESSMENT 80-100 The Student has the capability of becoming an outstanding entrepreneur. 60-79 The Student has the capability of becoming an entrepreneur. 40-59 Entrepreneurship may not be appro 1z/3/2019 5 priate for the Student. 0-39 The Student should avoid entrepreneurship. 1z/3/2019 5 11 12 12/,3/2019 ITEM TYPES OF BUSINESS SKILLS TO GAIN OR IMPROVE NUMBER OF 7 Education/After School Program/ Teen/Mllagro Youth Center 3 STUDENTS Artist/Art Studio/Museum 1 Artistry/Art Skills 1 TABLE 3 2 Auto/Aviation Mechanics, Body Repair & Painting 2 5 3 Business Skills (Management/Empbyee Relmlons/Human -V BUS !NESS 1 Resources/Customer Relations/Financial) Food Service Industry Restaurant, Fast Food 3 a Groceqr Stora: Publix 4 SK! LLS 4 Construction/Architecture 1 Hair Salon/ Cosmetology 5 Cosmetokogy/ProductDevak ntjkairStyM I STU D E NTS 6 Entertainment industry(Theater/Drama) 1 11 7 IT(ATANITCompany/BW &W/EPICGameSPAWAteDeveloper) fi WANT TO 1 LAPISkllls 2 GAIN OR 9 Medical Skills {Naming/Physklan1iAssistant) 6 --Is 10 Sports Business Skills 1 �►11 IMPROVE 2 Total Students Who Responded YES to Question 51 65 Total Students Who Did Not Respond to Question 20 Total Surveyed Total Surveyed 71 13 ITEM BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY TO INTERN NUMBER OF STUDENTS 7 Education/After School Program/ Teen/Mllagro Youth Center 3 2 Artist/Art Studio/Museum 1 3 Auto/Avietlon Mechanics, Body Repair & Painting 2 4 Bank/Mortgage Company/Investment Firm 5 5 Business Any 13usiness) 6 6 Construction Business Or With An Anohltect 1 7 Food Service Industry Restaurant, Fast Food 3 a Groceqr Stora: Publix 4 9 GYM/YMCA 2 10 Hair Salon/ Cosmetology 1 Hospltal/Medlcal OfRes (Doctor/Physiclan•s Ass istant/Nurse 2 10 Hoa ItaUMsdlcal Office Office/Records/En Inserin 22 11 Information Technology Qt) Business /Best Buy/ATAN IT Com an /EPIC Games 6 12 Interior Designer 1 13 Law Firm/Courts/Lawyer 2 14 Movie Theater 1 --Is Travel Agency 1 Veterinary/Animal Shelter 2 fli Total Students Who Responded YES to Question 65 Total Students Who Did Not Respond to Question 5 Total Surveyed 71 14 ?2/3/2019 7 Amtrust Bank! I Yes No I Yes NYCE Petsupermarket : Yes Must be No 18 Years i Old USPS ;No I No No L A Fitness No No Business ; Yes or I Workf internship i Hands On i Yes i No I StudySchool Training Firm Needed ' Semester Year Evens Air Yes No No Yes Amtrust Bank! I Yes No I Yes NYCE Petsupermarket : Yes Must be No 18 Years i Old USPS ;No I No No L A Fitness No No Craig & Craig i Yes Lawson Law i Firm Needed TD Bank i ? Financial Literacy 15 No No No No No Business Mentorship Data Findings • There is insufficient data to determine the availability of Business Mentors, Internships, or Work/Study opportunities in Boynton Beach, Florida • 51 students believe they would benefit from having a business mentor • Only 4 of 7 Businesses responders reported willingness to provide mentorship, internship, training, or other opportunities to students. • 1 of the 4 Willing Businesses requires students to be at least 18 years old 16 12/3/2019 C7 Comments More Businesses On the Job HVAC Installation & Needed Ductwork To Help Financial Literacy Mentor Students None Regulations Do Not Permit Participation I a iNone No Comments Provided More Details Needed Business Mentorship Data Findings • There is insufficient data to determine the availability of Business Mentors, Internships, or Work/Study opportunities in Boynton Beach, Florida • 51 students believe they would benefit from having a business mentor • Only 4 of 7 Businesses responders reported willingness to provide mentorship, internship, training, or other opportunities to students. • 1 of the 4 Willing Businesses requires students to be at least 18 years old 16 12/3/2019 C7 12/3/2019 Conclusions Businesses in Boynton Beach can benefit from providing mentorships, Internships or training opportunities to Middle and High School students who score above 40 on the Entrepreneurial indicators. Middle and High School students in Boynton Beach can directly benefit by obtaining skill sets and empowerment. Businesses and students will both benefit from an initiative to identify Businesses Leaders, Entrepreneurs, Community -and Educational Leaders to plan, develop, and implement a Business/Entrepreneurship Mentorship program to ensure that all students can achieve their Entrepreneurship goals.