Editing Boynton Beach, Florida (section)

==History==
[[File:Nathan S. Boynton.jpg|thumb|left|[[Nathan Boynton|Nathan S. Boynton]]]]
:''See also [[William S. Linton]]''
Archaeological evidence indicates Native American inhabitation of the region dating back thousands of years, with [[Ais people|Ais]], [[Calusa]]s, [[Jaega]]s, [[Mayaimi]]s, and [[Tequesta]] settling in or near modern-day Palm Beach County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/native-americans|title=Native Americans|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|accessdate=May 30, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407002037/http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/native-americans|archivedate=April 7, 2023}}</ref> A complex of mounds west of present-day Boynton Beach and near the [[Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge]] includes shards of pottery possibly from 150 BCE. An excavation of the site also yielded beads and glass from as recently as the 16th century, which are believed to have been influenced by the [[Spaniards|Spanish]].<ref name="survey">{{cite report|url=https://www.boynton-beach.org/sites/default/files/images/LibraryArchives/ARC_PDFs/Historic%20Sites%20Survey.pdf|title=City of Boynton Beach, Florida, Historic Sites Survey|date=September 1996|publisher=Research Atlantica, Inc.|accessdate=May 30, 2023}}</ref>{{rp|10–11}}

Captain James A. Armour, head [[Lighthouse keeper|keeper]] of the [[Jupiter Inlet Light]]house, filed the first land claim in modern-day Boynton Beach in 1875, although it is unlikely he lived there.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|11}} Two years later, Dexter Hubel of Michigan and his family settled in the area, but they had to live at the [[Houses of Refuge in Florida#Locations|Orange Grove House of Refuge]] in present-day [[Delray Beach, Florida|Delray Beach]] until their house was built.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|12}}

In 1894, two years before [[Henry Flagler]] built his railroad, a former [[American Civil War]] major named [[Nathan Boynton]] first set eyes on the area that now bears his name.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|14}} Boynton hailed from [[Port Huron]], [[Michigan]].<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|13}} He was so impressed by the natural beauty of the year-round sunshine and pristine beaches, he built the famous Boynton Hotel, where he also spent winters with his family. The hotel, which opened in 1897, included accommodations for 100&nbsp;guests and 5&nbsp;guest cottages.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|15}} Major Boynton died on May 27, 1911, in Port Huron,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-news/125612576/|title=Maj. N. S. Boynton Died in Michigan Home on May 27|date=June 3, 1911|newspaper=[[The Miami News|The Miami Metropolis]]|page=12|accessdate=May 31, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> but the hotel lasted until 1925.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|32}} Several commercial and residential buildings also sprang up along Ocean Avenue in the late 1890s, including the first post office in 1896.<ref name="hspbc"/>

The first settlers, whom Boynton had brought along from Michigan, soon realized that many fruits and vegetables thrived in the fertile climate. [[Pineapples]], tomatoes, mangoes, and citrus fruit were packed in crates and shipped across the country on the newly built [[Florida East Coast Railway|Florida East Coast Railroad]]. Alonzo King and Samuel Cade, both African American farmers, taught these early settlers methods for cultivating muck soil and dealing with the presence of mosquitos and rattlesnakes.<ref name="hspbc">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/boynton-and-boynton-beach|title=Boynton and Boynton Beach|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|accessdate=May 31, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405055929/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/boynton-and-boynton-beach|archivedate=April 5, 2023}}</ref>

Boynton Beach was founded on September 26, 1898, when [[Byrd Spilman Dewey]] and her husband Fred S. Dewey filed the original plat in the [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Dade County]] courthouse for the {{anchor|Town of Boynton}}''Town of Boynton''.<ref name="Pedersen">Pedersen, Ginger L. (April 9, 2013). [http://www.palmbeachpast.org/ When Curiosity Changes your Life]. palmbeachpast.org. Retrieved September 28, 2013.</ref> Fred S. Dewey, one of Flager's secretaries, bought a large area of land west of the [[Intracoastal Waterway]] earlier that year. He subdivided the land into 2.5&nbsp;acre (1.0&nbsp;ha) tracts for agricultural uses, which he sold to settlers and hotel workers. Buyers of these tracts also received a plot within the residential sections of the townsite.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|17}}

A wood-frame schoolhouse opened in 1900 at Ocean Avenue and Seacrest Boulevard, replacing a smaller, temporary building.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|20}} By then, the town had a population of 83.<ref name="hspbc"/> Just four years later, a second, two-room school building opened as the community continued to grow quickly.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|20}} Overcrowding at the school at Ocean Avenue and Seacrest Boulevard also led to the construction of another school in 1913, a two-story concrete building with six classrooms.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|25}} [[Schoolhouse Children's Museum & Learning Center|This building]] is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and was converted into the Schoolhouse Children's Museum & Learning Center in 2001.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post/125614650/|page=1B|title=Students young, old enjoy schoolhouse|date=September 9, 2001|author=Colavecchio, Shannon|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|accessdate=May 31, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
[[File:Ocean_Avenue_in_Boynton_Beach_in_1915.jpg|thumb|left|Ocean Avenue in 1915]]
The first bridge crossing the Intracoastal Waterway opened in 1911 at Ocean Avenue. During the same year, the Boynton Woman's Club and the Florida Federal of Women's Clubs established the first library in Boynton, then staffed by volunteers. The 1910s also saw the creation of the town's first bank in 1915 and first ocean road ([[Florida State Road A1A|State Road A1A]]) in 1916.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|7}}

The town of Boynton was officially incorporated in 1920 upon the approval of 48 out of the 50&nbsp;qualified voters who met at the Boynton Lumber Club on April&nbsp;14. G. E. Coon became the first mayor, Fred Benson became the first town marshall, and A. A. Atwater, J. P. Bowen, C. M. Jensen, A. C. Shepherd, and W. S. Shepherd became the first aldermen.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|26}} Shortly before the incorporation of Boynton, the [[1920 United States census|1920 census]] recorded a population of 671&nbsp;people in Palm Beach County's fourth precinct, which also included [[Hypoluxo, Florida|Hypoluxo]] and the area that now comprises [[Ocean Ridge, Florida|Ocean Ridge]].<ref name="pop. history">{{cite web|url=https://www.boyntonhistory.org/boynton-beachs-population-history/|title=Boynton Beach's Population History|publisher=Boynton Beach Historical Society|accessdate=May 31, 2023}}</ref> The name "Boynton Beach" was first used by a community that broke off from the Town of Boynton in 1931. In 1939, that community changed its name to "Ocean Ridge" while The Town of Boynton took the name "Boynton Beach" in 1941.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oceanridgeflorida.com/TownHistory.htm |title=History of Ocean Ridge |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321092439/http://www.oceanridgeflorida.com/TownHistory.htm |archive-date=2012-03-21 }}</ref>

Utility services also began in Boynton in the early 1920s. John Meredith brought electricity to the town in 1921, the same year as the installation of a sewage system. Additionally, in 1923, a municipal water system began operating.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|7}} Telephone service arrived in Boynton near the end of the 1920s.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|8}}

Boynton Beach Oceanfront Park is located just north of the original Boynton Hotel site. In 1921, the Town of Boynton acquired the beach site from Lewis S. Howe by eminent domain for park and recreation purposes. The beach casino was built in 1928 and featured a large dining hall, locker rooms and showers and residents used the casino for parties and social gatherings. The casino was demolished in 1967 and the property remained part of the beach park. From the 1920s to today, Boynton Beach Oceanfront Park has been popular with residents and visitors alike. In the mid-1990s, the park underwent a major renovation during which the boardwalk was rebuilt out of recycled plastic. Boynton Beach's Oceanfront Park was voted the best family beach in Palm Beach County by ''The Palm Beach Post'' in 2001. In 2011 the boardwalk was renovated again, replacing the plastic with ipe (pronounced ee-pay) wood (commonly known as Brazilian walnut). In 2012 improvements were made to the buildings along the boardwalk, including total refurbishment of the restrooms.
[[File:BoyntonBeachSALstation.jpg|thumb|right|A 1940s view of the Boynton Beach [[Seaboard Air Line Railroad]] depot, whose demolition was authorized by the city in 2006]]
In 1926, the [[Seaboard Air Line Railroad|Seaboard Air Line Railway]] entered what was then simply Boynton, spurring land development a mile inland near the Seaboard station, including the town's first planned subdivision, Lake Boynton Estates.<ref name="ss2">{{cite news |first=Erika |last=Pesantes |title=Angry neighborhood challenges City Hall |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2007-06-14/news/0706140012_1_truck-route-city-hall-truck-traffic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826004944/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2007-06-14/news/0706140012_1_truck-route-city-hall-truck-traffic |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 26, 2012 |work=[[South Florida Sun-Sentinel]] |date=June 14, 2007 |access-date=2011-05-12}}</ref> As land became more valuable, areas along the Intracoastal Waterway and the Federal Highway in Boynton also saw housing developments. To the west, many dairies were founded so that the Boynton area became the main milk supplier for Palm Beach County.<ref>{{cite web|author=Pedersen, Ginger L.|url=http://www.palmbeachpast.org/?p=145 |title=The Last Cows of Boynton| date=23 October 2010 |publisher=Palmbeachpast.org |access-date=2013-08-15}}</ref> By the 1970s, the dairies were no longer profitable and these lands too were converted to housing developments.

Three hurricanes affected Boynton between 1926 and 1928.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|7–8}} The [[1928 Okeechobee hurricane]] in particular caused significant impacts, destroying 46&nbsp;homes and 18&nbsp;buildings,<ref name="aac">{{cite book|url=https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00001306/00001/images/0|title=Palm Beach Hurricane—92 Views|date=1928|publisher=American Autochrome Company|oclc=08648474|page=5|location=Chicago, Illinois<!--|accessdate=May 31, 2023-->}}</ref> including a church, a hotel, and the town hall.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|8}} Additionally, the storm damaged 255&nbsp;homes and 34&nbsp;buildings,<ref name="aac"/> including the high school, where 15&nbsp;people suffered injuries after auditorium roof collapsed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald/125656824/|title=36 Lives Lost is Storm Toll Over Florida|page=1|date=September 18, 1928|newspaper=Miami Herald|accessdate=May 31, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The hurricane rendered 56&nbsp;families homeless and caused approximately $1&nbsp;million in damage.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|8}} The Boynton town government faced financial struggles in the aftermath of the 1928 hurricane and during the [[Great Depression]], but received some assistance from the [[Florida Legislature]] and negotiated with bondholders for additional debt relief. Funds from the state also resulted in the resurfacing of [[U.S. Route 1 in Florida|Dixie Highway]],<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|38}} while [[Federal government of the United States|federal]] funds were used to construct a new bridge across the Intracoastal Waterwater in 1935.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|39}}

Boynton Beach grew very rapidly in the 1950s, with its population expanding from 2,542&nbsp;people in 1950 to 10,467&nbsp;people in 1960, a 311.8% increase. Significant construction projects during the decade included a new city hall at Boynton Beach Boulevard and Seacrest Boulevard in 1958 and Bethesda Memorial Hospital in 1959. The expansion of beachfront recreation facilities also occurred as the city purchased more coastal properties.<ref name="pop. history"/>
[[File:Boynton Beach Motorola plant.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Motorola]] [[Pager|paging]] plant (c. 1983)]]
During the 1960s, the city constructed a civic center in 1960, a public library in 1961, and a new water treatment plant in 1962. A second bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway opened in 1967 along 15th Avenue (Woolbright Road).<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|8}} The decade also marked beginning of the construction of [[Interstate 95]] through the city (completed in 1977),<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|42–43}} the westward expansion of [[Florida State Road 804|Boynton Beach Boulevard]] in 1962,<ref name="expansion"/> the southward extension of [[Congress Avenue (Florida)|Congress Avenue]] in 1966.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post/125971045/|author=Maki, Josi|title=Yesteryear|page=6|date=July 5, 1981|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|via=Newspapers.com|accessdate=June 6, 2023}}</ref> Additionally, residential projects such as the large Hampshire Gardens, Leisureville, and Sterling Village sprang up, causing further growth and economic development.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|42–43}} A few [[civil rights movement]] protests also occurred in Boynton Beach during the 1960s, including a [[sit-in]] at the Royal Castle Restaurant and the arrival of approximately 30&nbsp;African Americans at a whites-only section of the beach in 1962.<ref name="expansion"/>

Several developments also brought a substantial economic boost to Boynton Beach in the 1980s. First, [[Motorola]] opened a new paging plant in the city in 1983,<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|43}} although the complex closed in 2004, about 10&nbsp;years after its peak, when the facility employed approximately 3,500&nbsp;people.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post/125660664/|date=December 17, 2004|author=Pounds, Stephen|title=Motorola closes last Boynton building|page=1D|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|accessdate=May 31, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Next, the [[Boynton Beach Mall]] and Quantum Corporate Park opened in 1985 and 1988, respectively.<ref name="expansion">{{cite web|url=https://www.boynton-beach.org/library/boynton-beach-timeline-expansion|title=Boynton Beach Timeline &ndash; Expansion|publisher=City of Boynton Beach|accessdate=June 6, 2023}}</ref> Additionally, [[Tri-Rail]] began operating in 1989, opening [[Boynton Beach station|its station in Boynton Beach]] in December of that year.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-florida-sun-sentinel/125661262/|title=Boynton Beach Tri-Rail station opens|date=December 19, 1989|newspaper=[[Sun Sentinel]]|author=Wallace, Debra L.|page=3B|accessdate=May 31, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Each of these factors attracted more businesses to the area and generated rapid population increases in the city's western suburbs.<ref name="survey"/>{{rp|43}}

[[Hurricane Wilma]] struck Boynton Beach on October 24, 2005, causing widespread damage to homes and businesses. In 2006, the city government authorized the demolition of the historic Seaboard rail station, which had survived intact in private hands since passenger service to the station halted in 1971.<ref name="ss2" />

On March 8, 2022, Ty Penserga was elected mayor of Boynton Beach in Florida, making him the first openly gay mayor of the city as well as the first out [[LGBTQ]] Asian American mayor elected in Florida state history. A high school biology and chemistry teacher, Penserga was sworn into office by [[State Attorney]] [[Dave Aronberg]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Galassi |first1=Josh |title=Ty Penserga's historic mayoral win made Florida even gayer |url=https://www.queerty.com/ty-pensergas-historic-lgbtq-mayoral-win-proves-not-everything-florida-bad-20220519 |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=Queerty |date=19 May 2022}}</ref>