Editing Greenacres, Florida (section)

==History==
In 1909, Frederick E. Bryant—a British agriculturalist—Harold J. Bryant, and William Greenwood of the Palm Beach Farms Company in [[Colorado]], bought thousands of acres of land in the [[Everglades]] and later along the coast of [[Lake Worth Lagoon|Lake Worth]] in 1910. The men sold the land to buyers throughout the United States and Canada, offering {{convert|5|acres}} plots for $250, with a $10 down payment and a $10 per month charge, which also included a {{convert|25|by|25|ft|m|abbr=on}} parcel on the shore of Lake Worth. However, difficulties involved with farming in the Everglades forced 308&nbsp;buyers to settle at their properties along Lake Worth, an area that would later become the city of [[Lake Worth Beach, Florida|Lake Worth Beach]]. Until the [[Florida land boom of the 1920s|land boom of the 1920s]], these lots were effectively abandoned. Around that time, Lawrence Carter "L. C." Swain of [[Massachusetts]] acquired {{convert|320|acres}} of land, with the intention of creating a community for the working class. He initially platted approximately half of the land in 1923, with a plat just west of [[Military Trail (Florida)|Military Trail]] becoming the original section of the city. By 1925, Swain began selling lots for $225.<ref name="hspbc">{{cite web | url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/greenacres | title=Greenacres | publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County | access-date=October 17, 2023 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404154409/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/greenacres | archivedate=April 4, 2023}}</ref>

The town was originally incorporated as Greenacres City on May 24, 1926.<ref name="hspbc"/> The name Greenacres was the winning entry in a local naming contest.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35912566/the_palm_beach_post/ | title=A Town By Any Other Name |newspaper=The Palm Beach Post | date=September 16, 1987 | access-date=September 13, 2019| author=Eliot Kleinberg| page=D1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Upon incorporating, the town had an estimated 1,250&nbsp;residents.<ref name="hspbc"/> Swain also became honorary mayor, before the first officials were elected, which included J. H.  Southard as mayor, G. W. Simpson as clerk, A. P. Lane as marshal, and S. R. Allen, A. E. Fernell, Robert Hansen, C. Martin, I. E. Shivers, and F. L. Woods as aldermen. Additionally, G. W. Fleenor of Lake Worth became acting attorney.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.boyntonlibrary.org/jsp/RcWebImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=de29bdcb-c0d8-44da-aa34-4213f7cd747c/boyntonb/20180612/00000084|title=Greenacres is State's Newest Municipality|date=June 2, 1926|newspaper=The Lake Worth Herald|page=1|accessdate=November 27, 2021}}</ref> In September of that year, [[1926 Miami hurricane|a hurricane]] destroyed the civic building and community hall, but did not cause much other significant damage.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.boyntonlibrary.org/jsp/RcWebImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=de29bdcb-c0d8-44da-aa34-4213f7cd747c/boyntonb/20180612/00000102|title=Greenacres Suffers Little From Storm|date=September 22, 1926|newspaper=The Lake Worth Herald|page=1|accessdate=November 27, 2021}}</ref> Two years later, Greenacres City was devastated by the [[1928 Okeechobee hurricane]],<ref name="hspbc"/> which damaged "practically every building" substantially, according to ''The Lake Worth Herald''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.boyntonlibrary.org/jsp/RcWebImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=de29bdcb-c0d8-44da-aa34-4213f7cd747c/boyntonb/20180612/00000206|date=September 21, 1928|title=Surrounding Towns Hard Hit by Storm|newspaper=The Lake Worth Herald|page=1|accessdate=November 27, 2021}}</ref>

Swain died in 1944; Swain Boulevard and L. C. Swain Middle School are named in his honor. In 1945, about 125&nbsp;residents petitioned for the [[Florida Legislature]] to abolish Greenacres City as a municipality.<ref name="hspbc"/> The legislature passed a bill to dis-incorporate Greenacres City in April of that year, which became a law on April 24, 1945, without the signature of Governor [[Millard Caldwell]]. Then-Mayor Charles A. Grabowski actively fought the new law, as no referendum to forfeit the town's charter had been held.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24327638/the_palm_beach_post/|title=Greenacres Act Becomes Valid|date=April 26, 1945|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|page=12|access-date=October 7, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> Additionally, Grabowski accused a resident of starting the dissolution movement out of spite after being denied a homestead exemption and claimed that many of the signatories did not actually own property in Greenacres City. Grabowski also asserted that the pleas of city officials and a large number of residents in favor of remaining a town were ignored.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24328251/the_palm_beach_post/|title=Mayor Charges "Spite" Behind Move To Abolish Greenacres|date=April 22, 1945|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|page=20|access-date=October 7, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> On December&nbsp;4, 1945, a meeting was held to reincorporate Greenacres City. A total of 86 out of 120&nbsp;registered voters turned out, more than the two-thirds of voters quorum required. The 86&nbsp;voters unanimously decided to reincorporate.<ref name=reincorporation>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24820277/the_palm_beach_post/|title=Greenacres Voters Okay Incorporation|date=December 5, 1945|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|page=1|access-date=October 25, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> The area's rights as a city were restored, while Greenacres City was officially reincorporated in 1947. Over the subsequent decades, Greenacres City eventually expanded to {{convert|6|sqmi|abbr=on}} through annexation.<ref name="hspbc"/>

In the 1960s, a city hall complex was constructed at the intersection of Perry Avenue and Fourth Street, while a community center was built nearby. The city hall complex originally included a public library and all other city departments, except for the fire and public works departments. By the 1970s, full-time police and fire departments were established. In response to concerns about future growth, residents approved a bond referendum in 1984 to fund construction of a new city hall, a public safety complex, and recreational facilities.<ref name="ghe">{{cite web|url=https://greenacresfl.gov/community/page/greenacres-historical-events|title=Greenacres Historical Events|publisher=City of Greenacres|access-date=November 2, 2018}}</ref> On November 6, 1990, about 60% of voters chose to drop the word "city" from the official name, thus renaming the municipality ''Greenacres''.<ref name="NoMoreCity">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24820622/the_palm_beach_post/|title=Mayor sees city reborn as 'City' tag dropped|date=November 7, 1990|author=Sonja Isger|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|page=42|access-date=October 25, 2018|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> After the [[1990 United States census|1990 census]] indicated a population of 18,638, city council authorized a special census in 1993, which added more than 3,000&nbsp;additional residents to the official population count, making Greenacres eligible for funds from the state government of Florida.<ref name="ghe"/> To commemorate the city's 80th anniversary, the Greenacres Historical Society was formed in 2006, with a museum established two years later.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/article/20110817/NEWS/812026493|date=August 17, 2011|author=Willie Howard|title=Greenacres Historical Society to get larger 'home'|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|access-date=July 29, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729060304/https://www.palmbeachpost.com/article/20110817/NEWS/812026493|archivedate=July 29, 2021}}</ref> In July 2007, construction was completed on a new city hall and public works facility on Melaleuca Lane.<ref name="ghe"/>