Editing West Palm Beach, Florida (section)

==History==
{{main|History of West Palm Beach, Florida}}
[[File:Thecalaboose.jpg|left|thumb|Old city hall and jail]]
[[File:WestPalmBeach1885.jpg|thumb|right|West Palm Beach in the 1880s]]
[[File:Skyline 1968.jpg|thumb|right|West Palm Beach in the 1960s]]
[[File:Downtownpanoramic2.jpg|thumb|right|West Palm Beach skyline in 2010]]
[[File:West Palm Beach Aerial November 2014 photo D Ramey Logan.jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view]]
[[File:West Palm Beach, Florida, US, skyline.jpg|thumb|right|Wide panorama of skyline]]
[[File:WestPalmBeachLakeWorth.jpg|thumb|Panoramic view of West Palm Beach, [[North Palm Beach]] and [[Lake Worth Beach, Florida|Lake Worth]], 1915]]

The beginning of the historic period in south Florida is marked by [[Juan Ponce de León]]'s first contact with native people in 1513. [[Europeans]] found a thriving native population, which they categorized into separate tribes: the [[Mayaimi]] in the Lake Okeechobee Basin and the [[Jaega]] and [[Ais people]] in the East Okeechobee area and on the east coast north of the [[Tequesta]]. When the Spanish arrived, there were around 20,000 Native Americans in south Florida. By 1763, by the time the English gained control of Florida, the native peoples had been all but wiped out through war, enslavement, or European diseases.<ref>[http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/native-americans Native Americans]. Pbchistoryonline.org. Retrieved on 2013-08-16.</ref>

Other native peoples from [[Alabama]] and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] moved into Florida in the early 18th century. They were of varied ancestry, but Europeans called them all Creeks. In Florida, they were known as the [[Seminole]] and [[Miccosukee]] Indians. The Seminoles clashed with American settlers over land and escaped slaves who found refuge among them. They resisted the government's efforts to move them to the [[Indian Territory]] west of the [[Mississippi River]]. Between 1818 and 1858, three wars were fought between Seminoles and the United States government. By 1858, very few Seminoles remained in Florida.<ref>[http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-seminole-war-in-palm-beach-county The Seminole War in Palm Beach County]. Pbchistoryonline.org. Retrieved 2013-08-16.</ref>

The area that became West Palm Beach was settled in the late 1870s and 1880s by a few hundred settlers who called the vicinity Lake Worth Country. These settlers were a diverse community from different parts of the United States and the rest of the world. They included founding families such as the Potters and the Lainharts, who later became leading members of the business community in the fledgling city. The first white settlers in Palm Beach County lived around Lake Worth, which was then an enclosed freshwater lake, named after Colonel [[William Jenkins Worth]], who fought in the Second Seminole War in Florida in 1842. Most settlers engaged in the growing of tropical fruits and vegetables for shipment to the north via Lake Worth and the Indian River. By 1890, the U.S. Census counted over 200 people settled along Lake Worth in the vicinity of what later became West Palm Beach. The area at this time also boasted a hotel, the "Cocoanut House", a church, and a post office. The city was platted by [[Henry Morrison Flagler|Henry Flagler]] as a community to house the servants working in the two grand [[hotel]]s on the neighboring island of [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]], across [[Lake Worth Lagoon|Lake Worth]] in 1893, coinciding with the arrival of the Florida East Coast railroad. Flagler paid two area settlers, Captain Porter and Louie Hillhouse, a combined sum of $45,000 for the original town's site, stretching from Clear Lake to Lake Worth.

On November 5, 1894, 78 people met at the "Calaboose" (the first jail and police station located at Clematis St. and Poinsettia, now Dixie Hwy.) and passed a motion to incorporate the Town of West Palm Beach in what was then Dade County (now [[Miami-Dade County]]).<ref name="cityofwpb.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofwpb.com/history/history.htm |title=Historic Gallery |publisher=The City of West Palm Beach |access-date=2010-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121014510/http://cityofwpb.com/history/history.htm |archive-date=November 21, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> This made West Palm Beach the first incorporated [[municipality]] in Dade County and in [[South Florida]]. The town council quickly addressed the building codes, and the tents and shanties were replaced by brick, brick veneer, and stone buildings. The city grew steadily during the 1890s and the first two decades of the 20th century; most residents were engaged in the tourist industry and related services or winter vegetable market and tropical fruit trade. In 1909, the Florida legislature formed Palm Beach County and West Palm Beach became its county seat. In 1916, a new neoclassical courthouse was opened. It has been painstakingly restored to its original condition and is now a local history museum.

The city grew rapidly in the 1920s as part of the [[Florida land boom of the 1920s|Florida land boom]]. The population of West Palm Beach quadrupled from 1920 to 1927, and all kinds of businesses and public services grew along with it. Many landmark structures and preserved neighborhoods were constructed during this period. Originally, Flagler intended his [[Florida East Coast Railway]] to have its [[Terminal station|terminus]] in West Palm, but after the area experienced a deep freeze, he chose to extend the railroad to Miami instead.

The land boom was already faltering when the city was devastated by the [[1928 Okeechobee hurricane]]. The Depression years of the 1930s were a quiet time for the area, which saw slight population growth and property values lower than during the 1920s. The city only recovered with the onset of World War II, which saw the construction of [[Palm Beach Air Force Base]], which brought thousands of military personnel to the city. The base was vital to the allied war effort, as it provided an excellent training facility and had unparalleled access to North Africa for a North American city. Also during World War II, German U-boats sank two dozen merchant ships and oil tankers off the coast of West Palm Beach. Nearby Palm Beach was under blackout conditions to minimize night visibility to German U-boats.<ref>[https://www.westpalmbeach.com/when-a-german-u-boat-attacked-palm-beach-county/ When German U-boats attacked Palm Beach County], westpalmbeach.com. Accessed June 22, 2023.</ref>

The 1950s saw another boom in population, partly due to the return of many soldiers and airmen who served nearby during the war. Also, the advent of [[air conditioning]] encouraged growth, as year-round living in a tropical climate became more acceptable to northerners. West Palm Beach became one of the nation's fastest-growing metropolitan areas during the 1950s; the city's borders spread west of Military Trail and south to Lake Clarke Shores. However, many city residents still lived in a narrow six-block wide strip from the south to north end. The neighborhoods were strictly segregated between White and African-American populations, a legacy that the city still struggles with today. The primary shopping district remained downtown, centered around Clematis Street.<ref name="CESAJ-PM(Cong)" />

In the 1960s, Palm Beach County's first enclosed shopping mall, the [[Palm Beach Mall]], and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a brief revival for the city, but in the 1970s and 1980s crime continued to be a serious issue and suburban sprawl continued to drain resources and business away from the old downtown area. By the early 1990s there were very high vacancy rates downtown, and serious levels of urban blight.<ref name=":0" />

Since the 1990s, developments such as [[CityPlace (West Palm Beach)|CityPlace]] and the preservation and renovation of 1920s architecture in the nightlife hub of Clematis Street have seen a downtown resurgence in the [[entertainment]] and shopping district. The city has also placed emphasis on neighborhood development and revitalization in historic districts such as Northwood, Flamingo Park, and El Cid. Some neighborhoods still struggle with blight, crime, and lowered property values caused by the Great Recession, which hit the region particularly hard. Since the recovery, multiple new developments have been completed. The Palm Beach Mall, located at the Interstate 95/Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard interchange became abandoned as downtown revitalized - the very mall that initiated the original abandonment of the downtown. The mall was redeveloped into the Palm Beach Fashion Outlets in February 2014. The [[West Palm Beach station (Brightline)|West Palm Beach station]] for [[Brightline]], a [[High-speed rail|high speed passenger rail]] service serving Miami, [[Fort Lauderdale]], and West Palm Beach, was opened in 2018.<ref name=":1" />

===Timeline===
{{hidden begin
|title = Timeline of West Palm Beach, Florida
|titlestyle = background:#F8F8FF;width:90%
}}
* 1893
** "Town [[plat]]ted on [[Lake Worth Lagoon|Lake Worth]]."{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
** [[Florida East Coast Railway]] begins operating.{{sfn|Federal Writers' Project|1939}}
* 1894
** West Palm Beach [[Local government in the United States|incorporated]].<ref>{{citation |url=https://localgov.fsu.edu/readings_papers/Boundaries%20of%20Government/Munincipal_Incorporations_in_Florida.pdf |year=2001 |title=Overview of Municipal Incorporations in Florida |author=[[Florida Legislature|Florida Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations]] |location=Tallahassee |series=LCIR Report |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428092419/https://localgov.fsu.edu/readings_papers/Boundaries%20of%20Government/Munincipal_Incorporations_in_Florida.pdf |archive-date=April 28, 2017 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
** John S. Earman becomes [[List of mayors of West Palm Beach, Florida|mayor]].
* 1896 – Fire.<ref name=PBCHO />
* 1900 – Population: 564.<ref name=census1905>{{citation |chapter=Population of Cities and Towns |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=rn0zAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA187 |title=Census of the State of Florida...1905 |year = 1906|publisher=Capital Pub. Co. |location=Tallahassee }}</ref>
* 1903 – "City of West Palm Beach" established.<ref name=Facts>{{cite web |url=http://wpb.org/About/History-and-Facts |title=About: History and Facts |publisher=City of West Palm Beach |access-date= April 20, 2017 }}</ref>
* 1905 – Population: 1,280.<ref name=census1905 />
* 1907 – Flagler Park established.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
* 1908 – ''[[Palm Beach Post]]'' newspaper begins publication.<ref name=LOC>{{cite web |url= http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?city=West+Palm+Beach&rows=50&state=Florida&page=1&sort=date |title=US Newspaper Directory |location=Washington DC |work=[[Chronicling America]] |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date= April 20, 2017 }}</ref>
* 1909 – West Palm Beach designated seat of newly created [[Palm Beach County, Florida|Palm Beach County]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/ |title=Florida: Individual County Chronologies |work=Atlas of Historical County Boundaries |author=Scholl Center for American History and Culture |publisher=[[Newberry Library]] |location=Chicago |access-date=April 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305011359/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/ |archive-date=March 5, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1912 – [[South Florida Fair|Palm Beach County Fair]] begins.
* 1916 – County courthouse constructed.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
* 1917 – Beaux Arts Theatre in business.<ref name=cinema>{{cite web |url= http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/united-states/florida/west-palm-beach?status=all |title=Movie Theaters in West Palm Beach, FL |work=CinemaTreasures.org |publisher= Cinema Treasures LLC |location=Los Angeles |access-date= April 20, 2017 }}</ref>
* 1919
** Office of city manager created.<ref name=PBCHO />
** City Hall built.<ref name=PBCHO />
* 1923 – Kettler Theatre in business.<ref name=cinema />
* 1924 – [[Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach|Public Library]] building opens.
* 1925 – [[Seaboard Air Line Railway]] begins operating;<ref name=PBCHO /> [[West Palm Beach station]] opens.
* 1926
** West Palm Beach Canal (to [[Lake Okeechobee]]) constructed.{{sfn|Federal Writers' Project|1939}}
** September: [[1926 Miami hurricane]] occurs.<ref name=PBCHO />
* 1928 – September: [[1928 Okeechobee hurricane]] occurs.<ref name=PBCHO />
* 1930 – Population: 26,610.
* 1933 – [[Palm Beach Junior College]] opens.<ref name=PBCHO />
* 1936
** [[Palm Beach International Airport|Morrison Field]] (airport) begins operating.<ref name=PBCHO>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/city-of-west-palm-beach |title= West Palm Beach |work=Palm Beach County History Online |publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County |access-date= April 20, 2017 }}</ref>
** WJNO [[List of radio stations in Florida|radio]] begins broadcasting.<ref name=Radio1964>{{citation |title=Yearbook of Radio and Television |oclc=7469377 |year=1964 |publisher= Radio Television Daily |location=New York |chapter= United States AM Stations: Florida |chapter-url= https://archive.org/stream/r00radi#page/180/mode/2up |via=Internet Archive }} {{free access}}</ref>
* 1937 – Historical Society of Palm Beach County founded.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hspbc.org/about-us/our-history/ |title=Our History |publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County |location=West Palm Beach |access-date= April 20, 2017 }}</ref>
* 1941 – [[Norton Museum of Art]] established.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
* 1942
** April 17: City gets "8.35 inches of rain in just two hours."<ref name=Weather>{{cite web|title= This Day in Weather History |url=http://www.weather.gov/abr/events#histarchive |publisher=[[National Weather Service]] |location=Aberdeen, South Dakota |access-date= April 20, 2017 }}</ref>
** U.S. military [[Palm Beach Air Force Base]] begins operating near West Palm Beach.<ref name=PBCHO />
* 1947 – WIRK [[List of radio stations in Florida|radio]] begins broadcasting.<ref name=Radio1964 />
* 1948
** [[Palm Beach International Airport]] active.
** WEAT [[List of radio stations in Florida|radio]] begins broadcasting.<ref name=Radio1964 />
* 1951 – Beach Drive-In cinema in business.<ref name=cinema />
* 1954 – [[WPTV]] ([[List of television stations in Florida|television]]) begins broadcasting.<ref name=Alicoate1960>{{citation |title=Radio Annual and Television Year Book |oclc=10512206 |year=1960 |editor=Charles A. Alicoate |publisher= Radio Daily Corp. |location=New York |chapter=Television Stations: Florida |chapter-url= https://archive.org/stream/radio00radi#page/794/mode/2up }} {{free access}}</ref>
* 1955 – WEAT-TV ([[List of television stations in Florida|television]]) begins broadcasting.<ref name=Alicoate1960 />
* 1961 – [[Cardinal Newman High School (West Palm Beach, Florida)|Cardinal Newman High School]] established.
* 1962 – [[West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium]] opens.
* 1964 – Palm Beach County Genealogical Society formed.<ref name=aaslh2002>{{cite book |title=Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada |year=2002 |edition=15th |isbn=0759100020 |author= American Association for State and Local History |chapter=Florida |publisher=Rowman Altamira |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LY0Q5Rv4O3YC }}</ref>
* 1967 – [[Palm Beach County Library System]] established.
* 1967 – Palm Beach Mall opens.
* 1967 – West Palm Beach Auditorium opens (capacity: 5,000).  It would later be sold in 1998 to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc (Jehovah's Witnesses) It was renovated and renamed the [[West Palm Beach Christian Convention Center]].
* 1968 – [[Palm Beach Atlantic College]] established.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
* 1977 – [[Cold wave of January 1977|Snow is reported]] on January&nbsp;19 at Palm Beach International Airport from 6:10&nbsp;a.m. to 8:00&nbsp;a.m.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.weather.gov/media/mfl/news/SnowArticleSouthFlorida40th.pdf|title=40th Anniversary of Snow in South Florida|page=2|publisher=[[National Weather Service Miami, Florida]]|date=January 2017}}</ref>
* 1979 – [[Cross County Mall (Florida)|Cross County Mall]] in business.
* 1980 – Population: 63,305.
* 1985 – [[Trump Plaza (West Palm Beach)|Plaza]] hi-rise built.
* 1991
** [[Yesteryear Village]] (museum) opens.<ref name=aaslh2002 />
** March&nbsp;12: [[West Palm Beach mayoral election, 1991#Strong mayor referendum|Strong mayor referendum]] succeeds.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9292122/the_palm_beach_post/|title='The people spoke': Strong mayor approved for West Palm Beach|author=Angela Bradbery|date=March 13, 1991|newspaper=[[The Palm Beach Post]]|page=1|access-date=March 3, 2017|location=West Palm Beach, Florida|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}</ref>
** November&nbsp;19: Nancy M. Graham [[West Palm Beach mayoral election, 1991|elected]] first strong mayor of West Palm Beach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9281354/the_palm_beach_post/|title=Graham wins mayor's race|author=Angela Bradbery|date=November 20, 1991|newspaper=[[The Palm Beach Post]]|page=1|access-date=March 2, 2017|location=West Palm Beach, Florida|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}</ref>
* 1994 – "County Judicial Complex" built.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
* 1997 – [[West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium]] closes.
* 1999 – [[Trump International Golf Club (West Palm Beach)|Trump International Golf Club]] in business.
* 2000
** May: [[Lake Worth Middle School shooting]] occurs.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
** October&nbsp;27: [[CityPlace (West Palm Beach)|CityPlace]] opens
** December 4: ''[[Bush v. Palm Beach County Canvassing Board]]'' lawsuit decided during the [[2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida]].
** City website online (approximate date).<ref>{{cite web |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000821081543/http://www.cityofwpb.com/ |url-status= dead |url= http://www.cityofwpb.com:80/ |archive-date= August 21, 2000 |title= City of West Palm Beach |via= Internet Archive, [[Wayback Machine]] |df= mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000824034458/http://officialcitysites.org/Florida/Cities/W/ |url= http://officialcitysites.org:80/Florida/Cities/W/ |url-status= dead |archive-date= August 24, 2000 |title= United States of America: Florida |work= Official City Sites |editor1= Kevin Hyde |editor2= Tamie Hyde |location= Utah |oclc= 40169021 |df= mdy-all }}</ref>
* 2010 – Population: 99,919.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/1276600 |title= West Palm Beach city, Florida |work=QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=April 20, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://edr.state.fl.us/Content/area-profiles/index.cfm |work=2010 Census Detailed City Profiles |author1=[[Florida Legislature|Florida Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research]] |author2=U.S. Census Bureau |year=2011 |title= City of West Palm Beach }}</ref>
* 2011 – [[Jeri Muoio]] becomes mayor.
* 2014 – [[Palm Beach Outlets]] opens on the former site of the Palm Beach Mall which closed in 2010.
* 2017 – Ballpark of the Palm Beaches opens (renamed [[FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches]] in 2018)
* 2017 – [[Lois Frankel]] becomes [[U.S. representative]] for [[Florida's 21st congressional district]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members |title=Members of Congress |work=[[GovTrack.us|GovTrack]] |author=Civic Impulse, LLC |location=Washington DC |access-date=April 20, 2017 }}</ref>
* 2024 – [[Donald Trump]], a former [[president of the United States]] and [[Presidential nominee|nominee]] of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] in the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]], survives an [[List of United States presidential assassination attempts and plots|assassination attempt]] while golfing at [[Trump International Golf Club (West Palm Beach, Florida)|Trump International Golf Club]] in West Palm Beach.<ref name="DOJ Detention Memo">{{Cite web |last=Lapointe |first=Markenzy |date=September 23, 2024 |title=Written Factual Proffer in Support of Pretrial Detention |url=https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/09/Ryan-Routh-DOJ-Detention-Memo-Manifesto.pdf |access-date=September 23, 2024 |website=[[Fox News]] |publisher=FOX Television Stations}}</ref>
{{hidden end}}