Boynton Beach, located on South Florida's Atlantic coast, is known as the "Gateway to the Gulf Stream." Ernest Hemingway once called these great ocean currents the last wild country left. Fishermen who study navigational charts understand that Boynton Beach is unique as the closest community to the Gulf Stream. Just minutes from the Boynton Inlet, water reaches a depth of 800 feet. Maj. Nathan Boynton came to the area in 1894, built a hotel, and envisioned a prosperous future for the idyllic village. Today Boynton Beach celebrates its diverse population, ideal location, and a rich and fascinating history that includes Henry Flagler's railroad, land booms, hurricanes, shipwrecks, and steadfast farmers.
Author M. Randall Gill is a graduate of the University of Maryland and Princeton Theological Seminary and now serves as a Presbyterian minister. This volume was authored in conjunction with the Boynton Beach City Library with research assistance from Janet DeVries, library associate and archivist. Since the early 1900s, the library has been dedicated to preserving Boynton's heritage. Photographs capturing the spirit of Boynton Beach were gathered from the Boynton Beach City Library, the Boynton Cultural Centre, the Boynton Beach Historical Society, and personal collections. The authors' proceeds benefit the Schoolhouse Children's Museum to encourage children and families to learn about the history of our area.