Lake Worth Florida

Cities of Florida USA - Lake Worth

Lake Worth Florida - The city which proclaims itself to be "where the tropics begin", Lake Worth is situated in Palm Beach County, Florida USA. The city took on the name of the lake which was itself named after General William J. Worth, a famous US General during the war against the Seminole Indians (The Florida War - 1835-1842). Lake Worth which is located about 60 miles north of Miami has a population of around 36,000.

The history of Lake Worth Florida goes back to around the turn of the 20th Century, at which time it was known as 'Jewel', possibly taking its name from a post office and dry goods store which was opened in the area. When the railway line from West Palm Beach to Miami was opened, a proposed development area with the name Lucerne was later changed to Lake Worth (as a Lucerne already existed) and the city was officially founded in 1812. The fledgling city however had to deal with an early setback when the town flooded in its first year (1812).

The early settlers in Lake Worth were mostly farmers, who settled there to take advantage of the warm climate and all year round crops. Legend tells that the first Town Marshall one J.O. King used a stopwatch to time vehicles in the city to ensure that they did not exceed the 8 mph speed limit! The first school opened in 1912 on 'M' Street and a lady by the name of Amanda Snyder was said to be the first recorded teacher there. The next few years saw the completion of a wooden bridge over Lake Worth and the towering Gulfstream Hotel which remains to this day.

Another tragedy struck Lake Worth in 1928, this time in the shape of a hurricane, which struck the city violently and destroyed the wooden bridge along with a beachside casino and a number of other buildings. The city suffered a serious decline after this tragedy and of course the Great depression followed which led to more serious consequences. The situation for Lake Worth did not improve significantly until after the Second World War, when new developments started to spring up.

In the last few decades the city of Lake Worth Florida has grown at a considerable rate, swept on by a development boom in the whole of South Florida, and the present day city has a pleasant mix of developed area and open public spaces which can be enjoyed by the whole community. The municiple golf course is a popular spot as is the John Prince Park, which takes in the banks of Lake Osborne and provides a splendid location for hiking, biking, and camping.

Nearby resorts to visit whilst in Lake Worth include Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach and of course Miami.

Florida Links: Boynton Beach - Boca Raton

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