Flagler's stepbrother Stephen V. Harkness invested $100,000 (equivalent to $1.94million in 2021[6]) on the condition that Flagler be made a partner. This is somewhat my case. Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. After their wedding, the couple traveled to Saint Augustine. Unfortunately, the Key West Extension is viewed as a business failure having "never earned the expected revenue before the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 destroyed it" (Akin 223). . In a few years, it seems he embraced the life of a wealthy widower. A deal brokered by Henry Clay Frick exchanged Standard's iron interests for U.S. Steel stock and gave Rockefeller and his son membership on the company's board of directors. Captain of the submarine USS Watertown (SSN-696) who reluctantly helps Harm and Mac with investigations involving a boat he commanded. the Trust and Non-Profit Organization established by Flagler's grand-daughter Jean Flagler Matthews, to preserve Whitehall, has . [citation needed], One of the most effective attacks on Flagler and Rockefeller and their firm was the 1905 publication of The History of the Standard Oil Company, by Ida Tarbell, a leading muckraker. Commander John Flagler, USN. A Second Wife and a Second Career. Because he had a hard personal life and was a cutthroat business man. After a time, Flagler began to turn over some of his duties at Standard Oil to younger blood. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press & Crown Publishers, 2002. At the same time, he began to have an affair with Mary Lily Kenan; by 1899, newspapers began to openly question whether the two were having an affair. First A Little On Henry Flagler. He was a founder of Standard Oil. He is also known as a founder of the cities of Miami and Palm Beach, Florida. While in this state he met his good pastor, to whom, being soundly upbraided for his condition, he replied, 'I've been giving all my days to the Lord hitherto, and now I'm taking one for myself. [16] The railroad, seeing Standard's incursion into the transportation and pipeline fields, struck back and formed a subsidiary to buy and build oil refineries and pipelines. In fact, after completing the eighth grade, he decided to leave home and went to Ohio to find his fortune. However, Smith had fallen on some hard times and sold the hotel to Henry Flagler not long after it opened in 1888. Along with the Ponce de Leon Hotel complex (which included four buildings in total), Flagler was also spending money on the construction of several other projects, including an estate for himself and his second wife, Ida Alice Flagler. The Venetian Renaissance style of the church is reflected in the pointed arches and Byzantine dome. [14] Standard was growing horizontally and vertically. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway. Henry Flagler is a famous Entrepreneurwho has a net worth of $60 Million. Flager and his lawyers defeated all legal challenges and neither the company or its employees were ever convicted in court. Then, just a few months before the end of the Ponce de Leon Hotel's second season, Jennie Louise Flagler Benedict died from complications of childbirth. Henry Flagler was seventy-one, whilst his beaming bride was thirty-four. [21], Standard Oil gradually gained almost complete control of oil refining and marketing in the United States through horizontal integration. After a few short weeks, the family all moved back to New York, much to the detriment of Mary Harkness Flagler's health, which got progressively worse in the coming years. Besides its two refineries and a barrel plant in Cleveland, it possessed a fleet of tank cars and warehouses in the oil regions as well as warehouses and tanks in New York. For about fourteen or fifteen years, I have devoted my time exclusively to business, and now I am pleasing myself.'". In fact, this was a struggle that was occurring all over the country. Now, imagine two hundred-plus years have passed. His parents were very poor and struggled to feed their family. He was born in New York. [44], Although Flagler remained on the board of directors of Standard Oil, he gave up his day-to-day involvement in the corporation to pursue his interests in Florida. I was willing that they should combine and grow as big and wealthy as they could, but only by legitimate means. He was also a key figure in the development of the eastern coast of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean and was founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway. Smith would not sell, but he planted the seed of St. Augustine's and Florida's future in Flagler's mind. Along with cheques and stocks, Flagler also gifted his wife with a new estate in Palm Beach, Florida. [56][57], When the Department of Justice prosecuted four Flagler employment agents in 1908 for "conspiracy to hold workmen in peonage and slavery," the Flagler-owned The Florida Times-Union and other Florida newspapers depending on the Times-Union for material or owned by Flagler published articles to "influence juries and public opinion." Over the course of her marriage to Henry Flagler, Ida Alice Shourds is reported to have begun displaying unstable behavior she was rumored to have a temper, and her fondness for lavish parties and attention did not go unnoticed by Gilded Age Society. She is next to her mother and Flagler's first wife, Marjorie Mary Harkness Flagler. Asylum Hospital for crazy people. It seems that if too many limits had been placed on Henry Flagler's projects, St. Augustine would not be the city we know today. There is also a kitchen, equipped with a dishwasher, oven and microwave. That same year Flagler completed the Hotel Continental in Jacksonville. Rockefeller. She and her family were given expensive gifts by Henry Flagler in celebration. [2] Flagler's mother was Elizabeth Caldwell Harkness Flagler, Isaac's third wife and a widow who had a stepson, Stephen V. Harkness, and a son, Daniel M. Harkness, from her marriage to deceased widower David Harkness of Milan, Ohio. It had become the richest, biggest, most feared business in the world, seemingly immune to the boom and bust of the business cycle, consistently racking up profits year after year. Flagler engaged Thomas Hastings and Jean Carrere of the Carrere & Hastings architectural firm to design the hotel. Flagler's second wife, the former Ida Alice Shourds, was declared insane[50] by Flagler's friend Dr. Anderson in 1896 and was institutionalized on and off starting that year. Although not much is known about Ida Alice Flagler, many sources claim she became fond of opulent parties and leisurely pursuits that were available to the fabulously wealthy. For the first time, Flagler was able to experience the warm, sunny atmosphere of Florida. In 1885 he decided to build a luxury hotel there which would attract the country's elite. She lived the rest of her life in New York, under strict supervision by her guardians (who were chosen by Flagler, of course). VisitStAugustine.com. The rumor mill suspected that this change in priorities was due to Henry's association with one Ida Alice Shourds a red-haired, green-eyed actress who was rumored to have been Mary Harkness Flagler's nursemaid during her final years. After her husband died, Julia and her children returned to Ft. Dallas and purchased 640 acres on the north shore of the Miami River. In the springtime of 1870, Mary Harkness Flagler even became pregnant with the couple's third child (the aforementioned Henry "Harry" Flagler). An incident that is commonly cited as being 'the straw that broke the camel's back' occurred on one of the Flaglers' expensive yachts (of which the couple had many the Alicia was even named after Ida Alice). However, this kindly nickname does not do justice to the full story of Flagler, who was nearly fifty years old when he first set foot in Florida in 1878. [33], Upon his ascent to the presidency, Theodore Roosevelt initiated dozens of suits under the Sherman Antitrust Act and coaxed reforms out of Congress. While many tourists were satisfied with the charms of rural Florida, the appeal quickly wore off for the Flaglers, Henry specifically. 91 is preserved inside a Beaux Arts pavilion built to look like a 19th-century railway palace. Perhaps those years after the Civil War were what imbued Flagler with his infamously shrewd business practices. The Early Years of The Ponce de Leon: Clippings from an Old Scrap Book of those days. Graham, Thomas. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1986. He was a key figure in the development of the eastern coast of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean and was founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway.He is known as the father of Miami, Florida. It was reported that people along the railway line waited all night for the passing of the funeral train as it traveled from Palm Beach to St. "1892-A Year of Crucial Decisions in Florida", This page was last edited on 2 December 2022, at 15:49. Henry Flagler, who was considered the "brain" Rockefeller "Standard Oil," better known perhaps as the creator of the "American Riviera" in Florida (Standiford, pp. Henry Morrison Flagler (1830-1913) built this church to the glory of God as a memorial to his daughter, Jennie Louise Flagler Benedict, who passed away as a result of childbirth in 1889. "[63], Miami's main east-west street is named Flagler Street and is the main shopping street in Downtown Miami. "For the longest time, I could not imagine why Jean would save Whitehall," said Mr. Ponce. Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 - May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil. [27] In spite of the formation of the trust and its perceived immunity from all competition, by the 1880s Standard Oil had passed its peak of power over the world oil market. For the train, see, Alleged use of convict leasing and debt peonage, Martin, p. 56, quoting Edwin Lefevre, in "Flagler and Florida" from, Joe Knetsch, "The Peonage Controversy and the Florida East Coast Railway,", University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Madoff scandal stuns Palm Beach Jewish community", "292: Colonel Joseph D. Potts Leader in the Pennsylvania on LiveAuctioneers", "The Story of Convict Leasing in Florida", "Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes: Online Sunshine", "Slavery Revisited: Peonage in the South", "How slave labor built the state of Florida decades after the Civil War", "Abstracts of Reports of the Immigration Commission, Vol II", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henry_Flagler&oldid=1125174074, Jennie Louise (March 18, 1855 March 25, 1889), Knetsch, Joe. Henry Flagler, son of a Presbyterian minister, had Memorial Presbyterian Church built in memory of his daughter Jennie Louise Flagler Benedict and her newborn daughter Margery, both of whom died in 1889. Flagler gave them the honored center positions in the mausoleum. Reynolds, Charles B. The couple traveled to St. Augustine, Florida, which they . Flagler controlled a vast fortune, which he earned by buying out small oil refineries and creating a monopoly with Standard Oil. Despite her frail health, though, she was the only one of Henry Flagler's three wives to bear him any children. 101 - 123). "The Peonage Controversy and the Florida East Coast Railway,", Graham, Thomas. The visionary widow from Ohio bought hundreds of acres at what is now Downtown Miami, moved down on a barge, and eventually convinced railroad man Henry Flagler to extend his new railway to the Miami River by sending him an unusual package. Two years after his first wife died in 1881, he married again. Hello students! Mrs. Tarbell's father had been driven out of the oil business during the South Improvement Company affair. He even owned newspapers in Florida. 0:58. Within six years, Henry was earning enough money to purchase a showy Victorian house in Bellevue. Even more critical, the invention of the light bulb gradually began to erode the dominance of kerosene for illumination. After two years of institutionalization and much assessment by the courts, Ida Alice Shourds Flagler was legally ruled incurably insane in 1899. Henry Flagler didn't leave the sanitarium wanting, however, as Alice's estate (to which only her Flagler-hired guardians had direct access) was full of Standard Oil stocks. Several years later, in 1870, their only son, Henry Harkness Flagler, was born. Having had no prior experience in the salt industry, the Flagler & York company flopped and Henry lost around $100,000 ($100K in 1865 is nearly $2 million in 2022). Due to the harsh working and living conditions in the railway construction camps, many workers became victims of debt slavery. Flagler also met one Dr. Andrew Anderson, who would almost immediately become a lifelong partner and friend. Control of the Flagler fortune largely passed into the hands of Mary Lily Kenan's family of sisters and brother, who survived into the 1960s. Municipal, State, and Federal government officials questioned how many limits they should place on these "Captains of Industry." See more ideas about flagler, key west, florida. '"[42] Flagler served as an active part of Standard Oil until 1882, when he stepped back to take a secondary role at Standard Oil. The railroad was financially unable to rebuild the destroyed sections, so the roadbed and remaining bridges were sold to the State of Florida, which built the Overseas Highway to Key West, using much of the remaining railway infrastructure. By 1852, Henry had saved enough money to become the one-third-owner of the Harkness & Company alongside his half-brother Dan and Dan's uncle Lamon. For a time, Ida Alice and Henry Flagler both stayed and entertained guests within Kirkside, but trouble was on the horizon for Flagler and his second wife. One of Flagler's other St. Augustine Hotels, the Casa Monica, was originally built by Franklin W. Smith, who built the Villa Zorayda. Ida. Last Train to Paradise. However, many other officials were wary of Henry Flagler. Pennsylvania revoked the cartel's charter, and non-preferential rates were restored for the time being. Flagler renamed it the Hotel Cordova, after the street that it was on. He used convict leasing "a method undertaken by the Southern States to replace the economic setup of slavery"[47] to modernize the existing railroads, allowing them to accommodate heavier loads and more traffic.[48]. Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham was an American philanthropist and heiress who became notorious when she married one of the richest men of the Gilded Age. This is a major source for this Historical Person Profile highly recommended! Flagler and Rockefeller eventually prevailed and the railroad sold all its oil interests to Standard. Such incentive led to the development of Miami, which was an unincorporated area at the time. In a few years, it seems he embraced the life of a wealthy widower. Seven years later he became a senior salesman with a salary of $ 400 per year. At least, not yet. One day when very old he went on a drunken spree. [33] Ohio was especially vigorous in applying its state anti-trust laws, and finally forced a separation of Standard Oil of Ohio from the rest of the company in 1892, the first step in the dissolution of the trust. As we know, Flagler's business activity in Florida had earned him the attention of the public as well as state officials. [citation needed], By 1905, Flagler decided that his Florida East Coast Railway should be extended from Biscayne Bay to Key West, a point 128 miles (206km) past the end of the Florida peninsula. The Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler partnership was formed with Flagler in control of Harkness' interest. Layton, 33001, United States of America - Excellent location - show map. His half-sisters Mary Esther (16 y/o in 1830), Jane Augusta (14), and Caroline (3.5) were the daughters of his father's first two wives. Flagler also worked as a grain merchant. In 1885, Standard Oil moved its corporate headquarters to New York City to the iconic 26 Broadway location. Dr. Shelton had attended Flagler's daughter Jennie Benedict when she died from complications after childbirth in 1889. Flagler was eighteen years older than his 35-year-old bride. Standard Oil grew to become one of the largest shippers of oil and kerosene in the country. Henry started spending a great deal more time in Florida, soon claiming the state as his permanent residence. It is one of his most significant projects, because it was constructed as a memorial to Flagler's only daughter, Jenny. (To get a first-hand account of the journey from New York to St. Augustine, visit our page on Constance Fenimore Woolson's article "The Ancient City In Two Parts," which was published in Harper's New Monthly Magazine in 1874.). Henry had 3 siblings: Melacinda Flagler and 2 other siblings. Henry Morrison Flagler was born on January 2, 1830. It was that shrewd attitude that caught the eye of one John D. Rockefeller. He was 14 years old, and leaving the home of his parents in Hopewell, N.J., to . During the Gilded Age, this new class of robber barons like Flagler, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Vanderbilt were shaking up American society. During the early 1880s, Flagler outsourced the care of young Harry to his half-sister Carrie and daughter Jennie Louise. [citation needed], Although Standard Oil was a partnership, Flagler was credited as the brain behind the booming oil refining business. One of the grain brokers [60][61] At 3 p.m. on the day of the funeral, May 23, 1913, every engine on the Florida East Coast Railway stopped wherever it was for ten minutes as a tribute to Flagler. On the condition that Anderson get the city's streets paved, Henry Flagler agreed to buy a portion of that land. Henry is originated from United States. When asked by the president of Rollins College in Winter Park about his philanthropic efforts, Flagler reportedly replied, "I believe this state is the easiest place for many men to gain a living. Mary Lily outlived her first husband, Henry Flagler and inherited his huge fortune, married again three years later, and died under suspicious circumstances at aged fifty. However, Henry Flagler did not join his half-brother. He is known as the father of Miami, Florida, and founded the city of Palm Beach. As elated as the couple was to meet their first and only son, her condition made planning for Harry's future feel disturbingly somber. These certificates became traded by speculators, thus creating the first oil-futures market which effectively set spot market prices from then on. "How Slave Labor Built the State of Florida Decades After the Civil War." He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder of the Florida East Coast Railway. However, the boom did not last. The company expanded into the grain and distillery businesses, and the latter was sold after making considerable money. [8] By 1872, it led the American oil refining industry, producing 10,000 barrels per day (1,600m3/d). At the time, Key West was Florida's most populous city, with a population of 20,000, and it was also the United States' deep water port closest to the canal that the U.S. government proposed to build in Panama. Augustine. [39] According to Allan Nevins, in John D. 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