By Betty Little, Killington Arts Guild
posted
May 9, 2012
Courtesy of Patsy Zedar
Flagler Centennial Mural painted by the Art Guild of the Purple
Isles and the Island Christian School Art Club
2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Overseas
Railroad to Key West, an extension of the Florida East Coast
Railroad. Henry Flagler and John Rockefeller made their money
developing the Standard Oil Company. Flagler later turned to
building Florida hotels and railways. His dream was to build a
railroad through the wilderness of sandy islands and mangrove
thickets from the tip of Florida's mainland to Key West with
steamer service to Cuba. This task took eight years to complete
because of difficulties in building bridges up to seven miles long,
recovering from damaging hurricanes, and supporting a workforce on
location. It operated until it was destroyed by one of the worst
storms in U.S. history, the 1935 hurricane.
Patsy Zedar - photographer, Betty Little - writer (both Killington
Arts Guild Members), and Martha F. McMullen - author (member
Writers Circle, Kravis Center, West Palm Beach, FL), joined the
celebration by visiting historic sites through the Keys. Highlights
included: sunset at Bahia Honda Bridge where the railroad was built
over 35 ft deep water and saw remains of the railroad bridge with
the automobile road built on top after 1935.
McMullen and Zedar traveled this road in 1974; the monument for
over 500 workmen, WWI veterans and residents who died in the 1935
hurricane; and a wall mural of the steam train traveling the
Overseas Railroad painted by the Arts Guild of the Purple Isles and
the Island Christian School Art Club to celebrate the
Centennial.
Photo by Patsy Zedar
Remains of the Bahai Honda Bridge
In the Keys we found many worlds. Traveling along U.S. Highway
1, it often looked like Route 7 South in Rutland, only with Tiki
Bars and fish restaurants and an occasional Dolphin, Turtle, or
nature attraction. Off the road, a series of State Parks brought us
closer to nature - a strip of white sand and brown seaweed, groups
of birds, dense trees and mangroves through which trails and roads
have been cut, picnic tables, camping sites, and boating
facilities.
From U.S. 1 we could see trailer parks that accommodate boats,
boatyards with stacks of stored boats - all closed down for the
hurricane season. People come from all over to be a part of this
water world.
To commemorate the event authors wrote the centennial books, "Last
Train to Paradise" by Les Standiford and Anniversary edition "The
Railroad that Died at Sea" by Pat Parks.
Tagged:
KAG, Patsy Zedar
