Henry Morrison Flagler was born on January 2, 1830 in Hopewell, New York. At last in 1911, the Supreme Court of the United States found Standard Oil Company of New Jersey in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Flagler was entombed in the Flagler family mausoleum at Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Augustine alongside his first wife, Mary Harkness; daughter, Jenny Louise; and granddaughter, Marjorie. By 1896, Flagler's railroad, the Florida East Coast Railway, reached Biscayne Bay. It was in the late 1850s that Flagler met John D. Rockefeller who was working for a Cleveland grain broker and traveled the hinterlands in search of business. In the kerosene industry, Standard Oil replaced the old distribution system with its own vertical system. 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. Along with cheques and stocks, Flagler also gifted his wife with a new estate in Palm Beach, Florida. She and her family were given expensive gifts by Henry Flagler in celebration. His project to connect the east coast of the United States from top to bottom was completed when the first Florida East Coast Railway car pulled into Key West in 1912. He was a founder of Standard Oil. The judge instructed the jury to find them not guilty because the "prosecution had failed to prove 'an agreement of minds with evil intent to conspire'. Only his son Harry Harkness Flagler survived of the three children by his first marriage in 1853 to Mary Harkness. As Henry's businesses prospered, they moved to New York City. The Bingham-Flagler marriage (and questions about her death or possible murder) figured prominently in several books that appeared in the 1980s, when the Bingham family sold the newspaper in the midst of great acrimony. Cleveland became very well known for oil refining, as, "More and more crude oil was shipped from the oil regions to Cleveland for the refining process because of transportation facilities and the aggressiveness of the refiners there. For many of the competitors, Flagler and Rockefeller had merely to show them the books so they could see what they were up against and make them a decent offer. After finishing the eighth grade at fourteen, Henry followed his half-brother Dan to Ohio. When Mary contracted tuberculosis, at her doctor's recommendation they traveled . I do not believe any one else would develop it if I do not, but I do hope to live long enough to prove I am a good business man by getting a dividend on my investment. IT HAD BEGUN 26 YEARS EARLIER, IN 1891, when Henry Morrison Flagler, the uncrowned "king" of Florida, who had made a vast fortune as a founding partner of Standard Oil of Ohio, met Mary Lily Kenan . He was twenty-three and she was twenty and they were married in her father's home. [10] That year he reportedly gave her more than $1 million in jewelry. He was 83 years old. Henry M. Flagler, in full Henry Morrison Flagler, (born January 2, 1830, Hopewell, New York, U.S.died May 20, 1913, West Palm Beach, Florida), American financier and partner of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., in establishing the Standard Oil Company. Featuring air conditioning, The Henry Flagler offers accommodations in Layton. 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). Standard Oil had gained an aura of invincibility, always prevailing against competitors, critics, and political enemies. Ida. [39] According to Allan Nevins, in John D. Rockefeller (p 292), "Standard Oil was born as a big enterprise, it had cut its teeth as a partnership and was now ready to plunge forward into a period of greater expansion and development. Flagler believed that he had learned a valuable lesson: invest in a business only after thorough investigation. [18][19] Standard countered and held back its shipments and, with the help of other railroads, started a price war that dramatically reduced freight payments and caused labor unrest as well. Last (and perhaps most importantly), the truth is a hard thing to garner when it comes to what happened in the past even harder than it is today. Keys, L. (2015) Hotel Ponce de Leon: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Flagler's Gilded Age Palace. To further convince Flagler to continue the railroad to Miami, he was offered land in exchange for laying rail tracks from private landowners, the Florida East Coast Canal and Transportation Company, and the Boston and Florida Atlantic Coast Land Company. PROLOGUE: In 1844, Henry Flagler dropped out of school. Ida Alice Shourds became Ida Alice Shourds Flagler in June of 1883 and moved into the Flagler family home the day after their wedding. Visually exquisite, the Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church was built by Henry Flagler in 1889. . Their only son was born in 1870. In general, government officials (especially Andrew Anderson) permitted Flagler to widen the roads and to dredge marshes to establish neighborhoods. Seven years later he became a senior salesman with a salary of $ 400 per year. In 1869, Henry Flagler began buying out small oil refineries on behalf of John D. Rockefeller, who had it in his mind to monopolize the oil industry in Ohio. Though Flagler and Rockefeller had long maintained a policy of active silence with the press, they decided to make themselves more accessible and responded with conciliatory comments such as "capital and labor are both wild forces which require intelligent legislation to hold them in restriction. It developed over 300 oil-based products from tar to paint to Vaseline petroleum jelly to chewing gum. All this is to say that the winter and spring of 1885 were life-changing for Henry Flagler and his circle. Pratt's son, Charles Millard Pratt, became Secretary of Standard Oil. In February of 1885, the couple took a delayed honeymoon to St. Augustine Ida Alice was thirty-seven and Henry Flagler was fifty-five. [citation needed], By the end of the American Civil War, Cleveland was one of the five main refining centers in the U.S. (besides Pittsburgh, New York City, Philadelphia, and the region in northwestern Pennsylvania where most of the oil originated). It was a small town of roughly 1,000 individuals, but familial connections led to a job at a general store. Franklin W. Smith had just finished building Villa Zorayda and Flagler offered to buy it for his honeymoon. [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. [25] The "trust" was a corporation of corporations, and the entity's size and wealth drew much attention. Flagler and Rockefeller then decided to issue certificates against oil stored in Standard Oil's pipelines. During the early 1880s, Flagler outsourced the care of young Harry to his half-sister Carrie and daughter Jennie Louise. At the age of 14, after completing the eighth grade, Flagler moved to Bellevue, Ohio where he found work with his cousins in the grain store of L.G. Henry had 3 siblings: Melacinda Flagler and 2 other siblings. Melbert Cary died in 1941, and after his death Mary continued to divide her. In 1885 he decided to build a luxury hotel there which would attract the country's elite. Flagler also met one Dr. Andrew Anderson, who would almost immediately become a lifelong partner and friend. St. Augustine, FL: Saint Augustine Historical Society, 1978. He is known as the father of Miami, Florida and also founded Palm Beach, Florida. The family being of moderate means, Henry struck out from New York to Republic, Ohio in 1844. 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. One stormy night, Alice is said to have nearly caused a shipwreck by not allowing the captain to return to port for several hours, despite experiencing gale-force winds and seasick friends. My 4th great-grandmother, Elizabeth Howes, married (1) William Jones (my ancestor) and (2nd) Colonel Henry Ostrom, of Pleasant Valley & Patterson, Dutchess County, NY. [7] The partnership eventually grew into the Standard Oil Corporation. In less than four months in 1872, in what was later known as "The Cleveland Conquest" or "The Cleveland Massacre", Standard Oil had absorbed 22 of its 26 Cleveland competitors. Chandler, David Leon. Flagler commissioned the architects and builders of his other St. Augustine buildings to create the Venetian Renaissance Revival style . Flagler County, Florida, Flagler Beach, Florida and Flagler, Colorado are also named for him. His attention was consumed by the business of his hotel chains and expanding railroad empire. After two years of institutionalization and much assessment by the courts, Ida Alice Shourds Flagler was legally ruled incurably insane in 1899. He even owned newspapers in Florida. 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. A Second Wife and a Second Career. Standard Oil also had the highest capitalization, totaling $26,000,000 (equivalent to $784million in 2021). Flagler found the city charming, but the hotel facilities and transportation systems inadequate. [citation needed], The Overseas Railroad, also known as the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway, was heavily damaged and partially destroyed in the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. [26] Its share of world oil refining topped out above 90% but slowly dropped to about 80% for the rest of the century. [28], Even though 85% of world crude production was still coming from Pennsylvania wells in the 1880s, overseas drilling in Russia and Asia began to reach the world market. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder of the Florida East Coast Railway, much of which he built through convict leasing. Ralph, Julian. But in the aftermath of that battle, in 1879 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania indicted Flagler and Rockefeller on charges of monopolizing the oil trade, starting an avalanche of similar court proceedings in other states and making a national issue of Standard Oil's business practices. As our little daughter is only 8 month old we wanted to provide her a sheltered place to sit in in the 25 degrees and we wanted to visit the house while we swap over looking after her as . He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder of the Florida East Coast Railway. After construction for the Ponce de Leon and the Alcazar were underway in St. Augustine, Flagler's railroad properties started to expand southwards. 0:00. You see, during the Gilded Age [and for far too long after it], women could be sent to a mental institution for just about anything. His grandson Solomon changed the spelling of the surname to Flagler and passed it on to his 11 children. . [citation needed], Flagler's third wife, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham was born in North Carolina. In fact, the exterior bares a memorial script to his daughter who perished giving birth to his . This is a major source for this Historical Person Profile highly recommended! Generally, we are not often able to share specifics about the man himself. Only his son Harry survived of the three children by his first marriage in 1853 to Mary Harkness. Zacharra worked in England for several years before moving to Dutchess County, New York, in 1710. Perhaps because of the economic success that Flagler's industries had delivered to the state or perhaps because of direct funding being delivered to individual senators, Flagler was able to convince the legislature to pass a little bill for him in April of 1901. First A Little On Henry Flagler. After her husband died, Julia and her children returned to Ft. Dallas and purchased 640 acres on the north shore of the Miami River. Indeed, there was a legal loophole provided to affluent Americans they were allowed to pay $300 to the government and hire a substitute to serve in their place. Henry married Nancy Flagler in month 1861, at age 25 at marriage place, Michigan. 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. He was 14 years old, and leaving the home of his parents in Hopewell, N.J., to . St. Augustine, FL: The St. Augustine Historical Society. Soon after, though, Mary and Harry followed. Flagler's son dropped out of school and failed to follow his father into business, causing a lifelong rift between the two men. 91 is preserved inside a Beaux Arts pavilion built to look like a 19th-century railway palace. "[38] Flagler and Rockefeller worked hard for their company to achieve such prominence. Mary Harkness Flagler was the sweet, unpretentious first wife of Henry. It kept oil prices low to stave off competitors, made its products affordable to the average household, and, to increase market penetration, sometimes sold below cost if necessary. At least, not yet. McGuire & McDonald were in charge of construction. Equivalent to a 15% discount, they put Standard Oil in position to significantly undercut other oil refineries. Despite (or perhaps because of) the tragic death of the mother of his children, Henry Flagler poured himself into the business of Standard Oil. Her great-nephew Lawrence Louis Junior utilized some of those funds in founding Flagler College, where Henry Flagler's legacy lives on to this day. Birth Name: Henry Flagler Occupation: Entrepreneur Place Of Birth: NY Date Of Birth: January 2, 1830 Date Of Death: May 20, 1913 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: Unknown Nationality: American Henry Flagler was born on the 2nd of January, 1830. And even Thomas Edison had his hand in this project, having been responsible for wiring the entirety of the Hotel Ponce de Leon with electricity. She was the daughter of Lamon G. Harkness and Julia Follet. Nine trustees, including Rockefeller, ran the 41 companies in the trust. Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean (Paperback) by. For the first time, Flagler was able to experience the warm, sunny atmosphere of Florida. These certificates became traded by speculators, thus creating the first oil-futures market which effectively set spot market prices from then on. (Context from a 21st-century author: This story takes place nearly two generations before women were granted the right to vote a time when we were generally valued for being subservient, delicate, and fertile. Many people were curious about Henry Flagler's decision to launch a new business venture during his twilight years. 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. Rockefeller admitted later, "We realized that public sentiment would be against us if we actually refined all the oil. To add to the sting, Henry 'Harry' Flagler was generally known as Harry Harkness, showing more deference for his mother than his father. whereas said Henry M. Flagler has recently lost by death a beloved daughter and in affectionate remembrance of her has been desirous of erecting some worthy monument to her Memory and believing that nothing should be more accordant with her known wishes and the tenor of her life on earth than that such Memorial should be a temple devoted to the worship of God and the teaching of that living faith in which she lived and died has erected in the City of St. Augustine a church edifice in loving . Harry, her son, was eleven years old. 3 episodes. Harry and Annie's daughter Jean Louise Flagler made Palm Beach a large part of her life. Carrie died at the age of 3. [41] The history of American oil refining begins with Flagler and Rockefeller, as they built the biggest, most prosperous and monopolizing oil empire of their time: Standard Oil. He became president of the Symphony Society of New York in 1914 . Pennzoil and Chevron have remained separate companies. Henry Flagler is a famous Entrepreneurwho has a net worth of $60 Million. Mendez, Jesus. Municipal, State, and Federal government officials questioned how many limits they should place on these "Captains of Industry." "I never had an animus against their size and wealth, never objected to their corporate form. She left the millions she inherited to members of her family and to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. According to historian David Leon Chandler, Henry Flagler is believed to either have bought a deferment in 1862 or provided the government supplies instead of service. Flagler was in a special position to make those deals due to his connections as a grain merchant. Flagler encouraged fruit farming and settlement along his railway line and made many gifts to build hospitals, churches and schools in Florida. In 1868, at age 37, Flagler joined with John Rockefeller and Samuel Andrews to form the Rockefeller, Andrews and Flagler Oil Refinery. 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. She had two sons from her previous marriage. It added its own pipelines, tank cars, and home delivery network. Her husband, Henry Morrison Flagler, was fifty-one years old. He also used labor agencies to bring around 4,000 new immigrants to Florida who contracted to work until their transportation costs had been paid off. Nothing major just language that "[made] incurable insanity a ground for divorce.". He found that salt mining required more technical knowledge than he had and struggled in the industry during the Civil War. Thus began an era of Flagler's life that he never spoke about to the press one of scrimping and scraping. 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. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder of the Florida East Coast Railway. See more ideas about flagler, key west, florida. "[24] To the critics Flagler and Rockefeller replied, "In a business so large as ours some things are likely to be done which we cannot approve. 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