Florida--History

This study argues that settler women-in the all-inclusive sense of the word rather than just white, middle-and-upper class women-were crucial in founding and stabilizing Southeastern Florida communities. Historians have focused almost exclusively on men in studying this area's development and settlement. Henry Flagler, the railroad and hotel tycoon, for example, is given much credit for his role in bringing settlers to Palm Beach and building a home there for himself. Small towns use similar narratives. The reality was that diverse populations of women were critical for Southeastern Florida's growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This study thus seeks to recover the diverse actions, narratives, organizations, and systems of early Southeastern Florida and the roles women played to create, stabilize, and later maintain these aspects. This study will also discuss how these women subverted-whether subtly or overtly-factors of gender, race, and class to build unique and diverse communities in Southeastern Florida.

With illustrations. Second Edition. Printed for the author. To all the Florida settlers and those who wish it a Bright and Prosperous future, this volume is respectfully dedicated.

This thesis examines the roles and contributions of women
who pioneered Southeast Florida in the late nineteenth
century. The area researched is nineteenth century Dade
County which extended from the St. Lucie River south to
Indian Key. Dade County women and women's groups were
instrumental in transforming the wilderness settlements
into communities through the establishment of comfortable
homes, public schools, churches, libraries, and community
service organizations. Of particular importance, the
thesis studies the change in lifestyles as women adapted to
the new subtropical environment. Also examined are the
three centers of pioneer population (Lake Worth, Biscayne
Bay, and Fort Lauderdale) and the individual women who
contributed to these settlements.