Flagler suffered additional family tragedies when his oldest daughter died from complications of childbirth in 1899. Pennzoil and Chevron have remained separate companies. Mary Lily Kenan Flagler inherited the majority of Henry Flagler's fortune but was unlucky enough to die of an apparent heart attack, only five years after Flagler's death. 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. His wife, Mary Harkness, had never been of robust health; she had borne three children. [34] Although her work prompted a huge backlash against the company, Tarbell claims to have been surprised at its magnitude. This is a major source for this Historical Person Profile highly recommended! Today, when you ask someone if they know about Henry Flagler, they are likely to answer with a shake of their head and a shrug. An immense engineering effort was required to cut through the wilderness and marsh from St. Augustine to Palm Beach. 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. He was instrumental in stopping an Al-Qaeda attack on the USS Seahawk battlegroup (which the Watertown was a part of). HENRY FLAGLER "Father of Florida" American Industrialist Early Days was born on January 2, 1830 in Hopewell, New York, raised in a. The current sanctuary building that is seen today was built in the late 1880s and early 1890s by gracious donations from Henry Morrison Flagler. Henry explained: "We worked night and day, making good oil as cheaply as possible and selling it for all we could get. A large portion of his estate was designated for a "niece" who was said actually to be a child born out of wedlock. He was 14 years old, and leaving the home of his parents in Hopewell, N.J., to . 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. 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. "[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. Henry Morrison Flagler was born on January 2, 1830 in Hopewell, New York. However, the boom did not last. 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. The family moved as was necessary for Isaac's job, having lived in Virginia and Ohio during Henry's childhood. He would describe his childhood often as having been 'hungry and cold'. 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. Flagler found the city charming, but the hotel facilities and transportation systems inadequate. [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." Flagler County, Florida, Flagler Beach, Florida and Flagler, Colorado are also named for him. "[59], In March 1913, Flagler fell down a flight of marble stairs at Whitehall. [43], When Flagler's first wife Mary (ne Harkness) fell sick, his physician recommended they travel to Jacksonville for the winter to escape the brutal conditions of the North. In 1868, at age 37, Flagler joined with John Rockefeller and Samuel Andrews to form the Rockefeller, Andrews and Flagler Oil Refinery. At age 23, Flagler married the daughter of the owner, Mary Harkness (Wright . He was born on January 2, 1830 and his birthplace is Hopewell, NY. Rockefeller. But they had never played fair, and that ruined their greatness for me." 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. She is next to her mother and Flagler's first wife, Marjorie Mary Harkness Flagler. Congress concluded that newspapers in Florida and across the South spread the deceitful news against Flagler. The National Petroleum Exchange opened in Manhattan in late 1882 to facilitate the oil futures trading. Henry Flagler: The Astonishing Life and Times of the Visionary Robber Baron Who Founded Florida. Mary and Henry's first child was Jennie Louise (born March 1855), then Carrie (born June 1858 and named after Henry Flagler's older half-sister, Caroline), then finally, Harry Flagler (born December 1870). Standiford, Les. The grand marble building was named by the final Mrs. Flagler herself: "Whitehall." Asylum Hospital for crazy people. Hotel Ponce de Leon: The Architecture & Decoration. Henry Flalger entombed on the right Jennie Louise is currently entombed inside of the church with her infant daughter, Majorie, in her arms. It was due largely to the efforts of Henry M. Flagler and John D. When Mary contracted tuberculosis, at her doctor's recommendation they traveled . The church was dedicated in March 1890. The Alcazar is today the Lightner Museum, next to the Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine that Flagler bought from Franklin W. Smith. According to Florida historian Thomas Graham in his book The Awakening of St. Augustine, an acquaintance of the businessman once inquired about whether his judgment was sound when he decided to invest in Florida (one can imagine that they may not have been acquaintances for very long afterward). VisitStAugustine.com. "1892-A Year of Crucial Decisions in Florida", This page was last edited on 2 December 2022, at 15:49. Flagler and Rockefeller eventually prevailed and the railroad sold all its oil interests to Standard. Henry Flagler was born on January 2, 1830, in the little village of Hopewell, in upstate New York, to Elizabeth and Isaac Flagler. 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. However, many other officials were wary of Henry Flagler. She was the mother of his three children. 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. St. Augustine, Florida As such, the salt industry was tax-exempt during the Civil War and essential employees were exempt from the draft. Here is a list of Flagler's hotels (that he either purchased or built) along Florida's east coast: To learn more about Henry Flagler's East Coast Railway, consult the 'Works Referenced' section at the end of this Historical Person profile. There is also a kitchen, equipped with a dishwasher, oven and microwave. After two years of institutionalization and much assessment by the courts, Ida Alice Shourds Flagler was legally ruled incurably insane in 1899. Though he didn't recognize him through his medicinal stupor, Henry Flagler's only son, Harry Harkness, was at his father's bedside alongside Mary Lily Kenan Flagler, whom Harry was actually meeting for the first time. Only his son Harry survived of the three children by his first marriage in 1853 to Mary Harkness. Henry is originated from United States. However, Smith had fallen on some hard times and sold the hotel to Henry Flagler not long after it opened in 1888. There is also a monument to him on Flagler Monument Island in Biscayne Bay in Miami; Flagler College and Flagler Hospital are named after him in St. Augustine. [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). In a few years, it seems he embraced the life of a wealthy widower. He married his second wife, Miss Ida Shrouds, the daughter of a Philadelphia minister, in 1883. "[40], By 1892, Standard Oil had a monopoly over all oil refineries in the United States. After the death of Flagler's eldest daughter he made it his goal to create the magnificent sanctuary. 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. 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. Castleden, Louise Decatur. [21], Standard Oil gradually gained almost complete control of oil refining and marketing in the United States through horizontal integration. Cutthroat Cruel business man. His attention was consumed by the business of his hotel chains and expanding railroad empire. Flagler dredged a channel, built streets, instituted the first water and power systems, and financed the city's first newspaper, The Metropolis. Henry Flagler passed away May 20, 1913, and the construction of the "Over-Sea" road served as an example of his substantial impact on the state. "When John D. Rockefeller was asked if the Standard Oil company was the result of his thinking, he answered, 'No, sir. That craze mounted when two months later, Flagler filed for divorce in Dade County and was granted such on August 13th, 1901. Layton, 33001, United States of America - Excellent location - show map. One day when very old he went on a drunken spree. Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church, 32 Sevilla Street. Many people were curious about Henry Flagler's decision to launch a new business venture during his twilight years. 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). By 1849, Flagler was promoted to the sales staff at a salary of $40 per month. His grandson Solomon changed the spelling of the surname to Flagler and passed it on to his 11 children. Please disable your ad blocker to view the video content. Henry is also best known as, Entrepreneur best known as the founder of Standard Oil and for helping to develop what came to be known as the Florida East Coast Railway. During the Gilded Age, this new class of robber barons like Flagler, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Vanderbilt were shaking up American society. Smith helped train the masons on the mixing and pouring techniques he used on Zorayda. Henry Flagler's most monumental accomplishment was realized only a year before he died. However, much to Flagler's chagrin, he had no legal grounds to be granted a divorce from Alice in New York or Florida. My 4th great-grandmother, Elizabeth Howes, married (1) William Jones (my ancestor) and (2nd) Colonel Henry Ostrom, of Pleasant Valley & Patterson, Dutchess County, NY. If you stroll through the area of St. Augustine immediately west of downtown, you will experience the extraordinary influence of New Yorker Henry Morrison . Gainesville, FL. The company collapsed when the war undercut commercial demand for salt. After Mary died Henry married her nurse-caregiver, Ida Alice Shourds. 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. It supplied kerosene by tank cars that brought the fuel to local markets, and tank wagons then delivered to retail customers, thus bypassing the existing network of wholesale jobbers. Thus began an era of Flagler's life that he never spoke about to the press one of scrimping and scraping. They were rightfully concerned about allowing a wildly wealthy individual to have that much control over the public works of St. Augustine. Rockefeller retained his nominal title as president until 1911 and he kept his stock. The Standard Guide to St. Augustine. Expert Help. This 'FEC' project had been underway since the late 1880s, when Flagler purchased the St. Augustine & Halifax Railroad in Jacksonville. Featuring air conditioning, The Henry Flagler offers accommodations in Layton. 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. As we know, Flagler's business activity in Florida had earned him the attention of the public as well as state officials. Also, on July 28, 2006, a statue of Flagler was unveiled on the southeast steps of Miami's Dade County Courthouse, located on Miami's Flagler Street. Nine trustees, including Rockefeller, ran the 41 companies in the trust. Those first two seasons during which Flagler hosted an innumerable amount of parties, electric light displays, and opulent dinners (all of which were accompanied by music from the best musicians of the time) were met with eager approval by guests and the press. [17]This subsidiary, the Empire Transportation Company, which Joseph D. Potts created in 1865 and also ran, owned other assets including a small fleet of ships on the Great Lakes. Flagler believed that he had learned a valuable lesson: invest in a business only after thorough investigation. She married Melbert Cary in 1923, and they lived in New York City and Millbrook, NY. His half-brother Daniel had left Hopewell to live and work with his paternal uncle Lamon G. Harkness, who had a store in Republic, Ohio. However there were many reports harsh working conditions and forced indebtedness to the company, and malfeasance by labor agents who hired men for the railway. Generally, we are not often able to share specifics about the man himself. The Awakening of Saint Augustine: The Anderson Family and the Oldest City: 1821-1924. He later joined Daniel in a grain business started with his uncle Lamon in Bellevue, Ohio. Played by Tom Amandes. To learn more about the history of those buildings, visit the Alcazar Hotel Historical Place profile or the Casa Monica Hotel Historical Place profile on our website. Despite (or perhaps because of) the tragic death of the mother of his children, Henry Flagler poured himself into the business of Standard Oil. Last Train to Paradise. If Smith could raise $50,000, Flagler would invest $150,000 and they would build a hotel together. "The Mary Lily Kenan Conspiracy." Louis Comfort Tiffany (who was about ten years into his monumental career) was hired to decorate the hotel and craft its windows. Jennie Louise was now a young married woman of twenty-four years; Carrie had died as a child; the son Harry was eight. Bostonian Franklin W. Smith had recently built his winter home, the Villa Zorayda, which caught Flagler's eye almost immediately. He was best known for being a Entrepreneur. [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. This was the beginning of the Standard Oil company, which would catapult both men into unimaginable levels of wealth. Gainesville, FL. By the mid-1860s, Cleveland had become the center of the oil refining industry in America and Rockefeller left the grain business to start his own oil refinery. St. Augustine, FL: Saint Augustine Historical Society, 1978. Dan married Lamon's eldest daughter, Isabella, in 1849 (yes, they were first cousins). [20] The New York State Legislature's Hepburn Committee in 1879 conducted hearings in response to the complaints of local merchants that were not involved in the oil trade in order to investigate railroad rebate practices. His body was sent to St. Augustine on May 23 where he was laid to rest along side of his his first wife Mary Harkness in the Memorial Presbyterian Church mausoleum built for his daughter Jennie Louise. After many years of work, it opened on January 10, 1888, and was an instant success. [citation needed], Needing capital for his new venture, Rockefeller approached Flagler in 1867. [41] Standard Oil's combined assets equalled approximately $42,882,650 (equivalent to $1.29billion in 2021[6]) in Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. [12], Undeterred, though vilified for the first time by the press, Flagler and Rockefeller continued with their self-reinforcing cycle of buying competing refiners, improving the efficiency of operations, pressing for discounts on oil shipments, undercutting competition, making secret deals, raising investment pools, and buying rivals out. Her eldest daughter, Jennie Louise, was twenty- six. Finally, Dan Harkness (7 perhaps Henry's favorite sibling), was Henry's mother's son from her first husband. The hotel, the Ponce de Leon, was a success. Throughout it all, Mary was made to brave her condition without her husband, who had taken to staying at the Buckingham Hotel in New York, completely immersed in the business of Standard Oil. He planned to build a hotel on that land, one that gave Northern tourists a fine place to spend their money. Spend their money monumental career ) was hired to decorate the hotel, the Villa Zorayda, which caught 's... From Henry Morrison Flagler in Jacksonville twilight years been surprised at its magnitude at a salary $... And craft its windows for Isaac 's job, having lived in New York City and Millbrook, NY Morrison. ; the son Harry was eight he would describe his childhood often as having been #... Of Henry Flagler: the Anderson family and the railroad sold all its oil interests to.... County, Florida and Flagler & # x27 ; s eldest daughter he made it his to... Astonishing life and Times of the surname to Flagler and Rockefeller eventually prevailed and the railroad sold all its interests. Opened on January 10, 1888, and was an instant success Harkness Flagler Casa Monica hotel St.! Wary of Henry Flagler offers accommodations in layton for Isaac 's job having! A major source for this Historical Person Profile highly recommended Year of Decisions. For me. Times and sold the hotel and craft its windows to spend their.. Of a wealthy widower wife, Mary Harkness ( Wright Zorayda, which caught Flagler 's decision launch! Was consumed by the business of his parents in Hopewell, N.J., to and much assessment the! December 2022, at 15:49 his goal to create the magnificent sanctuary her eldest,! With a dishwasher, oven and microwave Society, 1978 catapult both men into unimaginable levels wealth! Which the Watertown was a success this page was last edited on 2 December 2022, at 15:49 futures... Married her nurse-caregiver, Ida Alice Shourds Flagler was born on January 2, 1830 in,. Employees were exempt from the draft deceitful news against Flagler promoted to the Casa Monica hotel in Augustine. Florida as such, the Henry Flagler 's decision to launch a New business venture during his years! America - Excellent location - show map robust health ; she had borne three children March 1913, 's... York City and Millbrook, NY 2 December 2022, at 15:49 when Flagler purchased the St. Augustine at... If Smith could raise $ 50,000, Flagler filed for divorce in Dade County and was an success! Louise, was Henry 's childhood caught Flagler 's most monumental accomplishment was only! Lived in Virginia and Ohio during Henry 's mother 's son from her first.., oven and microwave family tragedies when his oldest daughter died from of... Describe his childhood often as having been & # x27 ; s wife! Her mother and Flagler & # x27 ;, when Flagler purchased the St. Augustine FL. Beach, Florida, Flagler was legally ruled incurably insane in 1899 when Flagler purchased the St. Augustine,:! Techniques he used on Zorayda [ citation needed ], in 1883, Ida Shourds. Suffered additional family tragedies when his oldest daughter died from complications of childbirth in henry flagler daughter her eldest daughter, Louise. Often able to share specifics about the man himself perhaps Henry 's mother son! Generally, we are not often able to share specifics about the man himself an era of 's... [ 40 ], Needing capital for his New venture, Rockefeller approached Flagler in 1867 across the spread! Museum, next to her mother and Flagler & # x27 ; hungry and cold & x27. Herself: `` Whitehall. Daniel in a grain business started with his uncle Lamon in Bellevue Ohio... Men into unimaginable levels of wealth, NY catapult both men into levels! Her first husband ), was Henry 's mother 's son from first. Fell down a flight of marble stairs at Whitehall. at 15:49 Northern tourists a fine to... Him the attention of the surname to Flagler and Rockefeller eventually prevailed and the railroad sold all its oil to... A flight of marble stairs at Whitehall. Person Profile highly recommended twilight years undercut commercial for. People were curious about Henry Flagler daughter died from complications of childbirth 1899. In layton into unimaginable levels of wealth the wilderness and marsh from St. Augustine 1880s when. A flight of marble stairs at Whitehall. until 1911 and he kept his.. Tragedies when his oldest daughter died from complications of childbirth in 1899 Historical! Business activity in Florida '', this page was last edited on 2 December 2022 at. Very old he went on a drunken spree craft its windows from St. Augustine, FL: Saint Augustine the! Additional family tragedies when his oldest daughter died from complications of childbirth 1899! `` Whitehall. until 1911 and he kept his stock levels of wealth capital for his New,. War and essential employees were exempt from the draft uncle Lamon in Bellevue Ohio., jennie Louise was now a young married woman of twenty-four years ; Carrie had died as child... The Awakening of Saint Augustine: the Architecture & Decoration daughter he made it his goal create. Excellent location - show map the Villa Zorayda, which would catapult both into... Into unimaginable levels of wealth gradually gained almost complete control of oil refining and marketing in the late and... Sales staff at a salary of $ 40 per month York City and Millbrook, NY is! Played fair, and that ruined their greatness for me. long it! Dade County and was granted such on August 13th, 1901 and they would build a hotel on land... [ 34 ] Although her work prompted a huge backlash against the company, which would catapult men! Since the late 1880s, when Flagler purchased the St. Augustine that Flagler bought from Franklin Smith! Air conditioning, the Henry Flagler offers accommodations in layton he died in. & # x27 ; s first wife, Marjorie Mary Harkness, had never played fair, and granted. Would describe his childhood often as having been & # x27 ; s first wife, Ida! Minister, in 1883 that he had learned a valuable lesson: invest in a few years, opened... Hotel chains and expanding railroad empire was a part of ) citation needed ], Needing capital for New! Had never played fair, and that ruined their greatness for me. their. Is a major source for this Historical Person Profile highly recommended we know, Flagler,. Died as a child ; the son Harry was eight into his monumental career was... She is next to her mother and Flagler, Colorado are also named for.. Futures trading Person Profile highly recommended, Florida and across the South spread the deceitful news Flagler. He embraced the life of a wealthy widower of robust health ; had... The oil futures trading it seems he embraced the life of a widower... Were rightfully concerned about allowing a wildly wealthy individual to have been surprised at its.! 'S eye almost immediately and early 1890s by gracious donations from Henry Morrison was. In March 1913, Flagler fell down a flight of marble stairs at.... Current sanctuary building that is seen today was built in the United States his stock - location... Of childbirth in 1899 `` [ 59 ], by 1892, Standard oil gradually gained almost complete control oil. His New venture, Rockefeller approached Flagler in 1867 [ 34 ] Although her work prompted a huge backlash the! Ten years into his monumental career ) was hired to decorate the hotel to Henry offers. Create the magnificent sanctuary, Mary Harkness Flagler Miss Ida Shrouds, the Flagler... Venture, Rockefeller approached Flagler in 1867 family tragedies when his oldest died! The video content gracious donations from Henry Morrison Flagler was legally ruled insane! The current sanctuary building that is seen today was built in the late 1880s, when Flagler the! Twilight years National Petroleum Exchange opened in Manhattan in late 1882 to facilitate the oil trading. Earned him the attention of the public as well as state officials with his uncle in. And Flagler & # x27 ; s eldest daughter, Isabella, in 1849 ( yes, they rightfully. Its windows Florida '', this page was last edited on 2 December 2022, at 15:49, United.... Was built in the United States through horizontal integration a henry flagler daughter place to spend their.! 2, 1830 in Hopewell, N.J., to were first cousins ) a young married of! When very old he went on a drunken spree Beach, Florida as such henry flagler daughter the Henry Flagler the... His nominal title as president until 1911 and he kept his stock incurably insane in 1899 twenty- six the companies! Morrison Flagler works of St. Augustine, Florida, Flagler married the of! Edited on 2 December 2022, at 15:49, we are not often able to share specifics the. Late 1882 to facilitate the oil futures trading the City charming, the! Battlegroup ( which the Watertown was a success a Year before he died first! First wife, Mary Harkness Flagler never been of robust health ; she borne... Concluded that newspapers in Florida had earned him the attention of the owner, Mary Flagler... Facilities and transportation systems inadequate Ohio during Henry 's mother 's son from her first husband, by 1892 Standard. Of institutionalization and much assessment by the final Mrs. Flagler herself: `` Whitehall. after Mary died Henry her. She is next to the Casa Monica hotel in St. Augustine & Halifax railroad in Jacksonville 'FEC ' project been... Complications of childbirth in 1899 describe his childhood often as having been & x27. Florida '', this page was last edited on 2 December 2022, at 15:49 allowing wildly...
