Palm Beach, Florida Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == History == [[File:Palm Beach, Florida (1916).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Palm Beach in 1916]] [[File:Aerial view of the Kennedy family home in Palm Beach, Florida (10999217183).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Aerial view of La Querida (c. 1965), the [[List of residences of presidents of the United States#Winter White House|Winter White House]] of President [[John F. Kennedy]]]] === Native beginnings === Native Americans previously inhabited the island of Palm Beach, with the [[Jaega]]s arriving at least 3,000 years ago. Evidence for their inhabitation of the island are three pre-Columbian archaeological complexes. These complexes include a burial mound, six unmarked Native American cemeteries, and a more recent burial site which suggested interaction between indigenous people and Europeans.<ref name="pre-columbian">{{cite journal|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/uploads/file/Precolumbian%20Palm%20Beachers.pdf|title=Pre-Columbian Palm Beachers|author=Dorothy Block|journal=The Tustenegee|date=Fall 2013|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=January 18, 2021|pages=30–31}}</ref> === 1872–1900 === Settlers began arriving in modern-day Palm Beach by 1872.<ref name=VF500/> Hiram F. Hammon made the first [[Homesteading|homestead claim]] in 1873 along [[Lake Worth Lagoon|Lake Worth]]. At the time, the lake area had fewer than 12 people. By 1877, the Tustenegee Post Office was established in modern-day Palm Beach, becoming the lake area's first post office.<ref name=PBTL>{{cite web|url= http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-1860-1879 |title=1860 - 1879|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408143217/http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-1860-1879|archivedate=April 8, 2023}}</ref> Along the coast of Palm Beach, the ''Providencia'' wrecked in 1878 with a cargo of 20,000 coconuts, which were quickly planted.<ref name=VF500/> In 1880, [[Elisha Newton Dimick|Elisha Newton "Cap" Dimick]] converted his private residence to a hotel known as the Cocoanut Grove House. At the time of its opening, the Cocoanut Grove House was the only hotel along Florida's east coast between [[Titusville, Florida|Titusville]] and [[Key West]]. A fire destroyed the hotel in October 1893.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMRV5P|title=Cocoanut Grove House|date=August 8, 2016|publisher=Waymarking.com|access-date=April 17, 2020}}</ref> The Star Route, also known as the [[Barefoot Mailman]] route, began serving the area in 1885.<ref name=PBTL2>{{cite web|url= http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-0|title=1880 - 1889|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409114228/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-0|archivedate=April 9, 2023}}</ref> Carriers delivered mail by foot or boat from Palm Beach and other nearby communities to as far south as [[Miami]], a round trip of {{convert|136|mi|km}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/mail-routes|title=Reaching Out: Mail Routes|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409114227/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/mail-routes|archivedate=April 9, 2023}}</ref> The first schoolhouse in southeast Florida (also known as the Little Red Schoolhouse) opened in Palm Beach in 1886.<ref name=PBTL2/> [[Henry Flagler]], a Standard Oil tycoon, made his first visit to Palm Beach in 1893, and described the area as a "veritable paradise".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/flagler-timeline|title=Henry M. Flagler in Florida Timeline|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408082611/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/flagler-timeline|archivedate=April 8, 2023}}</ref> That same year, Flagler hired George W. Potter to plot 48 blocks for [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]], a city to house workers at his hotels, and construction began on the [[Royal Poinciana Hotel]].<ref name="grandhotels">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-grand-hotels-royal-poinciana-hotel|title=The Grand Hotels: The Royal Poinciana|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409015149/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-grand-hotels-royal-poinciana-hotel|archivedate=April 9, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-1890-1899|title=1890 - 1899|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408082534/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-1890-1899|archivedate=April 8, 2023}}</ref> The Royal Poinciana Hotel opened for business on February 11, 1894.<ref name="grandhotels"/> Flagler, also the owner of the [[Florida East Coast Railway]], extended the railroad southward to West Palm Beach by the following month.<ref name="flagler era">{{cite web|url= http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/flagler-era |title=Flagler Era|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County |access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407002037/http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/flagler-era|archivedate=April 7, 2023}}</ref> In 1896, Flagler opened a second hotel originally known as Wayside Inn, before being renamed Palm Beach Inn, and later becoming [[The Breakers (hotel)|The Breakers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-grand-hotels-the-breakers|title=The Grand Hotels: The Breakers|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409112715/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-grand-hotels-the-breakers|archivedate=April 9, 2023}}</ref> Fires later burned down the hotel in 1903 and 1925, but it was rebuilt twice. The ''[[Palm Beach Daily News]]'' began publication in 1897 originally under the name ''Daily Lake Worth News''.<ref name="timeline2"/> === 1900–1940 === The first pedestrian bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway opened near the modern-day Flagler Bridge in 1901, replacing the original railroad spur.<ref name="timeline2">{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/49496457/palm-beach-daily-news/|title=Timeline|page=B6|newspaper=Palm Beach Daily News|date=February 9, 1997|access-date=April 24, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Flagler's house lots were bought by the beneficiaries of the [[Gilded Age]],<ref name="flagler era"/> and in 1902, Flagler himself built a [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] mansion, [[Flagler Museum|Whitehall]], designed by the New York-based firm [[Carrère and Hastings]] and helped establish the Palm Beach "winter season".<ref name="whitehall history">{{cite web|url=https://www.flaglermuseum.us/history/whitehall|title=Whitehall|publisher=Flagler Museum|access-date=April 17, 2020}}</ref> Telephone service was established in Palm Beach in 1908, with 18 customers initially.<ref name="key">{{cite web|url=https://www.townofpalmbeach.com/346/Key-Historical-Dates-Events|title=Key Historical Dates & Events|publisher=Town of Palm Beach|access-date=April 17, 2020}}</ref> Prior to the 1910s, many African Americans in the area lived in a segregated section of Palm Beach called the "Styx",<ref name="piland">{{cite report|url=http://wpb.org/getmedia/95efd224-611b-43f2-a8f1-3e72f8744633/Historic-Preservation-A-Design-Guidelines-Handbook-full-color;|title=Historic Preservation: A Design Guidelines Handbook |first1=Sherry |last1=Piland |first2=Emily |last2=Stillings |first3=Ednasha |last3=Bowers |date=2005|publisher=Historic Preservation Board, City of West Palm Beach|format=PDF|access-date=March 28, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190328050743/https://www.wpb.org/getmedia/95efd224-611b-43f2-a8f1-3e72f8744633/Historic-Preservation-A-Design-Guidelines-Handbook-full-color;|archive-date=March 28, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> with an estimated population of 2,000 at its peak. Between 1910 and 1912, though, African Americans were evicted from the Styx.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.staugustine.com/article/20120206/NEWS/302069983|title=Henry Flagler, his town, and the fire|agency=[[McClatchy]]|date=February 6, 2012|newspaper=[[The St. Augustine Record]]|access-date=March 30, 2019}}</ref> Most of the displaced residents relocated to the northern West Palm Beach neighborhoods of Freshwater, [[Northwest Historic District|Northwest]], and [[Pleasant City (West Palm Beach)|Pleasant City]].<ref name="piland"/> In January 1911, it became known West Palm Beach intended to annex the island of Palm Beach in the upcoming [[Florida Legislature|Florida legislative session]]. Residents objected and hired an attorney from Miami to officially become incorporated.<ref name="town-of-palm-beach">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/town-of-palm-beach|title=Palm Beach|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404223303/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/town-of-palm-beach|archivedate=April 4, 2023}}</ref> Dimick, [[Louis Semple Clarke]], and 31 other male property owners met at Clarke's house and signed a charter to officially incorporate the town of Palm Beach on April 17, 1911.<ref name="no captain">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/48960452/the-palm-beach-post/|title=Cap Dimick, Palm Beach's first mayor, a pioneer but no captain|date=February 7, 2001|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post |first=Eliot |last=Kleinberg |page=14R |access-date=April 17, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Dimick became the first mayor, John McKenna became town clerk, and Joseph Borman became town marshal, while J. B. Donnelly, William Fremd, John Doe, Enoch Root, and J.J. Ryman served as the first council members.<ref name="town-of-palm-beach"/> Also in 1911, Dimick built the [[Royal Park Bridge]], with its first incarnation being a wooden structure. Passage from West Palm Beach to Palm Beach on the bridge originally required a toll – 25 cents per vehicle and 5 cents per pedestrian.<ref name="no captain"/> Between 1919 and 1924,<ref name="Seebohm"/> American resort architect [[Addison Mizner]] designed 67 structures in Palm Beach.<ref name="mizner">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/mizner-in-palm-beach|title=Architects: Mizner in Palm Beach|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409000905/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/mizner-in-palm-beach|archivedate=April 9, 2023}}</ref> Some of Mizner's clients included [[Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr.]], [[Paul Moore Sr.]], [[Gurnee Munn]], [[John Shaffer Phipps]], [[Edward Shearson]], [[Edward T. Stotesbury|Eva Stotesbury]], [[Rodman Wanamaker]], and [[Barclay Harding Warburton II]].<ref name="Seebohm">{{cite book|isbn=978-0609605158|publisher=Clarkson Potter|date=2001|page=170|title=Boca Rococo. How Addison Mizner Invented Florida's Gold Coast |first=Caroline |last=Seebohm |url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/bocarococohowadd00seeb}}</ref> His designed works included the Costa Bella,<ref name=Curl/>{{rp|212}} [[El Mirasol (mansion)|El Mirasol]], [[Everglades Club]] (in collaboration with [[Paris Singer]]),<ref name="mizner"/> El Solano,<ref name="ohj"/> La Bellucia,<ref name=Curl>{{cite book |first=Donald W. |last=Curl |title=Mizner's Florida|publisher=The Architectural History Foundation and the MIT Press|year=1992|quote=First published 1984|isbn=978-0262530682}}</ref> La Querida,<ref name="mizner"/> [[Via Mizner]],<ref name=Curl/>{{rp|238}} Villa Flora,<ref name=Curl/>{{rp|103}} and [[William Gray Warden House]].<ref name="ohj">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.oldhouseonline.com/house-tours/8-great-addison-mizner-buildings|magazine=[[Old House Journal]]|title=8 Great Addison Mizner Buildings|date=October 26, 2018|access-date=April 20, 2020}}</ref>{{rp|236}} Via Mizner was the first shopping complex along [[Worth Avenue]], which was then a mostly residential street.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tclf.org/landscapes/worth-avenue|title=Worth Avenue|publisher=The Cultural Landscape Foundation|access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref> In February 1924, the town council allotted $100,000 to construct a new municipal building. [[Harvey and Clarke]] architectural firm designed the building, while Newlon and Stephens built the structure after bidding $160,200 for the contract. The [[Palm Beach Town Hall]] opened on December 18, 1925, and is still used for town council meetings. Before its completion, the council meetings took place in a one-story wooden building on [[Royal Poinciana Way Historic District|Royal Poinciana Way.]]<ref>{{cite report|url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/1fe71a36-ae37-4d2e-add3-d326aef4319c/|title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form|date=2005|publisher=[[National Park Service]]|format=PDF|access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref> Also in 1925, citywide construction revenue reached $14 million, attributed to the [[Florida land boom of the 1920s|Florida land boom]].<ref name="timeline2" /> The [[1928 Okeechobee hurricane]] made [[landfall]] in the town of Palm Beach, with sustained winds of 145 mph (235 km/h).{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} High winds and storm surge damaged 610 businesses, 60 homes, and 10 hotels, as well as to the Public Service Corporation and Ocean Boulevard. Damage in 1928 [[United States dollars|dollars]] totaled $10 million in Palm Beach.<ref name="uf">{{cite web|url=http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00001306/00001/1j|title=Palm Beach Hurricane—92 Views|date=1928|publisher=American Autochrome Company|access-date=June 27, 2015|location=Chicago, Illinois}}</ref> === 1940–1960 === [[File:The old Biltmore on Palm Beach, Lake Worth , West Palm Beach, Florida - panoramio (1).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The Biltmore Hotel (now the Palm Beach Biltmore Condominiums), converted into a U.S. Naval Special Hospital and [[SPARS]] training school during [[World War II]]]] Palm Beach's population grew from 1,707 in 1930 to 3,747 in 1940, a 119.5% increase. The Royal Poinciana Hotel, damaged heavily in the 1928 hurricane, also suffered greatly during the [[Great Depression]], and was demolished in 1935. Around 4,000 people purchased the salvageable remains of the hotel. ''The Palm Beach-Post Times'' estimated some 500 homes could be built from the scraps of the hotel.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/49494078/the-palm-beach-post/|title=Profiting from failure |first=Julie |last=Waresh |date=May 30, 1999|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|page=1F|access-date=April 24, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Residents of Palm Beach established the [[Society of the Four Arts]] on January 14, 1936, with Hugh Dillman as the first president.<ref name="timeline3">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/49495407/palm-beach-daily-news/|title=Timeline|page=B7|newspaper=Palm Beach Daily News|date=February 9, 1997|access-date=June 5, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The 1930s decade also saw the construction of the Flagler Memorial Bridge, the northernmost bridge linking Palm Beach and West Palm Beach, completed on July 1, 1938.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88611550/the-palm-beach-post/|title=This week in history: Flagler Memorial Bridge opens|date=June 27, 2011|page=1B|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|access-date=November 9, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Palm Beach mayor James M. Owens acted as master of ceremonies for the bridge's opening, while then–[[United States Senate|U.S. senator]] [[Charles O. Andrews]] and former U.S. senator [[Scott Loftin]] gave speeches during the event.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/49347370/the-palm-beach-post/|title=Flagler Bridge Dedication Program Will Open Formally Memorial Span To Traffic|date=July 1, 1938|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|page=1|access-date=May 13, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Early in [[World War II]], the [[United States Army]] established a Ranger camp at the northern tip of the island, which could accommodate 200 men.<ref name="USM in PB">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/us-military-in-palm-beach|title=U.S. Military in Palm Beach|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405165658/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/us-military-in-palm-beach|archivedate=April 5, 2023}}</ref> The Palm Beach Civilian Defense Council ordered blackouts in Palm Beach beginning on April 11, 1942.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/local-response-blackout-restrictions|title=Local Response: Blackout Restrictions |publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405094803/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/local-response-blackout-restrictions|archivedate=April 5, 2023}}</ref> Throughout the war, German U-boats sank 24 ships off Florida, with eight capsized off Palm Beach County between February and May 1942.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-enemy-presence-german-u-boats|title=The Enemy Presence: German U-Boats|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=October 12, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405221010/https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-enemy-presence-german-u-boats|archivedate=April 5, 2023}}</ref> The Army converted The Breakers into the Ream General Army Hospital, while the [[United States Navy|Navy]] converted the Palm Beach Biltmore Hotel into a U.S. Naval Special Hospital. The Biltmore Hotel would also become a training school for [[SPARS]], the [[United States Coast Guard]] Women's Reserve.<ref name="USM in PB"/> On September 15, 1950, the Southern Boulevard Bridge opened,<ref name="timeline3" /> the third and southernmost bridge linking Palm Beach and West Palm Beach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88611562/the-palm-beach-post/|title=Flagler Bridge: Sunday's breakdown caused by loose bolt|date=August 7, 2018 |first=Joe |last=Capozzi |newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|access-date=November 9, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Palm Beach residents elected Claude Dimick Reese (son of former mayor T.T. Reese and grandson of Dimick) as mayor in 1953. He became the only native-born mayor of Palm Beach in its history. In the 1950s, the town's population grew around 56%, from 3,866 in 1950 to 6,055 in 1960.<ref name="timeline3" /> === 1960–1990 === [[John F. Kennedy]] was elected [[President of the United States]] [[1960 United States presidential election|in 1960]], and selected as his [[List of residences of presidents of the United States#Winter White House|Winter White House]] La Querida,<ref name="timeline3"/> which [[Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.|his father]] bought in 1933.<ref name="mizner"/> In December 1960, police in Palm Beach averted a retired postal worker's attempt to assassinate then president-elect Kennedy. The president also spent the last weekend of his life in Palm Beach, several days before [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|his assassination in November 1963]]. Yvelyne "Deedy" Marix became the first woman elected to the town council in February 1970, and later became the first woman elected mayor of Palm Beach in 1983.<ref name="timeline3"/> Between 1971 and 1977, [[Earl E.T. Smith]] served as mayor of Palm Beach. He was previously an [[Ambassador of the United States to Cuba]].<ref name="key"/> Preservationist Barbara Hoffstot published a book titled ''Landmark Architecture in Palm Beach'' in 1974. She personally photographed and summarized many older buildings in the town. The book also called for more awareness of and improvements to a system for protecting historic landmarks.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/20181217/palm-beach-history-early-preservationists-passion-shines-throughout-exhibit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309195440/https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/20181217/palm-beach-history-early-preservationists-passion-shines-throughout-exhibit|archive-date=March 9, 2021|first=William|last=Kelly|title=Palm Beach history: Early preservationist's passion shines throughout exhibit|date=December 17, 2018|newspaper=Palm Beach Daily News|access-date=April 25, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The town council responded in 1979 by approving an ordinance establishing the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which identifies and works to protect historic structures.<ref name="Historic Preservation" /> [[General Foods]] and [[Post Consumer Brands|Post Cereals]] heiress [[Marjorie Merriweather Post]] bequeathed [[Mar-a-Lago]] to the United States upon her death in 1973,<ref name="sider">{{cite news|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1995-06-18-9506220187-story.html|title=Party Time at Mar-a-Lago|date=June 18, 1995 |first=Don |last=Sider |newspaper=Sun-Sentinel|access-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref> hoping it would be used as a Winter White House.<ref name="nytimes19810716">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/16/garden/post-home-for-sale-for-20.html|title=Post Home For Sale For $20 Million|first=Kerry |last=Gruson |date=July 16, 1981|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref> The residence was returned to the Post family in 1981, before being purchased by [[Donald Trump]] in 1985 for roughly $10 million.<ref name="spencer"/> He converted the estate into a club by 1995 and would later use Mar-a-Lago as a Winter White House during [[Presidency of Donald Trump|his presidency]] from 2017 to 2021.<ref name="sider"/><ref name="CNBC.2017"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/20/donald-trump-plans-end-his-presidency-mar-lago-florida/4210601001|title=Donald Trump lands in Florida as first president in over 150 years to skip inauguration|author=David Jackson|date=January 20, 2021|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=January 20, 2021}}</ref> A [[Late November 1984 nor'easter|nor'easter in November 1984]] caused the [[MV Mercedes I|''Mercedes I'']] to crash into the seawall of [[Mollie Wilmot]]'s estate.<ref name="timeline3"/> Wilmot's staff served the 10 sailors sandwiches and freshly brewed coffee in her gazebo and offered martinis to journalists reporting on the incident.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-07-me-wilmot7-story.html|title=Mollie Wilmot; Palm Beach Socialite Played Host to Cargo Ship in 1984 |first=Dennis |last=McLellan |date=October 7, 2002|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 14, 2020}}</ref> === 1990–2010 === On October 31, 1991, the [[1991 Perfect Storm|Perfect Storm]] produced waves {{convert|20|ft|m}} in height in Palm Beach. About {{convert|1200|ft|m}} of seawall at Worth Avenue were destroyed, while some parts of the town experienced [[coastal flooding]], especially along Ocean Boulevard.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50915390/the-palm-beach-post/|date=November 1, 1991 |first=Kirk |last=Brown |title=20-footers pummel shoreline, damage homes, sea walls, pier|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|page=1A|access-date=May 13, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> By that afternoon, police allowed only residents to enter the town.<ref name="timeline3"/> The trial of [[William Kennedy Smith]], a member of the [[Kennedy family]], drew international media attention in 1991. Smith had been accused of committing rape at La Querida, but a trial at the Palm Beach County Court resulted in his acquittal on December 11, 1991. Another notable mayor, [[Paul Ilyinsky]], son of [[Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia]] and [[Beneficiary|heiress]] [[Audrey Emery]], was elected to the office in February 1993.<ref name="timeline3"/> The town's population peaked at 10,468 people in the 2000 census.<ref name="rogers">{{cite news|url=https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/palm-beach-tracking-down-reasons-census-shows-population-drop-for-town/oDo3zQ3m18XDkbn1bWpEZK/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309195437/https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/palm-beach-tracking-down-reasons-census-shows-population-drop-for-town/oDo3zQ3m18XDkbn1bWpEZK/|archive-date=March 9, 2021|title=Palm Beach tracking down reasons Census shows population drop for town|first=David|last=Rogers|date=May 7, 2011|newspaper=Palm Beach Daily News|access-date=April 25, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 2005, the [[Palm Beach Police Department]] – under the guidance of Police Chief [[Michael Reiter (police officer)|Michael Reiter]] – began the first inquiry into the crimes committed by [[Sex trafficking|sex trafficker]] [[Jeffrey Epstein]], leading to his arrest and indictment in July 2006. Despite an [[FBI]] investigation discovering at least 40 victims, the state attorney of Palm Beach County only charged Epstein with soliciting a prostitute and [[Child prostitution|soliciting a minor for prostitution]] in June 2008. He pleaded guilty on both counts and received a controversial [[Plea bargain|plea deal]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/20191113/jeffrey-epstein-how-case-unfolded-in-palm-beach-county|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309193914/https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/20191113/jeffrey-epstein-how-case-unfolded-in-palm-beach-county/|archive-date=March 9, 2021|title=Jeffrey Epstein: How the case unfolded in Palm Beach County|date=November 13, 2019|newspaper=Palm Beach Daily News|access-date=May 14, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> === 2010–present === The town had a population of 8,348 people in 2010, a decrease of 20.3% from the previous census.<ref name="rogers"/> Palm Beach celebrated its centennial on April 17, 2011. About 1,200 people attended a parade that began at the Flagler Museum (Whitehall).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/article/20110418/NEWS/304189966 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309193909/https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/article/20110418/NEWS/304189966 |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |title=Promenade kicks off celebration with costumes, music, fancy cars |date=April 18, 2011 |first=Margie |last=Kacoha |newspaper=Palm Beach Daily News |page=1 |access-date=April 25, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Between February and December 2015, the Town Square, which includes the Addison Mizner Memorial Fountain and the town hall, underwent a $5.7 million restoration. The fountain's restoration was named "project of the year" by the [[American Public Works Association]]'s Florida chapter.<ref name="project of the year"/> The FBI conducted [[FBI search of Mar-a-Lago|a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago]] on August 8, 2022, approved by [[United States magistrate judge|Magistrate Judge]] Bruce Reinhart after a criminal referral by the [[National Archives and Records Administration]] relating to classified documents. Although former President Trump surrendered 235 classified documents by June 2022, the search at Mar-a-Lago yielded another 102 such documents. This discovery, along with allegations that Trump transported documents to [[Trump National Golf Club Bedminster|his golf club]] in [[New Jersey]] and showed them to some guests there, led a [[grand jury]] at the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida]] to [[Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (government documents case)|indict him]] on 37 felony counts relating to the mishandling of classified documents on June 8, 2023.<ref name="indict timeline">{{cite news|url=https://abc7.com/trump-classified-documents-timeline-indictment/13366744/|title=Timeline of events leading to Donald Trump's indictment in classified documents case|agency=Associated Press|date=June 12, 2023|newspaper=[[KABC-TV]]|location=Los Angeles, California|accessdate=June 13, 2023}}</ref> ===Name=== The January 1878 wreck of the ''Providencia'' is credited with giving Palm Beach its name. The ''Providencia'' was traveling from [[Havana, Cuba|Havana]] to [[Cádiz, Spain]], with a cargo of coconuts harvested in the [[Crown Colony of Trinidad and Tobago]] in the [[British West Indies]], when the ship wrecked near Palm Beach. Many of the coconuts naturalized or were planted along the Palm Beach coast.<ref name=PBName/><ref>{{cite journal |first=Harvey |last=Oyer III |title=The Wreck of the Providencia in 1878 and the Naming of Palm Beach County |journal=South Florida History |volume=29 |date=November 4, 2001}}</ref> A lush grove of palm trees soon grew on what was later named Palm Beach.<ref name=VF500/> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). 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