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CVE REPORTER
APRIL 2010
The Growth of the City of Deerfield Beach By MARION G. COHEN On February 18, 2010, Lyndhurst H held its annual installation luncheon at Brooks Restaurant in Deerfield Beach. It has become a ritual over the years to have the Official Installing Officer in Residence (yours truly) present a dissertation on a timely topic pertinent to the assembled residents at this affair. We have learned about the growth of the City of Deerfield from its early days in he 1970’s ‘till current times; we have glimpsed at the trials and tribulations of residents living here during the construction of each new area; we have learned how to cope with problems of condo living. This year, we invited the Executive Director of the Deerfield Beach Historical Society,
Carolyn Morris, to be our guest speaker. Her topic was based on a description of Deerfield Beach before there was a Century Village. We enjoyed her narrative so much that we asked her to condense her presentation, so that we could share it with you in this edition of the Reporter. THE NAMING OF DEERFIELD CAROLYN MORRIS, Executive Officer DEERFIELD BEACH HISTORICAL SOCIETY Our City’s history begins in 1877, when non-natives glimpsed at the swamps, dense flora and wild fig trees, cabbage palms, and pine groves along the Hillsboro
River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. To our south, Miami and Key West were thriving villages and to the north, Palm Beach was becoming a fashionable winter resort. A few houses appeared along the Hillsboro River by 1890, which was named after the Earl of Hillsborough who was granted the land by King George III of England in the late eighteenth century. When Henry Flagler extended his railroad along the coastline in Miami in the spring of 1896, it opened up our tropical wilderness. Until then, the shoreline had been inhabited by Seminole Indians who lived inland. On June 22, 1898 the
L-R Carolyn Morris and Marion G. Cohen settlement received its first post office, which served a population of 20 settlers. The
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name “Deerfield” was chosen because of the numerous deer that grazed along the Hillsboro River. Hillsboro River was the northern border of Deerfield. A narrow wooden bridge crossed the stream west of the railroad that lead to another blossoming settlement, Boca Raton. The intersection of Hillsboro Boulevard and Dixie Highway was the focus of Deerfield’s business in 1910. Dixie Highway was a ninefoot wide dirt trail. There were four or five stores , a lodge, the post office and two hotels: The Australian and The Pioneer. However, the key to our local economy was our produce shed adjacent to the railway depot. The farmers brought their vegetables and fruits there for shipping north. Deerfield was incorporated on June 11, 1925 and George Emory Butler became our town’s first mayor. The population had grown to 1,300 residents. “Beach” was added to our name in 1939, to let tourists know which towns had beaches. Our population numbered 1,800 in 1939. Deerfield Beach had been primarily an agricultural community and by the late 1940’s, tourists began to discover our little secret (our beautiful oceanfront.) The tourism boom was evidenced by the building of hotels and motels along the shoreline. Deerfield Beach changed her name again in 1951, and our town became known as the City of Deerfield Beach. Our economy continued to evolve away from agriculture to tourism and business. Today the City of Deerfield Beach is home to manufacturing, distribution, office industries, and international businesses. Our population is currently over 77,000. From Deerfield to the City of Deerfield Beach, we offer a nice place to visit and a great place to call home.