“I did not form a very favorable first impression, I must admit. I came here from Jacksonville by way of the river and the Tocoi railway and got here just at night. The accommodation was very bad and most of the visitors here were consumptives. I didn’t like it, and took the first train back to Jacksonville.”

While Henry Flagler’s initial impression of St. Augustine, Florida, was far from glowing, he would go on to be the driving force behind transforming the state into the agricultural and economic powerhouse it is today.

In part one of this new series, John and Patrick dive into the remarkable story of Henry Flagler, the man whose vision and investments helped transform Florida into the state we know today. Discover Flagler’s humble beginnings, his rise to prominence with Standard Oil, and his first encounters with Florida’s untapped potential. As our hosts take you through Flagler’s journey, they also explore the rich agricultural history of 19th-century Florida, including the booming citrus industry that laid the groundwork for his transformative work.

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