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4.7
Reconstruction and the Late Nineteenth Century (1865-1899)
In the 1880s John Tillman operated a large banana and citrus groves on the north shore of Turkey Creek. To support
his agriculture Tillman also constructed a wharf at the mouth of the creek. The wharf
was used not only for the groves but became a major stopping point on the Indian River for steamboats. By the late 1880s Tillman's
Wharf and the community became known as Tillman (Eriksen 1995:51; Shomer 1994:143). The Atlantic Coast, St. Johns,
and Indian River Railroad began a spur line from Enterprise to Titusville in 1885. Shortly thereafter, the line was leased
to the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railroad, which was owned by Henry Flagler.
He extended the train service to Titusville and Tillman in 1894. In 1895, Flagler changed the name of the railroad
to the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) and quickly supplanted the steamboat as the principal means of transportation along
the Indian River.
The transportation infrastructure of Titusville was supplemented by the construction of a railroad wharf on
the Indian River at what is now Broad Street. The wharf was a transfer point where freight and passengers boarded the Indian
River steamers for points farther south. Steamship companies coordinated their schedules
with those of the railroad to insure continuity of travel. The railroad had an immediate impact on the economy of the entire Indian River region. It allowed the rapid entry of tourists and permanent settlers, while
facilitating the shipment of products from the region, particularly fish and fruit, to markets to the north. Businesses directly
and indirectly associated with the fish and fruit industry, such as ice plants, packinghouses,
and canneries developed. Two freezes in 1894 and 1895 devastated the citrus industry in Brevard County and forced the
region to diversify into other economic ventures (Historic Property Associates, Inc. 1987:13-14; 1990:9-12).
4.8 American Twentieth Century (1900-2001)
Between 1910 and 1914, Tillman became the center for a land company known as the Indian River Catholic
Colony. Promised two crops a season, 100 families relocated from the Midwest. By 1916 they quickly depleted the soil, and the colony failed. Most left the
area but a few stayed and became fishermen (Morris 1995: 238). The few who stayed built St. Joseph's Church on Miller Street, the oldest building still standing. With the rise of automobile use roads were built linking Titusville to Orlando
and points north. A shell road named the Dixie Highway was constructed along the Indian
River and by 1915 it extended from
Titusville to Cocoa (Shofher 1995: 214; Historic Property Associates, Inc. 1991:9). The road between Malabar and Tillman
was paved in 1916-1917 for the first time. This was the last major development in Palm Bay until after World War I (Shofher 1994:214; Historic Property Associates 1990: 14-15).
During the 1920s, Tillman was renamed Palm Bay after the bay, bordered with palm trees, situated at the mouth of Turkey Creek. Palm Bay entered a period of rapid growth due to what was known as the Florida Land Boom.
The Boom had its genesis in South Florida. Buildings designed by architect Addison Mitner in Palm Beach and subdivisions such as Coral Gables became models for real estate developments around the state, including Palm Bay. This decade also brought a wave of short-lived prosperity to the area. A group
of Palm Bay businessmen set up an agency called the Melbourne-Tillman
Drainage District, to issue $1.5 million worth of bonds. Starting in 1922, a 180 mile grid of 80 canals was dug to drain 40,000
acres of swampy land west of Palm
Bay. The canals made it
possible to control flooding and turn marsh lands to agricultural use. The land became dotted with citrus groves and truck
farms shipping winter produce by the Florida East Coast Railroad to northern markets. Farmers sold timber and land to paper
companies. The Florida Boom collapsed in 1926 and subsequent Great Depression brought to a close a significant period of growth
for Palm Bay. A fire among the dredges and hurricane accelerated the economic
depression. In 1928 Palm
Bay lost its charter, as
did many towns in Brevard County.
After World War n, the Palm Bay/Melbourne area began a period of growth due to the development of
the United States space industry complex at Cape Canaveral. The space industry began in 1950 with the establishment of a missile testing range at Cape Canaveral. When the space program began, the United States government already owned the land surrounding the Cape Canaveral lighthouse. It acquired the remaining acreage necessary for the facility from private landowners. The
first launch occurred in 1950 and testing continued increasing throughout the 1950s. In 1958, the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration began operations. In 1959, the Mackle brothers from Miami purchased land for a residential project now known as the Port Malabar subdivision. That same year,
Palm Bay's first modern industry arrived: Radiation, Inc., now the
Harris Corporation. In the 1960s GDC continued with the plans to expand Port Malabar and Palm Bay. Palm Bay
and the surrounding area also became integrated with the tourist industry for the first time as thousands visited the area
to witness the launches.
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