The Spanish River Papers is a scholarly publication of the Boca Raton Historical Society, first issued in 1973. The Papers contain essays and reprints of historic documents relevant to the history of Boca Raton and its surrounding communities. Printed back issues of selected issues can be purchased through the Boca Raton Historical Society's Collection Department.
Vol. I, No. 1 January, 1973
The inaugural issue of the papers contains a compilation of documentation concerning the founding of Boca Raton from early settlers and publications. Information dates from as early as 1875 with even earlier data considered anecdotal but interesting. Among others, Henry M. Flagler, T. M. Rickards, Harley Gates and Frank M. Chesebro are quoted.
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Vol. I, No. 2 May, 1973
The early development of Boca Raton including Yamato and Pearl City from 1910 - 1925 is gleaned from several sources: “History of Boca Raton by Harley Gates”; excerpts from his wife, Harriette A. Gates, from her personal memoir “Boca Raton 1915 – 1950”; as well as articles from various local newspapers, 1929 - 1972. Included are excerpts from “The Notorious Ashley Gang” by Hix C. Stuart, pub. 1928, concerning the gang’s exploits from Stuart, Florida south to Pompano.
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Vol. I, No. 3 September, 1973
This issue is a reprint of a Miami Herald full-page write up re: Boca Raton building projects, May 12, 1929.
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Vol. II, No. 1 February, 1974
The Mizner Development Corporation is the focus of this issue which contains various items from The Miami Daily News and The Miami Herald with stories dated 1925, 1926, and 1936 from the BRHS subject files and Boca Raton Hotel scrapbook collection. These include information on Addison Mizner’s “boom & bust” development and the grand opening of the Ritz-Carlton Cloister Inn with partial guest list, furnishings and amenities. One article from The Miami Daily News dated February 19, 1926 quotes Mr. Mizner as he responds to his critics just prior to the “Bust”.
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Vol. II, No. 2 May, 1974
Clarence H. Geist purchased the Cloister Inn and other properties in 1927 from the defunct Mizner Development Corporation. Documentation includes newspaper articles, correspondence, and a “Speech to the People of Boca Raton” by Clarence Geist. This issue includes items on the water plant and FEC Railroad Station.
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Vol. III, No. 1 October, 1974
Entitled A Brief History of the Florida East Coast Railway and Associated Enterprises, Flagler System 1885-86......1935-36, this report was published in the 1930s by the Flagler System and donated to the Boca Raton Historical Society by Mr. Carl Land. It includes information regarding Henry M. Flagler (1830-1913) and the development of the east coast of Florida and the FEC Railroad.
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Vol. III, No. 2 February, 1975
This issue contains a profile of Frank H. Chesebro (1850-1936), one of Boca Raton’s earliest permanent residents, “His Florida Years - Part One, 1889-1925". Included are excerpts from his diary and correspondence as well as remembrances from two of his daughters, Esther and Ethel, and photographs by his son, Harry. Featured highlights are the school, the “Board of Trade” (the first civic organization in Boca Raton), the cemetery, and road and bridge building.
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Vol. III, No. 3 May, 1975
Frank H. Chesebro (1850-1936) profile continues in “His Florida Years - Part Two, 1925-1936". Frank’s diary documents his daily life and Boca Raton’s history. It includes a story of Frank and sister, Libby, when they were lost in the flatwoods of Florida for five days (July 5 - 10, 1935) and Frank’s farewell message to friends which was read at his funeral in January, 1936.
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Vol. IV, No. 1 October, 1975
Childhood Memories
By Diane Benedetto, nee Imogene Alice Gates (1916 - )
Diane’s parents were Harley and Harriette Gates, early pioneers of Boca Raton. These are delightful stories: history with a humorous twist as Diane shares her childhood growing up on Palmetto Park Plantation beside the bridge over the Florida East Coast Canal (now the Intracoastal).
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Vol. IV, No. 2 February, 1976
Legal papers dating from January 1926 relate to the building of a town hall for Boca Raton—today the home of the BRHS. They include estimates of cost and invoices, correspondence from Addison Mizner, and photographs while the building was under construction and upon its completion in 1927.
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Vol. IV, No. 3 May, 1976
This volume features detailed reminiscences about Boca Raton from its earliest beginnings through 1950 by:Francis Vinton Long, youngest son of early pioneer, George Ashley Long;Hildegarde F. Schine, wife of J. Myer Schine, new owner of the “Club”, and her involvement in establishing the city’s library, Art Guild, and fundraisers for same;Roberta Knapp MacSpadden, wife of Col. Arnold MacSpadden, U.S. Engineer, who in 1942 brought her to Boca Raton where he was charged with building the Army Air Corp Base in 3 ½ months time. Roberta details life in such an unpopulated area as well as the social life during the war and fund raising events for the benefit of the town library (a different library than Mrs. Schine’s) and the Art Guild.Over a dozen personal photographs of the storytellers and events in their lives in Boca Raton are included.
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Vol. V, No. 1 October, 1976
Building Boca Raton’s Airport
This volume contains letters and reports detailing the building of the airport in the mid 1930s from conception to completion. The correspondence, specifically between Earle Moore, Treasurer and Town Clerk of Boca Raton, and Gordon Anderson, general manager of Clarence H. Geist’s Boca Raton Club, shows the progress of the airport’s construction as well as the relationship between the Club and the town officials. Additional letters establish the involvement of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal Agency, in this project.
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Vol. V, No. 2 February, 1977
Boca Raton’s “Old” Floresta
The early history of Floresta, a subdivision of 29 houses off west Palmetto Park Road constructed by the Mizner Development Corporation in the mid twenties, is told through legal documents and correspondence. It includes photographs of a number of the homes which are well preserved and still in use.
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Vol. V, No. 3 May, 1977
Early Days of the Boca Raton Fire & Police Department
This volume contains documents and letters, 1925-1929, concerning the establishment of the Police and Fire Departments. Of particular interest is the purchase of and payments on “Old Betsy”, the American-LaFrance Fire Engine acquired in 1926. It includes photos of equipment and early Police and Fire Department members.
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Vol. VI, No. 1 October, 1977
Yamato
The story of the Yamato Colony, Boca Raton’s Japanese settlement, is told through newspaper and magazine articles dated 1906-1977. This volume recalls the lives of the Japanese pineapple farmers are followed, particularly that of George S. Morikami who left a lasting legacy to our area. Mr. Morikami arrived at Yamato from Japan in 1906 at age 19 with neither money nor an education. At the time of his death in 1976, he had become a millionaire and generously donated large amounts of acreage to Palm Beach County for the purpose of a Japanese museum and park. Photographs are included.
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Vol. VI, No. 2 February, 1978
Mrs. Mitchell’s Memories of Early Boca Raton
Floy Cooke Mitchell and her husband J. C. (Joe) Mitchell arrived in Boca Raton in 1923. Both were actively involved in the growth and development of the small town and were happy that their family was a part of its history. Mrs. Mitchell’s memoir of fifty-five years of life in Boca Raton is lovingly told as she reminisces about the people of the town. These personal stories of friends who became as close as family, shared their homes and their food, and worked together in service to the town and their church make one long for those simpler times. Many photographs illustrate this anecdotal material.
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Vol. VI, No. 3 May, 1978
Boca Raton’s First Church
Boca Raton’s first church was founded and built through a community effort supported by members of various faiths. To show this joint effort it was named Boca Raton Community Church. Ground breaking ceremonies were held October 28, 1925 on the property located on the south side of Royal Palm Road. This is the history of a Community Church served by Methodist ministers until the Methodist Church at Northeast Second Avenue was built. Subsequently, the building became the founding home of St. Paul Lutheran Church and by 1962 the Debbie-Rand Memorial Service League Thrift Shoppe. Included are photographs of the church and Service League.
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Vol. VII, No. 1, October, 1978
The Architecture of Addison Mizner
By: Dr. Donald W. Curl
Formerly overlooked by architectural historians, Addison Mizner is one of the most fascinating architects of the twentieth century. Although many architects during the twenties and thirties were building in a “Spanish style” just as they continue to do today, it was what Addison Mizner did with that “Spanish style” that marks his place in the architectural history of America. This is an excellent set up and introduction to the piece written by Stella Suberman.
Addison Mizner and the Boca Raton House
By: Stella Suberman
Suberman writes a brief history of Addison Mizner’s work with comparisons to one of his contemporaries, Frank Lloyd Wright. In addition she cites references and illustrates with photographs of several of the lovely Old Floresta homes built by Mizner.
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Vol. VII, No. 2 & 3 February, May, 1979
Letters Written by Thomas Moore Rickards, Boca Raton’s Earliest Pioneer
This collection reveals the fascinating history of Boca Raton’s “first” settler, Thomas Moore Rickards. The first series of letters tells of his earliest expedition to Florida in 1876. The second set relates his journey down the Withlacoochee River in 1880. During this trip Rickards, a trained civil engineer, made a survey to determine if the river was navigable. The last letter describes a trip to America’s “last frontier,” the southeast coast of Florida, which would become his future home. The correspondence was published in a Missouri newspaper.
The remainder of this Spanish River Paper documents the history of the Boca Raton Cemetery and provides a record of the early burials beginning in 1916. It ends with script for the dedication of the Chesebro monument on May 10, 1962.
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Vol. VIII, No. 1, October, 1979
Singing Pines
“Singing Pines”, one of the oldest surviving houses in Boca Raton, was named by Lillian Race Williams. Lillian and her parents owned and inhabited the property at 301 SW First Avenue for 60 years. Originally built by William Myrick on property purchased from Henry M. Flagler’s Model Land Company, the Myrick’s became a part of the 13 family community of Boca Raton around 1913. The history of early Boca Raton is related by the Myricks and through Lillian Williams’ poetic verse. This is also a story of the preservation of “Singing Pines” as a children’s museum. The struggle to save the building is well documented by letters, City Council Minutes, newspaper articles and photographs.
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Vol. VIII, No. 2, February, 1980
T.M. Rickards and the Founding of the Japanese Colony
This is a collection of letters between Boca Raton’s first settler, Captain T.M. Rickards, Joe Sakai, and other parties who shared an interest in establishing the Japanese Colony of Yamato. The correspondence details the very earliest months of the new colony and relates the problems and frustrations faced in that work.
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Vol. VIII, No. 3, May, 1980
An Interview With Joseph H. Myrick
By: Betty Cruickshank
Joseph Myrick, whose childhood home is today’s “Singing Pines,” home of the Children’s Museum, is here the subject of an interview by Betty Cruickshank. Joe answers questions and freely relates interesting and amusing stories about life in Boca Raton in the 1910s. He recollects the local pirate myth, reminisces about the people who lived here in those early days, the mode of living, hunting and fishing, the laying down of Royal Palm Road, and the many ways pioneer families entertained themselves.
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Vol. IX, No. 1, October, 1980
Boca Raton in the Teens
The first half of this booklet is made up of the minutes of meetings of the Boca Ratone Board of Trade from August, 1915 through October, 1916. From the list of Officers and Directors we can determine the families who resided here during that period of time. Even then, the early overseers of the town were determined to build a fine community and encourage others to move here.
Several pages are dedicated to “The Boca Raton Semi-Occasional”, a newspaper written by the pupils and teacher of Boca Raton School, the first “newspaper” published in Boca Raton.
The booklet finishes with correspondence between Laurence Gould, teacher at Boca Raton School, and Mr. & Mrs. William C. (Peg) Young during 1918 as he served in the American Expeditionary Force in Europe at the time of World War I.
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Vol. IX, No. 2, February, 1981
The Episcopal Church in Boca Raton
This is a history of the Episcopal Church in Boca Raton beginning with the first services held in 1926 by the Rev. Henry Mizner, Addison Mizner’s older brother. Although Addison had dreams of building a great cathedral in memory of his mother the land bust brought the small parish to a close in 1928. It was not until 1953 that St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church was established. This, then, is a history of St. Gregory’s growth, building programs, and rectors through 1981. The final pages concern the opening ceremonies of Saint Andrew’s School of Boca Raton in 1962 and the Chapel of Saint Andrew which began as a thatched roof chickee chapel built by Seminole Indians from the Dania Indian Reservation.
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Vol. IX, No.3, May 1981
The Legends of Boca Ratones
By: Daniel F. Austin and David M. McJunkin
This important volume features an in depth study of origin of the place name Boca Ratones, originally an inlet on Biscayne Bay, and the many myths and legends that surround the name of the modern city of Boca Raton. It includes the authors’ extensive citations of maps and historic documents as well as copies of two historic maps showing the original “Boca Ratones.” The article also makes reference to the former “Spanish River,” aka the “Little Hillsboro,” a stream which flowed near the ocean north of Lake Boca Raton.
Vol. X, No. 1, October, 1981
Harley D. Gates: Boca Raton Historian
Harley Gates settled in Boca Raton in 1913, building a home for his new wife on Palmetto Park Plantation from which Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton’s central east-west artery, gets its name. Gates’s “Reminiscences of a Pioneer” gives us facts and fiction, names and places, and picturesque descriptions of early life in Boca Raton.
An excerpt from his “Boca Ratone, Florida: A Romance of the Past, a Vision of the Future” details Addison Mizner and the Mizner Development Corporation’s rise and fall as well as Clarence H. Geist’s purchase of the bankrupt corporation and the further growth and development which he brought to the famed Boca Raton Club in 1927.
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Vol. X, No. 2, February, 1982
Mizner Industries
By: Dr. Donald W. Curl
When Addison Mizner began construction on the Everglades Club in 1918 he could not find a good source of clay roof tiles except by importing them from Cuba. Since this was extremely expensive, he decided to make his own. Thus the establishment of the first division of what became Mizner Industries: Las Manos Potteries. Following shortly after came the making of floor tiles, decorative pottery, wrought iron work, a furniture factory producing “antique” pieces and furniture designed by Mizner. He came up with a process called woodite for reproducing wooden ceilings and doors, and another for casting “stone”. Newspaper articles are included as well as reproductions from Mizner Industries catalogues picturing statuary, tiles, furniture, and architectural pieces.
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Vol. X, No. 3, May, 1982
Remembering When Boca Raton Was Young:An Interview With Betty Cruickshank
The participants of this 1981 interview with Betty Cruickshank were pioneer children of Boca Raton and Yamato. Childhood friends Franklin Kamiya, Carl Douglas, Grace Douglas Notaro, Dixie Sellers Hillegas, and Pauline Raulerson Aylward gathered at the home of Eula Raulerson to share memories of local history, bits of gossip, school days and schoolmates, places they lived and the fun they had growing up together.
The second half of this volume reveals the life of early Boca pioneers John and Clementine Brown and their family members. Mrs. Brown taught elementary school in Boca Raton and in other nearby communities until her retirement in 1962. John Brown was in the road contracting business with his brother, Frank, building a good portion of Dixie Highway and serving as the first mayor of Boca Raton. Their story gives a thumbnail sketch of their family members and early life in this area.
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Vol. XI, No. 1, Fall, 1982
Addison Mizner’s Ritz-Carlton Cloister Opens
By the time the Ritz-Carlton Cloister opened on February 6, 1926 Florida’s land boom had ended and within two years Mizner’s company was forced into bankruptcy. But on opening night and before and after that night the newspapers were filled with glowing accounts of the furniture, decor, the natural beauty of gardens and lake, the magnificence of the hotel, and the wealthy beautiful people of society who attended that Saturday night’s outstanding social event. Newspaper and magazine articles together with photographs and line drawings are included.
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Vol. XI, No. 2, Winter, 1983
Africa, U.S.A.
A series of newspaper articles, 1952 - 1964, accompanied by photographs, tell the story of one of America’s best-known tourist attractions of re-created Africa located in the then small town of Boca Raton. Africa, U.S.A., was the creation of John D. Pedersen who opened the unique park with hundreds of animals and a lushly landscaped tropical garden. It remained popular with tourists but fell victim to the population pressures of the developing Gold Coast and the quarantine and death of thousands of dollars worth of animals due to African red tick.
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Vol. XI, No. 3, Spring, 1983
Laurence Gould Explorer-Educator: From Boca to Antarctica
By: Geoffrey Lynfield
This volume features a biography of Laurence Gould, who at age 18 served as a school teacher in Boca Raton and went on to become a leading American scientist. He taught school here from 1914 - 1916 and participated in many of the activities of the town organizing community gatherings, teaching Sunday School, and with his students, publishing Boca Raton’s first “newspaper.” Always keeping touch with friends in Boca Raton he attended the University of Michigan, receiving a master’s degree in Sc. D. in glacial geology in 1925, and joined the faculty there. Subsequently he participated Admiral Byrd’s Antarctica expedition as second in command in 1929. Laurence Gould’s life story contained here is personalized by letters to friends he made in South Florida and punctuated by notes from Admiral Byrd himself.
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Vol. XII, Nos. 1 & 2, Fall/Winter, 1983/1984
The Mizner Development Corporation’s Administration Buildings
These two Mediterranean Revival buildings located at Dixie Highway and Camino Real were designed by Addison Mizner in 1925 as his business headquarters. Now owned privately, they have been in constant use since being built – as offices, luxury living facilities, commercially, and as small bedroom apartments for staff members of the Boca Raton Hotel and Club. During the early 1980s the Boca Raton Preservation Board proposed the buildings for the National Register of Historic Place, the application for which is included here. This volume also includes an earlier proposal from 1927 for adaptive use for the buildings and is accompanied by photographs of the buildings, both historical and contemporary.
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Vol. XII, No. 3, Spring, 1984
Theodore Pratt (1901 - 1969) A Reassessment
By Geoffrey Lynfield
One of Boca Raton’s best known authors, Theodore Pratt lived in the Old Floresta section of Boca Raton, 1946 - 1958, and then another twelve years in Delray Beach. He authored some 35 books of which half were set in Florida with five made into Hollywood movies. The most famous related to our local history make up his trilogy: The Barefoot Mailman (1948), The Flame Tree (1950), and The Big Bubble (1951). Lynfield thoroughly covers Pratt’s life and writing career spicing up the story with bits and pieces of gossip and analysis of the novels.
Included in this Spanish River Paper are two short pieces by Daniel F. Austin, A Hillsboro River in Palm Beach County and Bleach Yard alias Hobe Mountain. These are both scholarly works and present historical information concerning well known natural landmarks in Palm Beach County.
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Vol. XIII, No. 1, 2, Fall/Winter, 1984/1985
Restoring Town Hall
By Mary Lew Redd
On May 6, 1975 the City of Boca Raton, Florida set forth Resolution No. 58-75 designating the old city hall as an historic site and declaring its future use as an historical museum by 1976. From the selection of restoration architect William Cox, who had grown up in Boca Raton and was very familiar with the City Hall, and builder Ron DeMarco along with his daughter, Diane, who were showing great interest in history with their recent renovations of several older homes, to the Capital Fund Drive organized by the Boca Raton Historical Society the plan moved forward to reality. This is an interesting and detailed story about the restoring of a once handsome and important building. The restoration was completed in 1984.
The Capital Fund Drive
By Anne Merrill
Merrill gives a thumbnail sketch concerning the raising of funds for the restoring of Old Town Hall. The Boca Raton Historical Society’s Capital Fund Drive began November, 1982, and ended July, 1984, raising $508,000. She ends with a full listing of all donors.
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Vol. XIII, No. 3, Spring, 1985
Yamato and Morikami
The Story of the Japanese Colony and Some of Its Settlers
By Geoffrey Lynfield
Although little remains of the Yamato Colony except Yamato Road this booklet covers in great depth both the development and dissolution of the Japanese farming community established in the very early 1900s. Lynfield relates the history of Jo Sakai, the developer of the colony; George Morikami known because of the Morikami Museum built on his former farm land and named in his honor; as well as other Yamato families: the Kamiyas, Kobayashis, and Kamikamas.
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Vol. XIV, No. 1, Fall, 1985
World War II in Boca Raton: The Home Front
By Drollene P. Brown
Drollene Brown relates the tale of how Boca Raton, “just a sleepy little town” in 1940s, came to play host to the Army Air Corp’s top secret radar-training installation during World War II. Brown also recounts the occupation of the Boca Raton Club by the military, the local submarine activity, and participation by the local civilian population in the war effort.
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Vol. XIV, No. 2, Winter, 1986
Deerfield Island
By: Flora Fernandez
Fernandez gives us an in depth history of this small island officially named Deerfield Island Park, which is located between and often claimed by both Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton. Its formation and geological make up is discussed; its ownership is argued about; its usage designation caused great battles; and the park, naturalistic boardwalk, nature walks and ecological studies, as well as camping area are all used widely by many adults, students, and nature lovers.
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Vol. XIV, No. 3, Spring, 1986
The Life of a Boca Raton Woman
By: Ella Elizabeth Holst
Lillian Ruby Race Williams was a self-reliant determined woman with an optimistic outlook in spite of the challenges in her life. She had pride in her own strength, put her thoughts down on paper for her own enjoyment and for others to enjoy after she was gone, and freely gave of her musical talents and warm personality. Williams was the owner of the small wooden house which now houses the Boca Raton Children’s Museum. She loved her home which was nestled in a stand of Australian Pines, naming it Singing Pines because of the musical sound that emanated from the swaying branches.
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Vol. XV, 1986/1987
Pearl City: An Analysis of the Folk History
By: Sharon Wells
This study focuses on the past experiences and heritage of Boca Raton’s historically African American community, Pearl City, a small enclave comprising only a three block area between Dixie and Federal Highways. This volume features data gleaned from interviews of many citizens of Pearl City as they shared their history and their lives in that small stable community in the midst of rapid transition and growth. There are many photographs of the community’s settlers and long time residents.
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Vol. XVI, 1987/1988
Clarence Geist and Boca Raton
In November of 1927, utilities magnate Clarence Geist acquired the properties of the bankrupt Mizner Development Corporation. A few months later he announced the opening of bids on a huge addition to the Cloister Inn with plans for a $1,000,000 building program. Clarence Geist and his Spanish River Land company managers quickly became a significant influence on the development and operation of the young town of Boca Raton. This volume includes research based on newspaper articles, legal documents from the Boca Raton Syndicate of which Geist was the Manager, a 1929 brochure entitled “Boca Raton Club,” and minutes of meetings of Boca Raton’s Town Commission.
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XVII, August, 1993
Women in Boca Raton: Fifty Years of History
By: Cindy Strasser
From Lizzie Rickards, who in the early 1900s followed her husband to unsettled Boca Raton, to the nurses who served at the Boca Raton Air Field during World War II, this volume presents the story of strong women with a sense of adventure –and a sense of humor– who helped create the modern city of Boca Raton. This volume was taken from text for an exhibition created by Ms. Strasser for the BRHS which was recognized with a commendation form the American Association of State and Local History.
Also included is a Boca Raton historical time line, an excerpt from Dr. Donald Curl’s The Pioneer Cook in Southeast Florida, and an article entitled Women in Yamato by Joanne M. Lloyd.
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Vol. XVIII, October, 2002
The Boca Raton Historical Society's Streamline Passenger Cars
This issue is a compilation of the National Register of Historic Places application for the BRHS&M's two streamliner rail cars now located at the Boca Raton Florida East Coast Railway Station. The two cars were manufactured by the Budd Company for the Seaboard Air Line in 1947 and were part of the glamorous Silver Meteor New York to Miami train. Architectural historian Janet Murphy completed the research for the application and the two cars were officially listed on the NR in 2001. They have both since been restored and are open to the public. Photos include post-restoration views.
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Vol. XIX, March, 2007
(Boca Raton) Fifties Facts
Boca Raton pioneer Patricia Eddinger Jakubek complied this fun collection of information about her home town in the 1950s. Visit this profile of life in small town South Florida in a time before air conditioning, condos, IBM, and FAU.
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Vol. XX, December, 2007
A Chronicle of the Boca Raton Public Library, 1923 - 2007
This issue of the Spanish River Papers was complied by Boca Raton Public Library staff members Richard J. Kuster, Marcella Bush Trevino, Margaret C. Wendy, Jane Engel and others in honor of the opening of the new Spanish River branch of the city's public library in 2007. It traces the origins and history of the Boca Raton's library system from its creation in 1923.
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Vol. XXI, November, 2012
Boca Raton's Spanish Village
The original houses of the community known as Spanish Village were constructed by Mizner Development Corporation contractor Harry Vought in 1925. Today only eleven of the original modest homes remain. FAU student Michael Wright presents his thorough research on the development and history of these tangible links with Boca Raton's glamorous "Boomtime" heritage.
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Vol. XXII, August, 2014
Women of the Boca Raton Army Air Field
Both civilian and military women played a significant and little explored role at the Boca Raton Army Air Field during World War II. Here author Aubrey Kintop (M.A. History, FAU) shares her research on the topic from her student days, previously presented to the Florida Historical Society (2011) and at the BRHS&M’s Town Hall Talk lecture series (2011).
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Vol. XXIII, September, 2014
World War I Letters of Laurence Gould
Laurence Gould served as Boca Raton’s school teacher from 1914-1916, forging lifelong friendships with some of the local pioneers. FAU graduate Michael Wright based this article on a series of letters written by the young Gould to local pioneers during his service with the United States Army Ambulance Corps (USAACS) during World War I. They document not only the everyday life of a soldier, but the “goings-on” of what was then the small farm town of Boca Raton, Florida, 100 years ago.
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Vol. XXIV, July, 2018
World War II Letters from Shirley and Robert Barnes
In 1942, the Army Air Corps relocated its technical school for radar training to Boca Raton, Florida. Amongst those who were stationed at Boca Raton during the war were women who enrolled in the Army Nurse Corps (ANC), on such nurse was Ms. Shirley Armstrong, soon to be Mrs. Shirley Barnes. The following selections of letters were written between Shirley Armstrong Barnes and her then to be future husband Mr. Robert Barnes, from 1944 to 1948. The selections shadow Shirley's career as a nurse from before her transfer to the Boca Raton Air Field to just after. The letters are written by both Shirley and Robert offering an account of World War II from multiple perspectives.