Bill and I were looking for a place to ride to yesterday that would be a bit longer than our usual bike ride. So we decided to head north into West Palm Beach, go through downtown and head towards the Northwood area. We had heard of a WPB city park that honored the victims of the flood caused by the 1928 hurricane over Lake Okeechobee.
You can read a little bit about it here.
I can tell you that it was a little off-putting to see a CRA redevelopment sign at the southwest corner of 25th Street and Tamarind Avenue. It had been there a while too since Mayor Frankel's name was on it and few of the current city commissioners. In the background of the sign, there is a general map of the area called Coleman Park, of which this burial site is a part.
Here is some other signage at that corner indicating where you are and what the park is about. If you go there by bike from Lake Worth, it ends up being around a 20 mile round trip. We took Flagler Drive there and back - going through the downtown for a quick errand. There is some on street parking if you want to drive there.
If you do bike there, go with someone and don't prattle around too much. As Bill was taking some of these pictures, a homeless man who had sort of set up camp under one of the small pavilions there told him to "Be careful. Someone in this neighborhood would shoot you for that bike your riding." Sage advice.
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As you walk around the park, there are various monuments and the feeling is solemn, much like a cemetery. It is general well-kept, with only some normal maintenance items needing some attention.
The area above, closest to 25th Street was separated from the rest of the area. There wasn't much explanation as to why, but you got the idea that was the place where most of the bodies were buried at the time.
There are various markers as you pass the corners where the monuments are commemorating those that lost their lives during this tragic historical event.
I wonder what is in this time capsule. We have some time to wait before it is opened. This is right next to the state historical maker. The site made it on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. This was after a long period of indifference shown for the site.
Above is the actual historical marker which tells the grim story of the hurricane and its aftermath. Below, you get a sense of the size of the area.
I was surprised how much land was devoted to it. All in all, a nice weekend bike ride.
![Dr. W. H. Cotton’s ode: “Oh, My Lake Worth, Florida!” [circa 1920].](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL75cv6zJQFjX15ojOIIz9AjnbqH4asHJTYSDhnGnYr7rJZRha1NcNTirj2xPcId158vkz5Hw-wXgOfrlztj8Zr8jLFFCfuEN6PyV44ZlpMRmJ68xbtFL9vzxNiG7xDs_HJvm/s1600/LakeWorthPioneers.JPG)
