Photo Credit: Michael Evans
Palm City is located in western Martin County.
In 1912, Charles C. Chillingworth and his Palm Beach County Land Company bought property from George Beckwith. He had acquired the land in 1889, and advertised the land throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Pineapples, oranges and grapefruit were grown at a “Demonstration Farm” on present-day Martin Highway. This was to show farmers what they could expect if they settled in the newly named Palm City.
Chillingworth provided boats, mule-teams and covered wagons (later replaced by a Model T Ford) to take the prospective clients around the undeveloped countryside. An advertisement in the Palm Beach County newspaper boasted “Free dinner on New Year’s Day for progressive buyers. A 10 acre tract for $50 per acre with a free town lot in Palm City to every purchaser. Also a 85 cents for a round trip train ticket from West Palm Beach to Stuart.
The Chamber of Commerce currently own and operates the original building known as The Palm Beach Land Company Real Estate Office.
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