Prior to1830 the Hillsborough River was called by several other names on early maps, New River, Middle River and Potomac River being among them. The original spelling of the river was due to the English Earl of Hillsborough having received land grants in the area by King George III of England in the late eighteenth century, during the English occupation of the territory. Sometime in the Seminole War era, military map makers took the liberty of shortening the name to Hillsboro, this was likely done to avoid confusion with another Hillsborough River in the Tampa area. At this time the river forked near where the railroad now crosses, the North Prong, later became called the El Rio canal, flowed to the west of the inland coastal ridge through marsh lands into Lake Ida and further north to Lake Osbourne. The west fork of the Hillsboro was a swampy series of creeks, and sloughs forever changing course through the marshlands of the everglades. bocahistory.org/_files/span_river/SRP%20Winter%201986.pdf The city history begins in 1877, when the first non-native sailing from Lake Worth to Miami glimpsed the swamps, dense vines, saw palmetto, wild fig trees, cabbage palms, and pine groves along the Hillsboro River which emptied into the Atlantic at present day Hillsboro inlet. To the south, Key West and Miami were flourishing villages. To the north, Palm Beach was gaining renown as a fashionable winter resort. By 1890, a few houses appeared, a settlement named Hillsborough also showed up on some maps along the meandering Hillsboro River. By the spring of 1896, Henry M. Flagler was extending his Florida East Coast Railroad down the coastline. The railroad opened up the tropical wilderness, pressing parallel against the Atlantic shore, which until then had been inhabited primarily by local fauna and Seminole Indians who lived inland. On June 22, 1898 a post office was established at Deerfield, Florida to serve a population of 20 settlers. It is said this name was chosen because of the numerous deer that grazed along the Hillsboro River. This river formed the northern boundary of Deerfield. A narrow wooden bridge crossed the stream west of the railroad, leading to another blossoming settlement: Boca Raton. In the late 19th century, as Henry M. Flagler (the railroad magnate) continued building the railway further south, travelers would pass through the area as they ventured toward Miami and Key West. Since a few homesteads existed along the freshwater Hillsboro River, a watering stop for the steam locomotives was built here. Due to the railroad, the area continued to grow as many more settlers came. These people established farms and grew pineapples, tomatoes, beans, squash and other winter crops. The community remained primarily agricultural but the settlers also fished along the Intracoastal Waterway. The intersection of Hillsboro Boulevard and Dixie Highway had become the area’s civic and business district. There were several stores, a lodge, the Post Office and some hotels. But the success of the district was primarily due to the farmers who shipped their goods north on the railroad. At the time, the Deerfield tomatoes were considered some of the best in Florida. On June 11, 1925, Deerfield became incorporated and George Emory Butler, Jr. became the first Mayor. At that time, the population had risen to 1,300 residents. In 1939, Deerfield changed its name to Deerfield Beach and the population rose to 1,800 residents. After WWII, many motels and hotels opened up along the shoreline and the tourist industry began to boom. In 1947, the distinguished Lions Club built Pioneer Park on the bank of the Hillsboro Canal. The Park contained a picnic area with barbeque pits and a baseball field with stands for the spectators. In 1957, Deerfield Beach experienced another name change to The City of Deerfield Beach. fcit.usf.edu/florida/maps/pages/9800/f9865/f9865.htm
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 04:27:20 +0000
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