This week in history: The Providencia wrecks on Palm Beach with a cargo of coconuts
On Jan. 9, 1878, the Spanish brig Providencia bound from Mexico to Spain with a cargo of logs, hides and 20,000 coconuts ran aground on what was then known at the lake region. Local residents took the coconuts as salvage and within a decade, the area was filled with palm trees, and the island had a new name — Palm Beach.
Tags: Palm Beach, place names, shipwrecks, This Week in History
I heard the story from an elderly fellow that I helped move from his apartment on Flagler (Viking Arms). I moved him over to the assisted living facility on Flagler. I wasn’t sure if it was a true story or not, although it made perfect sense and he was going on his 93rd birthday I passed it off as just a “story” he was telling. It’s great to hear that the story is true…..