At 1 pm on the sunny afternoon of May 4, 1942, the master of the 9,767-ton British tanker Eclipse was confused to see a torpedo speeding toward him from the beach near the Boynton Beach Inlet. Incredibly, the 220 foot-long submarine U-564, commanded by German ace Reinhard “Teddy” Suhren, had …
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In the mid-19th century, the sixty-eight mile stretch of coastline between present-day Palm Beach and Miami had remained largely untouched since Ponce de Leon sailed past in 1513. Local Native American tribes such as the Jeaga and Tekesta had disappeared in the early 1700s, but it was still wild country …
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On October 27, 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the aircraft carrier USS Randolph and eleven destroyers detected the Soviet diesel-electric submarine B-59 in the Windward Passage between the southern-most tip of Cuba and Haiti. They began depth charging, totally unaware that the Soviet submarine was carrying a nuclear torpedo …
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The Labrador Retriever may be America’s most popular breed, but the French Bulldog is most popular in West Palm Beach for the fifth year in a row, according to the American Kennel Club’s (AKC®) 2020 ranking of the most popular AKC-recognized dog breeds in the United States. The French Bulldog …
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How terrifying were the Ashley Gang? Between 1915 and 1924, they robbed over forty banks. One Florida official said they were the greatest threat to the state since the Seminole Indian Wars. Their appetite for revenge was insatiable. No matter how long it took, once you crossed them they would …
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For centuries, Florida’s Seminoles called them the Esti Capcaki (Tall Man). Today, they are known as the Skunk Ape and Palm Beach County has had its fair share of sightings. Understandably, most people are skeptical that such a creature ever existed. Sightings peaked in the 1970s as residential construction began …
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In late April 1519, Juan Ponce de Leon made landfall at the Jupiter Inlet (Rio de la Cruz) with two ships, the Santa Maria de la Consolacion and the Santiago, to replenish water and firewood, and wait for a third ship, the Cristobal, to rejoin them. They were met by …
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On January 9, 1878, the 175-ton, square-rigged, Spanish brigantine The Providencia, bound from Trinidad to Havana to Cadiz, Spain with a cargo of logs, Cuban rum & cigars, animal hides, beans, garlic and Trinidadian coconuts, ran aground on what was then known as the Lake Worth Country (named for Major …
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WestPalmBeach.com Official Guide to West Palm Beach, Florida