Boca Raton History
Boca Raton's earliest known inhabitants were the Tequesta Indians, who lived near the ocean around one thousand years ago until the 18th century. There still exists an ancient burial mound in todays Boca Marina neighborhood just off Federal highway.
The name of the City, Boca Raton has an interesting history. Many people wrongly assume the name is simply Rat’s Mouth. The Spanish word boca (or mouth) often described an inlet, while ratone (literally mouse) was used as a term for a cowardly thief. The "Inlet (of) Thieves," Boca Ratones, appeared on eighteenth century maps associated with an inlet in the Biscayne Bay area of Miami.
In the 1890s Florida East Coast Canal (the Intracoastal waterway) and the Florida East Coast Railway (built by Henry Flagler) made the region accessible to settlers. In 1895 Thomas More Rickards was the first to build a house and general store in the area. At the beginning of the 1900s Boca Raton became an agricultural community. Farmers grew vegetables, citrus and pineapples. Notable were Japanese immigrants under the leadership of Joseph Sakai, who formed a community by today’s Yamato Road which happens to be an ancient name for Japan.
In May of 1925, the Town of Boca Raton was incorporated. The town council commissioned society architect Addison Mizner to plan a world-class resort community. His exclusive hotel known as the Cloister Inn, was completed in 1926 and continues today as the Boca Raton Resort and Club. Many of Mizner’s plans for the community were ended by the demise of the land boom in 1926. Still a number of his homes survive today in the "Old Floresta" area. His architectural style still continues to influence the city. A recent monument was erected to Mizner himself topped by his statue with his pet monkey on his shoulder.
One of Mizner’s projects was a design for a city hall for Boca Raton. Completed by Delray architect William Alsmeyer in 1927, Old Town Hall at 71 North Federal Highway still bears the original footprint of the Mizner design, and was constructed using ironwork, tile, and woodwork supplied by Mizner Industries. Today the restored Town Hall is the home of the Boca Raton Historical Society.
Boca was known for its winter vegetables, particularly green beans. In 1942, the Army Air Corps established its only war-time radar training school at the site of what is today F.A.U. and the Boca Raton Airport. There were over 30,000 servicemen, families and civilian employees at the time when Boca Raton's population was only 723 in 1940.
In the 1950s, the still small town played host to a safari park called Africa USA which opened where the Camino Gardens subdivision stands now. The Winter Bible Conference Grounds now known as Bibletown was established in buildings of the former Air Field.
Starting In the 1950s, South Florida experienced another land boom, with developments pushing West to the Everglades. Boca's population grew to almost 30,000 residents by 1970, continuing to increase well outside city limits to this day. In 1962, Boca Raton attracted the newest state university, Florida Atlantic, to the site of the old army airbase. IBM moved one of its computer facilities to Boca Raton in 1967, and in 1981, it was there the first IBM PC, or personal computer, was developed.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the city focused much of its attention on downtown redevelopment, and a number of important historical properties, such as Boca Raton’s original Town Hall and F.E.C. Railway Station were restored and opened to the public. Many fine cultural facilities, such as the Boca Raton Museum of Art, have grown up to meet the needs of the growing population.
Credit for source material: Boca Raton Historical Society, City of Boca Raton and personal observation.