Blog & Storytelling

Celebrating Juneteenth and the the Life of George H. Green, a Delray Beach Pioneer

By Kayleigh Howald Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States. Although enslaved people were declared “legally free” with the Emancipation Proclamation […]

Prohibition in the Sunshine State: South Florida's History of Temperance and Rebellion, 1896-1934

By Kayleigh Howald On January 16, 1919, the U.S. ratified the Eighteenth Amendment, officially prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the United States. Yet, the […]

Segregated Shorelines: The Civil Rights Movement in Delray Beach

In the 1950s, America was simply booming. An economic boom, a housing boom, and a baby boom led to a decade marked by prosperity, optimism, and ambition. As […]

Shining Bright: The Delray Beach Historical Society Turns 60!

By Kayleigh Howald The Delray Beach Historical Society was founded amid a time of political and social change, substantial population growth, and urban sprawl. The development of new […]

A Good Walk Unspoiled: A History of the Delray Beach Golf Club

By Kayleigh Howald The Delray Beach Golf Club, located on West Atlantic Avenue, has provided Delray Beach residents with a local place to enjoy a round of golf […]

Delray's Beach: How a Critically Eroded Beach Became the Best in Florida

By Tom Warnke Delray’s beach was a vital asset from the settlement’s inception. In 1895, pioneers Sarah Gleason and William H. Hunt, her husband’s business partner, sold their […]

The Cason Family: A Legacy of Influence and Preservation

By Kayleigh Howald While many families and individuals proved influential in Delray Beach in its 130-year history, the Cason family are the nearest to our hearts at the […]

Samuel Ogren, Sr.: The Father of Delray Architecture

By Kayleigh Howald Samuel Ogren Sr., Delray Beach’s first registered architecture, is known as the “Father of Delray Architecture.” Born in Shanxi, China on the eve of the […]

Mayor Catherine E. Strong: Making H(er)story in Delray Beach

By Kayleigh Howald While Catherine E. Strong’s name is familiar to many throughout the Delray Beach area, her story and contributions to Delray Beach and south Palm Beach […]

Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season: The History of Delray Beach’s Tempests, 1903-1947

By Kayleigh Howald Every Floridian – whether a seasoned veteran of the Sunshine State or a new arrival – has a hurricane story. Maybe it is the story […]