Union Colony in the Confederate South studies a retirement community in North Florida developed for veterans of the Union army. Hundreds of acres of virgin pine and palmetto along St. Andrews Bay were purchased by William Harcourt Lynn as president of a Delaware chartered company, the St. Andrews Bay Development Company. The project was promoted by the Grand Army of The Republic, a Union veteran's organization. Lots in the planned colony were advertised in The National Tribune, a G.A.R. publication and sold by agents throughout the country. In 1911, aged men and their families took possession of their property in the new town, Lynn Haven. Over the next two years, the colony experienced a period of astounding growth. These twentieth-century pioneers/retirees built homes, businesses, and churches there. They established social and civic clubs and instituted local government. Both Lynn Haven and the new Bay County were chartered in 1913. The veterans provided a school for the children and educational opportunities for all citizens. Their experiences demonstrate that the west coast was promoted much as the east coast, but developed in its own unique manner. Many lived out their years enjoying the Florida environment, but survival of the town became questionable as economic problems developed and the population declined as the settlers died. / Unfortunately, the developer, Lynn, and his company did not realize the financial rewards they anticipated. By 1915, the community bank failed and by 1917, the St. Andrews Bay Company went into receivership. William Lynn turned his attention to other promotions, and the town bearing his name was left to fend for itself. By 1920 the population had declined from two thousand to seven hundred. Only through the concerted efforts of the transplanted Northerners who had grown to love their community in the South did Lynn Haven survive to become the prosperous community that today approaches its centennial. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-02, Section: A, page: 0834. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77658 |
| Contributors | Walters, Glenda Jane., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 332 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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