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| Joined: | Sat Jan 27th, 2007 |
| Location: | Texas USA |
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Regarding Henry Flagler, while he became a very rich man, he did not gain this wealth as a result of the Civil War. During that time, he operated a salt mining company, but when the demand for salt dropped when the war ended, his company was bankrupted. But perhaps in that capacity he contributed more to the society than he could have by joining the military.
Flagler met John D. Rockefeller as a result of being in the grain business, which Rockefeller was in before going into oil. Flagler helped Rockefeller with financing as a result of his ability to borrow money from rich relatives.
Flagler ended up in Florida because of the illness of his first wife. He built a famous hotel in St. Augustine. He expanded his holdings in the hotel business and prospered. He got into the railroad business as a means to transport people and freight to support his hotel ventures. Eventually, this was extended south and promoted foreign trade.
I think that Flagler has to be given a lot of credit for promoting the development of commerce in large areas of Florida, as well as building infrastructure. No doubt this created opportunities for other Floridians.
Flagler Museum - Henry Flagler Biography