Sunday Favorites: Luxury in the Wild South, Part 2

Last week, we delved into the life of railroad and hotel developer Henry Plant, whose ambitious projects changed the landscape of Florida in the late 1800s. Henry’s personal life and connections during the Civil War set the stage for a vocation that would not only bring him to Florida, but allow him to mold one of America’s wildest frontiers into the luxurious destination many consider it today.

By 1879, Plant had positioned himself to launch a full-scale involvement in the railroad industry. His connections in government, especially his former partner Rufus Bullock who briefly held office as governor of Georgia, had passed legislation that benefited Plant in creating his railroad empire.

Plant bought up several rail lines that were in the midst of foreclosure, and secured funds to connect the lines to Tampa. From there, he purchased a line of steamers that expanded his reach to the Caribbean, Central America and even South America.

His friends in Tallahassee made the expansion more desirable by offering Plant generous land grants for many of his ventures. Although Plant had amassed a small fortune, he still needed help securing funds for the expansion. In 1882, he formed the Plant Investment Co., which included Henry S. Stanford, Henry Flagler and John D. Rockefeller. It was a simple operation that avoided bonds, debt and interest. Instead, Plant would let his investors know the budget for a project; they would then split the funds amongst themselves and send him a check. It was basically a circle of moneyed friends that became much richer for capitalizing on Plant’s vision.

In June of 1883, Plant purchased a particularly coveted railway called the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway. The deal included an absurd amount of state land grants: 14,000 acres for every mile of track constructed. However, there was a catch: the grant would expire if the project wasn’t completed by January 1884.

What ensued was one of the most ambitious and abysmal projects in history. Plant placed two huge work parties of black laborers, many leased prisoners, in the middle of the Florida wilderness. They were instructed to race toward each other laying railroad track. The workers suffered immensely in deplorable conditions and an unthinkable work environment, many dying on the job. But as the deadline approached the workers were pushed even harder. The last spike was driven on January 23, 1884, just two days before the deadline.

One could say that spike secured Plant’s empire; with railway connecting northern Florida to Tampa, his systems of steamships and hotel resorts could also expand.

Tampa served as the main port for Plant’s steamships, transporting immigrants from all walks of life to the U.S. from the Caribbean and Central and South America.

But not all were pleased when they arrived in Tampa; some of the dignitaries began complaining that the hotels there were simply unacceptable for habitation. This threatened Plant’s reputation as an expert businessman and he responded by building the H.B. Plant Hotel, the first of many luxury resorts that would change the standard of living in Florida forever.

Tune in next week as we take a look at Plant’s vast hotel empire and how it took Florida out of the wild South, and into the lap of luxury.

The majority of information in this article came from the booklet, "Henry Bradley Plant, the Nineteenth Century King of Florida," copyright the Henry B. Plant Museum, 1999.