Last Train to Paradise

 It was reading Chanel Cleeton's novel The Last Train to Key West recently which finally spurred me into reading Les Standiford's account of the building of Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad's (FEC) extension to Key West, Last Train to Paradise (#985).  What a monumental undertaking!  Although its existence as a railroad was relatively brief after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 destroyed large sections of it, its indelible impact on the Keys cannot be denied.

The FEC itself still exists to this day, and is part of my everyday life; I crisscross its tracks in the course of my errands and appointments, and hear its engine whistles blowing at night.  I've often visited Henry Flagler's Palm Beach mansion Whitehall, and toured his personal railroad car housed on the grounds.  I've driven down to Key West on the Overseas Highway which replaced Flagler's railroad from Homestead to Key West and appreciated the stunning views, but until I read this book, I had never really considered the vision, the effort and the cost that went into building that incredible connection to the furthest flung of the Florida Keys.  I will never see it again the same way after reading Last Train to Paradise.  And lest you think that this is some dry, prosy local history, bear in mind that Les Standiford was a successful thriller/mystery writer before he turned to non-fiction.  His narration here is every bit as gripping, but it's about real people and real events.  The Centennial Edition and re-printing of his lavishly illustrated book was gifted to my local library by the Flagler Museum, and is worth seeking out to visualize just what was entailed with the construction of this "Eighth Wonder of the World".

Anyone can tell you who John D. Rockefeller was, but how many know who his partner in Standard Oil was?  If you read Last Train to Paradise, you'll be amazed that more people don't know the name Henry Flagler.  Don't be one of them!  Thanks, Chanel Cleeton for pointing me in this book's direction!