Henry Flagler American industrialist Date of Birth: 02.01.1830 Country: USA

Biography of Henry Flagler

American industrialist and co-founder of Standard Oil, Henry Flagler played a pivotal role in the development of the eastern coast of Florida. Born on January 2, 1830, in Hopewell, New York, Flagler grew up in a Presbyterian minister's family. At the age of 14, he left home and joined his stepbrother Daniel in Republic, Ohio, where they worked in their uncle's store, earning $5 a month plus room and board.

Within five years, Flagler's income grew to $400 per month, but he left Republic along with Daniel and moved to Bellevue, Ohio, to join his brother's grain trading business. By 1862, Flagler had earned enough to open his own enterprise, the Flagler and York Salt Company, in Michigan. However, the end of the Civil War in 1865 led to a sharp decline in demand for salt, and Flagler returned to Bellevue heavily in debt, having lost $50,000 of his own money and the same amount borrowed from his father-in-law and stepbrother.

Fortune favored Flagler once again when he met John D. Rockefeller, who was working as a trade agent. In the mid-1860s, Cleveland became the hub of the emerging American oil industry, and Rockefeller switched from grain to oil. In 1867, Rockefeller turned to Flagler for financial support, and Flagler managed to raise $100,000 from his family members on the condition that he would become a partner in the new business. Eventually, their small enterprise transformed into the world-renowned corporation, Standard Oil, thanks to Flagler's innovative ideas.

In 1876, Flagler took his first wife, Mary Harkness Flagler, to Jacksonville, Florida, on the advice of a physician. While Florida didn't cure Mary, who passed away in 1881, the beautiful places with pleasant climates left an impression on Flagler. Following his wife's death, he married Ida Alice Shourds, who had cared for Mary during her illness, and the newlyweds traveled to St. Augustine.

Flagler found the city enchanting, but the hotels and transportation were awful, so he set out to change that. While still serving on the board of directors for Standard Oil, Flagler focused his efforts on improving Florida. The first step towards future success was the construction of the grand Ponce de Leon Hotel, with 540 rooms, completed in January 1888. The success was immediate. However, traveling from New York, the center of money and power, to the Florida coast through swamps and marshes was uncomfortable. To solve this problem, Flagler initiated the construction of a railway, which eventually became the Florida East Coast Railway. The press immediately dubbed Florida the American Riviera. Interestingly, while building resorts and hotels, Flagler also never forgot about "minor" things like churches, schools, and hospitals.

By 1895, it became clear that Ida Alice was suffering from a mental disorder that was progressing. In a not-so-noble move, Flagler pressed the state legislature to pass a law allowing divorce in cases of incurable mental illness. Divorce was prohibited in New York, where Flagler resided, but partially allowed in Florida in cases of proven infidelity. Flagler divorced Ida Alice but left her with millions for her support. In 1901, he married a young woman named Mary Lily Kenan, and the happy couple moved into a 55-room mansion in Palm Beach. Unfortunately, this move marked the beginning of the end. In 1913, Flagler fell down the marble staircase of his huge home and never fully recovered. He passed away on May 20, 1913.

Flagler's vast fortune was divided among his son from his first marriage, his second and third wives, and a supposed "niece" who, rumor has it, was actually his illegitimate daughter.