Overseas Highway: The Impact of Roads on Real Estate in the Florida

[mackfox]

While all of this was going on, Washington was being bombarded by war veterans seeking to gain access to their bonus for fighting in World War I. Roosevelt came up with a plan to take care of both problems at one time, and through the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), sent the veterans to the Keys to work on the bridge.

In 1935, Florida Keys real estate was slammed by a major category five hurricane. One of the primary casualties was Henry Flagler's railroad. With the majority of the real estate in the Florida Keys located in Key West, it was vital to the success of Monroe County to either rebuild the railroad or finish the highway. With the Florida East Coast Railway bankrupt, it was sold to the State of Florida for the completion of the highway.