Road Trip Series: 

Recently, in response to Senate President Joe Negron’s proposal to purchase 60,000 acres of land south of Lake Okeechobee, a movement began called #GladesLivesMatter. This group is concerned for the future of their communities due to the intensifying coastal cry: “Send the water south!”

Tension or misunderstanding between the Glades and the Coastal Communities is not a new theme. As we’ll learn, with creativity and determination it has been overcome before. Maybe we can learn something from the past and try to achieve this too?

In 1917, the year the West Palm Beach Canal was constructed and roads were first available from the coast to the Glades, Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce president, T.J. Campbell wrote a Post article urging his readers to “take a growing interest in the people who live in rural communities, and make their living from the products of the soil.”

According to Palm Beach County historian James D. Snyder, Campbell’s article was unintentionally patronizing  in that, “it chastised the urbanite for too often viewing the ruralists with feelings not unmixed with contempt or at least a certain pride of superiority.”

Sound familiar?

After some ruffled feathers, deliberation, and discussion it was decided that Campbell was making a point and that both sides needed each other, and both sides misunderstood the other.

So with the new transportation routes a motorcade (road trip) was organized to Belle Glade.  It was a success and the coastal residents were amazed. To show good will, in the months following, the American Legion of the Glades traveled to the coast and marched in the 1921 Palm Beach County parade. They performed a song-poem as the “Muck Rats” and were the hit of the parade!

I’m from old Lake Okeechobee,

Where they raise gators,

Beans and pertaters,

Catfish and termites and Prohibition haters,

Custard apple, moon vine, 

Catfish and moonshine, 

All the time!

Even if the main thing in common was that many of the Coastal and Glades residents were “Prohibition haters,” of which we’ll learn about tomorrow, this effort of goodwill bettered relationships. And in the end, both sides made the effort. Why not take a drive? A road trip? You just might be amazed… 🙂

Glades Lives Matter, US Sugar: http://www.ussugar.com/news/icymi-glades-lives-matter/

Florida Politics/ Joe Negron: http://floridapolitics.com/archives/218759-joe-negron-says-hell-push-funding-buy-land-south-lake-o