"I am very disappointed in this land. It's just a piece of white sand and little under construction," penned D. S. Cory in a letter from Florida Dec. 23, 1916.
Cory, writing from Stuart, Fla., continued:
"It is very warm here for this time of year. Had three cool spells since we came. The coolest was about 39 above. There is not one acre out of 100,000 that is improved. It lays level, grows palmetto brush, sour mash, and scattering pines — mostly small like a telephone pole.
"It is very warm here for this time of year. Had three cool spells since we came. The coolest was about 39 above. There is not one acre out of 100,000 that is improved. It lays level, grows palmetto brush, sour mash, and scattering pines — mostly small like a telephone pole.
"Eames took us out to see his land. We were alike in our opinion of it. He asks $90 per acre for it where better land can be bought close in and on the river for $20. This land has got to be drained, limed, and fertilized before it will raise anything. They have but few stock here for they have nothing to keep it on. The native grass in worthless. This town has four cows and they haven't been here long. Very few chickens are seen. Everything to feed stock has to be shipped here from some place north. There are some fair farming spots in the central and western parts. This is rather new country on the eastern spot.
"The railroad was built 16 years ago. It runs from Jacksonville to Key West. There is not a grade in the 500 miles of road. It is the only direct road to Cuba. They run whole trains on a large boat that will hold 80 cars and ferry them over to Cuba. I see whole train loads of people pass here going to Cuba. They have from 30 to 40 cars each. There is more business on this road in one day than there is in Valley Falls in six.
"This town is building fast by rich men from the north. They make this town their winter home. In the spring they go back north. They are the ones who built this East Coast Country.
"Fishing is the only industry here. I see new faces every day. They (fish) are caught by thousand pounds every day and shipped north. I went down to the fish house when they came in with 8,000 pounds. They go out in the ocean and catch mackeral. There are some large fish in the river, having been caught weighing 400 pounds. I saw two men this morning have three in their boat that weighed 200 pounds.
"I have been fishing with some men from northern Ohio. The river is close to town, lined with palm trees, motor boats going and coming. This town is a beautiful place."
Source: Newspaper (name unknown) from Valley Falls High School scrapbook.
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