Henry Morrison Flagler

Biography

Henry Morrison Flagler, born in 1830, was a visionary industrialist who played a pivotal role in the rise of Standard Oil before turning his attention to opening Florida's Atlantic coast to tourism and settlement. His investment in railroads, hotels, and civic infrastructure created travel corridors that transformed sleepy towns into thriving communities.

Flagler's contributions to education, church building, and public works reflected a belief that prosperity should lift entire regions, and he is memorialized at Memorial Presbyterian Church as the architect of a Florida that welcomed visitors and residents with warmth and opportunity.