Located on Florida's Atlantic Coast midway between Palm Beach and Miami, Pompano Beach marks the northern boundary of the Florida reef at the outlet from the Intracoastal Waterway to the ocean. Incorporated in 1908, the city is now home to more than 82,000 residents, who consider their community, with its historic buildings, pristine beaches, and comfortable lifestyle, the "Gem of the Gold Coast."
The completion of the Pompano Canal in 1890 and the arrival of the Flagler Florida East Coast Railway in 1896 provided the basis for the early development around Lettuce Lake, now Lake Santa Barbara, and Pompano Beach's rich farmland attracted the area's first settlers. These stalwart men and women faced with determination the challenges of natural disasters and economic uncertainty and carved their prosperous community out of the harsh Florida landscape. Prominent people, such as the McNab brothers, George L. Blount, the Garner family, George and Mary Butler, Blanche Ely, the Rolle family, and others, took part in the developing tale of Pompano Beach, while local landmarks and events, such as the Kester Cottages, the State Farmers' Market, Pompano Harness Park, Goodyear Blimp, the Holiday Boat Parade, the Broward County Fair, and Pioneer Days, helped to shape the area's rich heritage. Featuring over 200 vintage photographs of such people and places, this pictorial retrospective captures, in word and image, the scenes of Pompano Beach's unique history.