In the winter of 1884, a wealthy visitor named Henry Flagler, a partner with John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil, came to St. Augustine and decided to transform it. Flagler developed St. Augustine into a major resort town for wealthy patrons from northern climates, heralding Florida as paradise. He also provided a means for tourists to arrive at and check into his new hotels safely, investing in both rail lines and steamships. St. Augustine quickly flourished with increased tourism. In the late 1880’s Victorian tourists from Henry Flagler’s grand hotels visited the island by horse-drawn cart or by rowboat for day excursions to the St. Augustine Lighthouse and picnics on the beach. 📍staugustinelighthouse.org 📸: michael_stultz_photography #staugustinelighthouse #lighthouse #staugustine #florida #henryflagler #floridahistory #staugustinebeach #saintaugustine #museum #lovefl #historichouse #tourism #history