PALM BEACH, Fla. (December 2, 2004)--- Author/historian, Jim Snyder, has released his latest book, “Black Gold and Silver Sands: a Pictorial History of Agriculture in Palm Beach County.” Published by t he Historical Society of Palm Beach County and Pharos Books, and underwritten in part by Palm Beach County’s pioneer farming families, the 224-page documentary chronicles the determination of the area’s earliest farmers who set out to transform vast tracts of sand, muck, swampland and the Everglades “black gold” soil into fertile farmland and a thriving agricultural business.

The book will be for sale for $39.95 directly from the Historical Society and Pharos Books beginning December 15. Thanks to a donation by Polly Mounts, wife of the late Judge Marvin Mounts, a former Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge, Historical Society board member and avid preservationist, the book will also be available in public and private libraries throughout the county. A portion of the proceeds from the book’s sale will benefit the Historical Society.

Through over 250 photographs and excerpts from journals provided by the Historical Society, family collections and museums, “Black Gold and Silver Sands” provides a glimpse into the dramatic lives of the area’s first settlers, from the first attempts to farm the Lake Okeechobee area and the destruction caused by the Storm of ’28, to the introduction of mechanized farming and Palm Beach County’s vital farming role during World War II. The book also illustrates the adversities faced by the early farming families who endured through floods, frost, drought, hurricanes and the Great Depression.

“For decades, farming was the backbone of Palm Beach County’s economy,” said Harvey Oyer, chairman of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. “The evidence of that history is visible today when you look at our intricate system of canals and waterways and the agri-businesses that still flourish throughout the area. This is an often overlooked chapter of our heritage, and we appreciate the opportunity to introduce it to our children and the entire community.”

Snyder will begin a local book tour for “Black Gold” beginning on Sunday, December 5 with a private event hosted by the Farm Credit of South Florida, ACA and the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. Upcoming appearances include a lecture on Jan. 25 at Palm Beach Atlantic University in the Vera Lea Rinker Hall in West Palm Beach as part of the Historical Society’s lecture series.

This is Snyder’s third book on local history. His “Life and Death on the Loxahatchee, The Story of Trapper Nelson,” won the Florida Publishers Association Silver Award for the best non-fiction book of 2002. Snyder is also the author of “ Five Thousand Years on the Loxahatchee, a Pictorial History of Jupiter –Tequesta.”

Return to News Room