Not sure if this has been posted previously. I found it interesting
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/storm/cont ... _0823.html
Apparently the death toll has been raised from 1,836 to 2,500 or perhaps even 3,000
this makes the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane the 2nd Deadliest in US History
Death toll of Lake Okeechobee Hurricane Revised
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AussieMark
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Yes, this was brought to light once again in a book written about the hurricane (and was made into a TWC Storm Stories episode). I travel that region frequently, and, it's easy for me to see why this would happen - even today, Belle Glade and South Bay are very poor agricultural communities.
Many people under 50 forget that Florida was a segregated state until 1964, and, by my own memory, that did not completely end until the early 1970's (my Mom and I were some of the early riders of a Miami bus line that was open to both whites and blacks - something still considered unacceptable to some even as late as 1970).
In 1928, Florida was still in the grip of the post-civil war Jim Crow era, with weekend hangings still commonplace (even here in Fort Lauderdale). In those days, separate rolls were kept for whites, blacks, and native americans (the hispanic population was very small at the time), and, in the event of a disaster of this kind, would explain why the county and state made decisions based on what had become "acceptable" over many years.
In fact, here is a link to a page that shows what one of these rolls actually looked like (c. 1915):
http://ccharity.com/census/seminolecensus2.htm
For additional background, the book "Cross Creek" (written in the late 1920's) gives a detailed account of rural Florida life at the time.
Hope this helps,
Frank
Many people under 50 forget that Florida was a segregated state until 1964, and, by my own memory, that did not completely end until the early 1970's (my Mom and I were some of the early riders of a Miami bus line that was open to both whites and blacks - something still considered unacceptable to some even as late as 1970).
In 1928, Florida was still in the grip of the post-civil war Jim Crow era, with weekend hangings still commonplace (even here in Fort Lauderdale). In those days, separate rolls were kept for whites, blacks, and native americans (the hispanic population was very small at the time), and, in the event of a disaster of this kind, would explain why the county and state made decisions based on what had become "acceptable" over many years.
In fact, here is a link to a page that shows what one of these rolls actually looked like (c. 1915):
http://ccharity.com/census/seminolecensus2.htm
For additional background, the book "Cross Creek" (written in the late 1920's) gives a detailed account of rural Florida life at the time.
Hope this helps,
Frank
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