The Newsletter October - December 2015 Florida on Wheels The Last Days of Summer Annual Report Letter From the CEO The Last Days of Summer--Looking Forward to Fall Like everyone else in South Florida, I am happy when I know that the long very hot days of sum- mer will soon be coming to an end. As I write this article for the fall newsletter, we are preparing the property for a possible hurricane (Erika). Even though we are days out from possible landfall, it takes all of those days to prepare the Museum. Bonnet House is blessed with a number of volun- teers and dedicated staff members who are helping us get ready. One of the reasons I look forward to cooler weather is because it is the time of year when Bonnet House shines its brightest. The very popular Cruising Down the River continues with a November cruise down the New River. Our birding classes contin- ue in November with Ascend to Better Birding. Orchid growing enthusiasts can learn about basics, repotting, mounting, disease and pest control on Saturdays throughout the fall and winter. An- other wonderful event is our Orchid, Garden & Gourmet Food Festival on Saturday December 5th and Sunday December 6th. This year will mark our 9th Annual Orchid & Exotic Plant Sale which also includes orchid displays, orchid care lectures, gour- met food trucks, cooking demos, a green market & more. So come join us at Bonnet House this fall. In addi- tion to regular offering of tours, there’s a lot more to love when the weather gets cooler at Bonnet House. For a complete list of events see Page 15. Newsletter design by Monica Estevez Cover photo: Caretaker’s Cottage by Monica Estevez Above photos: Courtyard and Veranda preparations for hurricane season Development News Year End Brings Time for Financial Review The stock market Florida Division of Cultural Affairs Funds Bonnet has seen some volatil- House ity this fall. Oil prices are low and uncertain- The Florida Division ties in China seem to of Cultural Affairs has be impacting markets awarded Bonnet House here at home. If you a grant of $69,122 for are considering mak- the 2015-2016 fiscal ing a year-end gift to year that began July Bonnet House, maybe 1st. The grant award a gift of stock would be something to consider? By will help support making a gift of stock you can avoid capital gains public tours of Bonnet taxes on any appreciation, and the full value of the House and its curatorial needs. Last year (2014-15), stock may be eligible for a charitable deduction. For the legislature fully funded the cultural organization deduction on your 2015 tax return, December 31st grants program for the first time in many, many years is the deadline for making your contribution. Stock yielding a grant to Bonnet House of $150,000. As transfers to Bonnet House may be made electroni- a result of the decrease in funding, Bonnet House cally and are easily accomplished. Check with your will pursue a less ambitious marketing program this financial advisor to see if a gift of stock makes sense. year. Still the $69,122 grant is incredibly important for Bonnet House. Please take a moment to contact Finally, take the next few weeks to review your estate your state representative and senator and offer your plans and consider whether Bonnet House might be thanks for the support the legislature showed for arts included as a beneficiary. If you haven’t made a will, and culture in Florida. Just let them know how much do so. It’s a certain way of determining who receives you appreciate the state funding for the Division of your assets. For most people it’s a simple process, Cultural affairs grant programs and how much it will and adding Bonnet House as a beneficiary takes only help Bonnet House this year. a few words. For more information about year-end giving, stock transfers and bequests, contact Patrick Shavloske at 954-703-2603. 20th Young Artist Music Series VIP Seats Available Buy a Friend a Membership Thursday, January 21, 2016 will mark the debut of the 20th annual Young Artist Music Series at Bonnet House with Reading this newsletter means you are in all like- a performance by Lynn lihood a member of Bonnet House. That means you University String Quar- have made a personal commitment to aid in its pres- tet. Subsequent concerts ervation. You can help Bonnet House even further will be on February 11th, by purchasing a membership for a family member or March 10th and April 7th. friend who appreciates the arts and understands the This is a real milestone importance of historic preservation. Your generosity for this program that has will allow even more people to learn about Bonnet become such a tradition House and its rich history. With the holidays right at Bonnet House. Why around the corner a Bonnet House membership could not join in the tradition be the perfect gift too. Memberships can be pur- with VIP seats? It’s more chased through the Bonnet House website, on site at affordable than you might the Welcome Center, South Gate, and Museum Shop, think. For information on Music Series sponsorship or by calling 954-703-2603. contact Patrick Shavloske at 954-703-2603 or [email protected]. Florida on Wheels by Denyse Cunningham Florida’s Rolling exposition – railroad car Florida on Wheels. Image courtesy of the State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Tycoon industrialist Henry Morrison Flagler his businesses in 13 northern cities. The company owned the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC). To created Florida on Wheels, painted railcars converted induce him to build it the government had given into a rolling exposition. The cars toured the nation Flagler land along the proposed route of the line. The from 1880 to 1900 presenting alluring photographs Florida East Coast Land Company, which according and facts about the state. They were made of woods to the 1893-94 Chicago City Directory was located from Florida and contained produce typically grown on the floor below Hugh Taylor Birch’s law firm Galt here. Florida on Wheels made a special appearance & Birch, was formed by Flagler to sell land to pro- at Chicago’s 1893 world’s fair. spective settlers. He made money both from the sale of this land and from the buyers who became custom- Glowing advertisements for the Flagler venture ers of his railroad, using it to transport goods to and appeared in northern newspapers, bulletins and maga- from northern markets. Flagler also built extravagant zines such as The Homeseeker. Agricultural success- hotels to lure tourists who would use his railway to es, the inexpensiveness of land and the perfect cli- escape the chilly northern climates. mate were also touted in South Florida newspapers, the [Juno]Tropical Sun, the Miami Metropolis and the Flagler put James Ingraham in charge of Flori- Miami News. da land sales. The archives of the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum in Palm Beach hold correspondence between Ingraham and Hugh Taylor Birch. In 1896 when the first FEC train arrived in Fort Lauderdale there were no more than 50 farmers living in present day Broward County. Florida was being advertised as an exceptional place to live where agricultural pursuits could be conducted year-round. To help attract permanent res- idents to South Florida Flagler formed the Travelers’ The first FEC train to arrive in Fort Lauderdale was built by the Information Company whose job it was to promote Schenectady Locomotive Works in 1892. Image courtesy of the State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Bonnet House, Inc. Annual Report July 2014 - June 2015 GIFTS OF CASH OR STOCK & Patsy Hawkes $250-$499 ACTIVE PLEDGES Brian Hill & Mike Osceola ACA Air Conditioning Lt. Gen. Patrick Hughes, Ret. & American Portable Air Conditioning $100,000 or more Mrs. Hughes Grace Antonello Broward County Cultural Division Mr. and Mrs. Shaw McCutcheon Anne F. Brooks Florida Division of Cultural Affairs John Lafalce and Allen Freshler Nancy Busnach and Joseph D’Ovidio William L. Fortune and Joseph D. Blakley Geri Manning and Buck Schottland Gale Butler Susan and Denis McQuillen C. W. Fischer Electric, Inc. $50,000 to $99,999 Samuel F. Morrison Janet and Russell Carlisle Anonymous John Newton and Mowry Spencer George Castleman and Richard H. Fortune Northern Trust Bank of Florida Yoshihiko Shigenari JM Family Enterprises, Inc. Kent Planck and Tony Pastucci George Douglas and Raymond Wieder Publix Supermarket Charities Joseph & Paula Dziminski $25,000 to $49,999 Herbert Reis and William Coffey Janet Guardabassi Belmar Development Associates John and Lois Schmatz Richard and Sally Handley Bonnet House Alliance Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Alicia Hernandez Dr. Anthony and Dianna Silvagni Suzan P. Hinckley $10,000 to $24,999 Alice W. Smith Robert Judd and Russell Neal Jane Fortune and Robert Hesse Roger A. Smith Ms. Patricia H. Kearson Peter and Joan Fortune Jim Stepp and Peter Zimmer Barbara and Tom Keith Helen Ingham Foundation Straus Family Charitable Foundation, Inc. Glenda Kelley Elisabeth Bartlett Sturges Alfredo Tamburrino and Ted MacDonald Susan Lochrie William R. Watts Foundation Visit Florida Hugh and Patricia McAndless Gini Vyfvinkel Linda Miller and Pat Curry $5,000 to $9,999 Eric Bartlett Wentworth Dominick and Meike Miniaci Jock and Penny Fortune Sumner T. White Geri and Bryan Murray The Haller Foundation Tom Woodham and Wilson Ellis Andrew Potts and Steve Clark Richard S. Ingham The Retirement Research Foundation Leo B. Goodwin Foundation $500 to $999 Dan Routhier and Jac Venza Diana and Ralph Rau AJ and Ellen Anderson Bonnie and Stan Schweiger Barbara and Fred Steinhardt Sheila Barry Barbara B.