WPBT2 Takes A Glimpse Into Florida’s History With Flagler’s Train
CONTACT:
Cammy Richards
Director Communications
WPBT2
305-424-4013
cammy_richards@wpbt.org
Kristina Gutierrez
Supervisor of Community Outreach/Events
WPBT2
305-424-4025
kristina_gutierrez@wpbt.org
Miami, Fl.- October 28, 2011- A Century ago, the United States was leading the way into the industrial revolution. Great inventions, innovations and landmarks such as Titanic and the Panama Canal stood as monuments to the human spirit. In Florida one individual had his sights set on a different engineering marvel. His target: Key West. Flagler’s Train: The Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad premiering Thursday, January 12 at 8:00 p.m., exclusively on WPBT2.
Flagler’s Train is a one hour documentary, produced by WPBT2, which chronicles the imagination and achievements of Henry Morrison Flagler, who spearheaded the development of the overseas railway connecting Key West to the existing Florida East Coast Railway.
The program features archival photographs, personal correspondence, original drawings of the Over-Sea Railroad project and newspaper articles of the day, tracing daily reports of the human struggles and technological achievements needed to complete the Florida East Coast Railway.
“WPBT produced the documentary to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Henry Morrison Flagler’s arrival aboard the first passenger train to Key West on January 22, 1912. The much celebrated event marked the official opening of the Florida East Coast Railway’s Key West Extension connecting Key West to the mainland,” said Mark Baker, producer of Flagler’s Train: The Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad.
Much like Titanic, nature had the final say over the project and the remains of this great experiment still stand as a reminder of this feat of engineering and ingenuity a century later.
Flagler’s Train was produced in partnership with the Florida Keys and Key West Tourism Council, and Flagler Real Estate Services.
ABOUT WPBT2
South Florida’s premier public broadcaster, WPBT2, is a community-licensed, not-for-profit media enterprise serving communities from the Treasure Coast to the Florida Keys. WPBT2 provides high quality content from PBS, independent acquisitions and its own original productions. WPBT2’s digital media platform, offers: 2HD, a 24-hour high definition channel; Digital 2.2, a mix of Science & Nature Channel, The Florida Channel and Create; Digital 2.3, V-me, a 24-hour national Spanish-language network; and www.wpbt2.org, the WPBT2 website including, Impromp2 (a community blog), the WPBT2 Video Player and uVu, a video sharing website.
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PHOTOS:
01. Caption:The Last Span on 7 Mile Bridge
Credit: Monroe County Public Library
02. Caption: Passengers Wave Goodbye
Credit: Calvin Winter
03. Caption: Train Swept Off Tracks by Hurricane
Credit: Myrna and Seth Bramson Florida East Coast Railway Company Archive
04. Caption: Kids Waving at Train
Credit: Monroe County Public Library
05. Caption: Train Workers
Credit: Myrna and Seth Bramson Florida East Coast Railway Company Archive
06. Caption: Henry Flagler
Credit: Monroe County Public Library
07. Program Logo
