- April 24, 2024
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Although it was still decades away from being an actual city, Palm Coast had its origins 50 years ago, when the International Telephone and Telegraph company built the community’s welcome center, celebrating with a grand opening.
“Our celebration of Palm Coast’s 50th anniversary honors and preserves each of our own special stories. Wound together, they tell a tale of why we moved to Palm Coast and of how our first residents stood together to create a government they had faith in to make dreams come true for future generations.”
— MILISSA HOLLAND, Palm Coast mayor
That date — Oct. 29, 1970 — has since become known as Founders Day, and the city marks it each year with a celebration on or near the anniversary date.
This year, the event took place at City Hall Oct. 24, according to a city of Palm Coast news release.
“ITT was a big business, and they planned this community with great effort and detail,” Palm Coast Historical Society President and Co-Historian Elaine Studnicki said, according to the news release. “But Palm Coast is here because of the people, the volunteers, the civic organizations, the garden club, the art league.”
Former ITT Advertising Manager Linda Kasper said sunshine and salesmanship helped draw people to the fledging community.
And, Kasper added, “Prices. The idea of owning a home and a nice lot and being close to the beach.”
So did the golf. Former ITT Senior Accountant David Hayes was 23 when ITT Palm Coast President Alan Smolen asked him to caddie for Arnold Palmer at an event at the Palm Harbor Golf Course.
Palmer played 18 holes after flying in on his private plane.
“The last thing I remember from Mr. Palmer is watching him taking off and giving me the famous thumbs up,” Hayes said, according to the news release. “To this day I just get goose bumps every time I think about how I got to spend my day with Mr. Palmer — one of the greatest players ever.”
Local attorney Michael Chiumento III grew up fishing in the local marina and exploring the community by bike after his family bought Palm Coast’s 60th lot.
“It was a time kind of like Tom Sawyer. We meandered around town on our bicycles at the age of 8, 7,” he said. “The only thing our parents worried about were rattlesnakes and maybe even getting lost in the woods sometimes.”
To find out more about the Palm Coast Historical Society and Museum, visit www.PalmCoastHistory.org.
