Jupiter and Lake Worth Railway
Encyclopedia
The Jupiter and Lake Worth Railway was a 7.5 miles (12.1 km) connection between the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway
system. It connected Lake Worth
at Juno, Florida to Jupiter Inlet at Jupiter, Florida
. With intermediate stops at Venus
and Mars, the railroad was often called the Celestial Railroad.
The purpose of the railroad was to link the Lake Worth
and Jupiter Inlet. Both of which had Plant System
steamboat
lines. The Indian River Steamboat Company went north through the Jupiter Inlet and connected waterways (now part of the Intracoastal Waterway
) to Titusville
.
There were no turning tracks, so the locomotives always pointed towards Juno, forcing trains making the return trip to go in reverse. Fare was rather high for the time, being 10 cents per mile (75 cents total).
Henry Flagler, the owner of the Florida East Coast Railway
, rejected the high price, instead building his own line to the west. The new railroad was finished in February 1894, and the Jupiter and Lake Worth Railway was gone by June 1896.
Eventually, a canal was dug between the two waterways that the railroad connected; this is now part of the Intracoastal Waterway
.
Part of the right-of-way was used for the current alignment of U.S. 1
(SR 5), built in 1956; the rest was abandoned and has been mostly redeveloped.
Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway
The Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway was a railroad and steamboat network in Florida, USA at the end of the 19th century. Most of its lines became part of the Plant System in 1899 and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902.-History:...
system. It connected Lake Worth
Lake Worth
Lake Worth is the name of several places in the United States:*Lake Worth, Florida, a city*Lake Worth Lagoon, a lagoon in Florida*Lake Worth, Texas, a town in Texas*Lake Worth , a lake in Texas...
at Juno, Florida to Jupiter Inlet at Jupiter, Florida
Jupiter, Florida
Jupiter is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 39,328. The estimate population for 2009 is 50,606. As of 2006, the population had grown to 50,028, according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research....
. With intermediate stops at Venus
Venus, Florida
Venus is an unincorporated community in southeastern Highlands County, Florida, United States. It is located on County Road 731 off U.S. Route 27....
and Mars, the railroad was often called the Celestial Railroad.
The purpose of the railroad was to link the Lake Worth
Lake Worth
Lake Worth is the name of several places in the United States:*Lake Worth, Florida, a city*Lake Worth Lagoon, a lagoon in Florida*Lake Worth, Texas, a town in Texas*Lake Worth , a lake in Texas...
and Jupiter Inlet. Both of which had Plant System
Plant System
The Plant System was a system of railroads and steamboats in the U.S. South, taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The original line of the system, named after its owner, Henry B...
steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
lines. The Indian River Steamboat Company went north through the Jupiter Inlet and connected waterways (now part of the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
) to Titusville
Titusville, Florida
Titusville is a city in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Brevard County. Nicknamed Space City, USA, Titusville is on the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and the Kennedy Space Center and south-southwest of the Canaveral National Seashore...
.
There were no turning tracks, so the locomotives always pointed towards Juno, forcing trains making the return trip to go in reverse. Fare was rather high for the time, being 10 cents per mile (75 cents total).
Henry Flagler, the owner of the Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
, rejected the high price, instead building his own line to the west. The new railroad was finished in February 1894, and the Jupiter and Lake Worth Railway was gone by June 1896.
Eventually, a canal was dug between the two waterways that the railroad connected; this is now part of the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
.
Part of the right-of-way was used for the current alignment of U.S. 1
U.S. Route 1 in Florida
U.S. Route 1 in Florida runs along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne, and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Highway System was established in 1926.US 1 runs in the state of Florida, and...
(SR 5), built in 1956; the rest was abandoned and has been mostly redeveloped.