Prologue This is the story of the Grand Hotel Ormond. The 75 room hotel was the entrepreneurial dream of a Mr. John Anderson and a Mr. Joseph Price. The Hotel Ormond was built in 1887 and opened its doors January 1, 1888, in a mostly uninhabited area of Volusia County, Florida. Some would say that the tale should begin there. However, in order to understand completely its importance, we must take a step back in time to discover local history and those people, places and events that made the Grand Hotel Ormond the luxurious resort of the rich and famous. Dedication Alice and I dedicate this book to all those who came before us and sacrificed so much, as Ormond Beach grew out of a very hostile and extremely difficult environment. We can only begin to understand the sacrifices made by our courageous forefathers, but we can take a few moments and thank each and every individual that stayed the course and paved the way for the rest of us. Many lives were lost along the way. People endured hardships greater than we can imagine and individual accomplishments prevailed. We thank our forefathers for making Ormond Beach a most wonderful place to live and raise our families. We also want to thank our families and friends for their support, enthusiasm, suggestions and encouragement as we researched, wrote and published our seventh book. Thanks to you all. Our special heartfelt thanks is again extended to the memory of Don Bostrom (Historian Emeritus) for his inspiration and encouragement while he was with us on earth. Our first book “Our Place in History – Ormond Beach, Florida” was dedicated to J. Donald Bostrom, grandson of John Andrew Bostrom (first settler on the peninsula) and we are equally proud to share our continued dream come true with Don. We truly felt the love, respect and admiration of Don and his grandfather, for each other and Ormond, as we researched and published our book. Thanks Don, in memory of our cherished friend. Introduction This year, of 2013, is truly a significant year in Florida’s history, as well as a significant year in the history of Ormond. Florida was an early explorers’ paradise and those who came and claimed Florida for their own greatly influenced our history. This year, 2013, will be the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon’s discovery of “la florida” on April 2, 1513. Later, settlers in the 1800’s came to homestead in the land of sunshine. These settlements grew and others came to visit, if only for a short time, and so railroads, boarding houses and grand hotels flourished. Ormond became the home of such a fine hotel, the Hotel Ormond. This year, 2013, will be the 125th anniversary of the grand Hotel Ormond’s opening day, January 1, 1888. John D. Rockefeller, internationally known industrialist, philanthropist, chose Ormond in which to live his final years. He joined the citizens of the community and became known to all as “Neighbor John.” Lodging first at the Hotel Ormond, John D. Rockefeller then purchased The Casements across the street from the hotel and resided there until his death in 1937. This year, 2013, The Casements commemorates its 100th anniversary. Please join us in this special anniversary year of 2013 to celebrate both our state and local history.