We’ve said it before: In South Florida, where some think nothing happened until Henry Flagler showed up, a century is a long, long time.
Indeed, the story of the Barefoot Mailman is almost 140 years old! Specifically, on Oct. 11, 1887, came the most dramatic moment in the history of the iconic mail carriers. That is the day James Edward “Ed” Hamilton reportedly vanished while swimming in the Hillsboro Inlet near Pompano Beach.
With no railroad or regular ship service, a letter from Miami to Jupiter took six to eight weeks via Key West, Havana and New York. Neither the open ocean nor the hostile interior provided a practical route. So between 1885 and 1893, rugged pioneers traversed the 136 miles along the shoreline between Palm Beach and Key Biscayne.
