Employee Handbook

THE HISTORY OF FRENCHMAN ’ S CREEK ’ S NAME In the south west corner of England is a county called Cornwall. It lies where the English Channel meets the North Atlantic. In the winter, the weather and winds are brutal. However, in July and August, the climate is lovely. Cornwall has also been the setting for many of the best-known English legends, the most famous being The Legend of King Arthur. For hundreds of years, well-to-do Londoners escaped the city ’ s summer heat by going to Cornwall. Then, in the early part of this century, a little girl named Daphne Du Maurier spent every summer in her family ’ s home in Cornwall. Later, in her twenties, she began publishing stories and novels that were set in Cornwall. These books became very popular and were filled with romance, adventure, and mystery. Before long, Hollywood came calling, turning at least four of Du Maurier ’ s stories into successful movies, including Rebecca, The Birds, Jamaica Inn, and Frenchman ’ s Creek. The latter told the story of a French pirate who, while looking for a safe harbor to hide, found a small stream off the Helford River and a beautiful high-born lady to love. Fast forwarding to South Florida in the 1930s . . . the Hoyt family bought land on the north end of Prosperity Farms Road in order to obtain a freshwater basin and a safe haven for boats during hurricanes. By the early 1940s, the Frenchman ’ s Creek area, where a little creek meandered throughout the land, was known as Paradise Port, and was owned by the Hoyts. In the late ‘ 40s, a U.S. geodetic survey was conducted in the area, and the surveyors found a small wooden sign made by a young Hoyt that read “ Frenchman ’ s Creek ” located on the bank of the creek. When asked about the name, the Hoyt family stated they had named their creek after one of their mother ’ s favorite novels. From that point on, “ Frenchman ’ s Creek ” was the official name used for the creek, which still exists and can be viewed behind the homes on Leeward Road and connects to the Intracoastal waterway. Other local lore states that when the Donald Ross Road was being built and named, the Hoyt family was asked if it could be called “ Hoyt Road ” in their honor. However, William Hoyt, Jr. declined in favor of Donald Ross, the name of a young man who had lost his life in World War II and was the son of Mrs. Marjorie Ross, long-time Principal of Lake Park Elementary School.

*This article above was adapted from the original article, “ Frenchman ’ s Creek - Where the name comes from and how it got here, ” written by Norma Lippman, a Frenchman ’ s Creek Beach & Country Club member.

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