Here's an old real estate map from 1907 showing the Lake and an inlet at the north end of Palm Beach. Until the mid 1800s the Lake was a fresh water lagoon.

Click to enlarge.

Imagine having to climb out there to raise the flag every day.

I'm always impressed with that. Not to take away anything from today's tradesmen, but they needed some extra skills back then.

Whenever I hear people complaining about automation killing jobs, I ask them how they would like to do things the way they had to 100 years ago.

No thanks!

I don't mean to be pedantic, but this picture is very confusing.

The map shows this would be West Palm Beach according to the lake's location in the picture. There is a causeway across the lake called Royal Poinciana Way and there is a similarly named shopping area on the right side of the lake. However, that would mean the hotel was either in West Palm Beach or the picture is reversed.

Perhaps another reader will clear this up.

[Turn your map upside down. In the photo the mainland is to the right. - Dave]

That would be true if the lake ended not far past the hotel. In the picture it appears to go on much farther.

[Lake Worth, which is not really a lake, has no beginning or end -- it's a lagoon on the Intracoastal Waterway. The hotel was around where Royal Poinciana Plaza is on the map below, on the inland side of the giant sand bar that is Palm Beach. - Dave]