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| Left to Right: Deputy CLYDE MASON, Special Deputy & Police Commissioner HOWARD CONVERSE, Marshal ROBERT BROMELO (1965) |
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| Town Hall (1987) |
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| Fire Department (1966) |
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In the early 1860’s, settlers came to the area of what
is now Palm Beach County and named it “Lake Worth”.
Lake Worth stretched from what is now the Town of
Jupiter to what is now the City of Boynton Beach, and
was a central section of what was then Dade County.
At that time, Dade County went as far north as what
is now St. Lucie County, south to the Florida Keys,
which is now Monroe County. Palm Beach County was
established later in 1909.
The current municipal incorporated limits of the Town of
Mangonia Park were originally part of an unincorporated
area of West Palm Beach. The city limits of West Palm
Beach were located to the south and east boundaries of
our yet to be developed town. The City of Riviera Beach
sat on the north boundary of our town, separated by a
canal, with no road or bridge access from Voss Road,
which is now Australian Avenue.
In 1946, a handful of homeowners living near Voss Road,
lead by then resident, Charles Roebuck, decided to
incorporate. This decision was made simply from not
wanting to be a part of the City of West Palm Beach,
which was rumored at the time to be expanding it’s
municipal boundaries westward. By 1947, despite being
mostly swampland east of Voss Road, Town residents were
able to meet the “1-mile square” land area requirement
for municipal incorporation. It was Mr. Roebuck who
prepared the inaugural Town Charter. The Roebucks
residential sub-division located in the southeast sector of
our town was named after him.
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| Fire Department Bar-B-Q (1959) |
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| Fire Truck (1953) |
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to be that of "Magnolia Park". However, upon being
returned from the powers-to-be at the state capital in
Tallahassee, the Town Fathers were informed in writing
that the name Magnolia Park had been taken. The new
name would now be that of "Mangonia Park," instead. And
so, the name of the Town was now established. Oddly
enough, the name for our town was fitting due to the
large plantation like mango farms that once dominated
the area in the early 1900's through the 1930's.
The first Town Hall was an old U.S. Army barracks at the
northwest corner East Avenue and West 46th Street that
was purchased for the sum of $100.00. For the first ten (10)
years of the Town’s existence, there was no financial
income from tax monies for municipal services and
expenses. So, when it came time for purchasing a fire
truck, town hall, election ballot forms, and various other
needs, the Town held fish fries and barbeques to raise the
funds needed for each project, equipment or capital
improvement.
By the mid 1960’s, the Town was able to purchase a former
church building at 5301 Australian Avenue, and moved all
municipal offices and council meeting chambers to this
location. It remained the home of the Town Clerk’s office,
Town Council Meeting Chambers and Police Department
until 1988.
From 1947 until 1970, the Town of Mangonia Park law
enforcement service consisted of a Town Marshal, and
two Deputy Marshals. The Town Mayor was the Municipal
Judge from 1947 until the early 1970’s. The Fire
Department was strictly a volunteer organization until it
became part of the town’s Department of Public Safety
in the mid 1970’s.
In fact, despite the hiring of professional firefighters and
the utilization of professional police officers for
responding to fire calls-for-service, the heart of the Fire
Department personnel remained it’s volunteers up until the
early 1980’s. However, lack of adequate staffing for
emergency calls response lead to fears of inefficient
service to town residents and businesses, that coincided
with financial considerations to maintain and purchase new
equipment, etc. These issues basically forced the Town of
Mangonia Park to disband it’s Fire Department. Fire-
Rescue services were contracted with the City of West
Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Department in the late 1990’s.
The first Police Chief of the Town of Mangonia Park was
Jack Welsh, from December 7, 1970 until December 5, 1980
(see PUBLIC SAFETY page for list of town Police Chief’s).
After 37 years of existence and service to town’s residential
and business community, the Town of Mangonia Park
disbanded its Police Department due to financial reasons.
Law enforcement services were contracted with the Palm
Beach County Sheriff’s Office on February 1, 2007.
In the early morning hours of December 26, 1978, the
historic Palm Beach Jai-Alai Fronton caught fire and was
completely destroyed. The cause of the Christmas holiday
blaze was determined to be arson. Investigators with the
Mangonia Park Police Department, Palm Beach County
Sheriff’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement
(FDLE) spent over two (2) years interviewing potential
suspects, current and former employees of the fronton,
town residents, including reviewing records and crime scene
information. However, to this day, no one has ever been
arrested and/or charged for any crime related to the fronton
fire.
Originally opened in 1955, the Palm Beach Jai-Alai Fronton
was rebuilt and re-opened by the fall of 1980. However, a
player strike on April 14, 1988 will eventually doom the pari-
mutual sporting event in most of Florida and Connecticut.
Palm Beach Jai-Alai officially closes it's doors on December
30, 1994.
On June 17, 1988, a new municipal office complex that
would house the Town Administration staff, Town Council
Meeting Chambers and the Police & Fire Department(s) was
dedicated and opened. This same building remains the
current location of the Town Administration staff offices
and Town Council Chambers, but now houses the District-II
sub-station personnel of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s
Office.
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| Police Directory (1963) |
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| Town Hall (mid 1960's) |
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On March 17, 1987, at a regular scheduled public meeting,
the Town Council appointed Councilman Earl L. Mixon, Jr.,
as the first black Mayor in the Town’s history. Previously in
March of 1982, Mixon had been the first African-American
ever elected to the Town Council. Mixon’s tenure would end
just months later when he resigned from his Town Council
Seat upon moving into the City of West Palm Beach. He
attempted to continue his political career by unsuccessfully
running for a seat on the Port of Palm Beach Commission in
1988. Sadly, Mr. Mixon, passed away on April 15, 2008. He
remains to this day, as one of the most popular and beloved
former Town Council members in the history of Mangonia
Park. On July 1, 2008, In memory of Mr. Mixon, the Town
Council dedicated a new name for our Administration Office
at Town Hall: "Earl L. Mixon, Jr. Town Administration Office
at the Mangonia Park Municipal Center".
On March 19, 1991, at a regular scheduled public meeting,
the Town Council appointed Councilwoman Addie Greene, as
the first African-American female Mayor in the Town’s
history. Greene, a member of the Democratic Party, was
later elected to the House of Representatives of the State of
Florida in District 84, where she served four (4) consecutive
terms from 1992-2000. She was elected to the office of
District-7 Commissioner for Palm Beach County in 2000, and
retired as Commission Chairperson in May 2009. The public
park at 1233 West 53rd Street was dedicated in the name of
Ms. Greene by our Town Council on July 1, 2008.
Ms. Greene currently serves as the Executive Director of
the Palm Beach County Caucus of Black Elected Officials and
her office is located within the Mangonia Park Municipal
Center in Suite #103.
There are 2,300 residents of the Town of Mangonia Park
(as of 2003). An estimated 70% of the Town of Mangonia
Park is commercial business and industry. Town Council
meetings are held every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month
at 6:00 PM.
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| PB Jai-Alai Fronton Fire, December 25, 1978 |
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| PB Jai-Alai Fire Aftermath |
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| ADDIE L. GREENE |
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| VINTAGE POSTCARD PHOTO OF PALM BEACH JAI-ALAI IN THE 1960's |
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| EARL L. MIXON, Jr. |
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POLICE CHIEF’S
Of The
Town of Mangonia Park
JACK WELSH
December 7, 1970 – December 5, 1980
RONALD CRANE (1)
December 6, 1980 – December 14, 1982
EBENEZER PAIKAI (2)
June 27, 1983 – Dec 18, 1985
RAYMOND FUNK
Dec 19, 1985 – June 4, 1991
JOSEPH vonDEMBOWSKI
June 5, 1991 – December 31st, 2002
RODNEY THOMAS (3)
February 4, 2003 – January 31, 2007
(1) – Re-assigneded to the rank of Fire Lieutenant on
December 14, 1982. Remained at that position until
he resigned on August 7, 1987. Ron Crane served the
town for over ten (10) years in the Public
Safety Department, and almost another decade
of service with the Town's Volunteer Fire
Department previous to that.
(2) – From December 15, 1982 thru June 26, 1983,
the police department was operated administratively
by Segeant Thomas Nicholson and Detective Sergeant
John Sprague. Police Chief, Ebenezer Paikai, began
his tenure on June 27, 1983. Paikai later resigned his
post in December of 1985 to accept a similar position
with the City of Greenacres Department of Public Safety
on December 19, 1985.
(3) – From January 1, 2003 thru February 3rd, 2003,
the police department was operated administratively
by Lieutenant Thomas Nicholson until the promotion of
Rodney Thomas on February 4, 2003, from the rank
of Sergeant. On February 1, 2007, the town contracted
law enforcement services with the Palm Beach County
Sheriff’s Office and Chief Thomas was given the rank of
Lieutenant with the PBSO assigned to the town
sub-station, District-II.
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| 1982-2007 |
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| 1987-2007 |
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| 1993 |
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