What is the history of Lantana, Florida?
The first settlers came to the area after Congress passed the Armed Occupation Act of 1842 at the end of the Seminole Wars during the Administration of President John Tyler. The M.B. Lyman family is credited with founding the Town. Lyman arrived with his family in 1888 and within a year started several enterprises including a general store, Indian Trading Post and a post office. As postmaster, Lyman named the post office – Lantana Point – for the wild Lantana plant that grew in abundance in the area. The word Point was later dropped. One of the other Lyman businesses was the Lantana Fish Company. In the early 1900s the gathering and marketing of oysters became the Town’s leading industry. The Town of Lantana was incorporated in 1921 with 22 residents voting in the first election. At the time of incorporation, the area of Lantana was one square mile with a population of 100 residents. After World War II, Lantana, like the rest of South Florida experienced a tremendous building boom whic
