Before it acquired its title, Palm Beach Gardens was anything but. Forests and swamps made up the majority of the region. The area remained that way until an American businessman decided to turn it into a garden city.
In March of 1959, John D. MacArthur began developing 4,000 acres into his dream real estate property. He estimated room for 55,000 people in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
In the 1960s, MacArthur developed his city quickly. MacArthur spent millions on making Palm Beach Gardens real estate property beautiful. MacArthur even constructed streets to move around the a series of Banyan trees, which remain to this day. Of course, this would cost extra. Undeterred, MacArthur continued with the creation of his garden-themed city. MacArthur also purchased an 80-year-old Banyan tree from the nearby town of Lake Park. The tree was scheduled to be cut down. Instead, MacArthur spent $30,000 to have the historic Banyan tree moved to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The current Palm Beach Gardens City Council still has strict guidelines on landscaping, in order to keep the city beautiful.
The first Palm Beach Gardens property to be created was a church.
In '64, MacArthur donated $2 million dollars to the PGA. As a result, the PGA moved to Palm Beach Gardens. From 1965 to 1971, PGA tournaments like the Seniors and the World Cup took place in Palm Beach Gardens. Yet in 1972, PGA tournaments left Palm Beach Gardens and moved to BallenIsles. Today, the PGA has 12 golf courses in Palm Beach Gardens. Of course, the PGA doesn't have the only golf courses in Palm Beach Gardens. The Mirasol Country Club and Old Palm Golf Club also have beautiful golf courses.
By 1970, the population of the city was a 7,000. Today, the population of Palm Beach Gardens has reached 48,452. Almost the amount of people John D. MacArthur predicted!