BOCA RATON DURING THE 1940’S - 1960’S:
ITS BUSTLING HISTORIC DOWNTOWN

Bonnie Dearborn

DESCRIPTION: Until the mid ‘40’s, Boca Raton was a small farming community known for it’s legendary Boca Raton Hotel, and then the Boca Raton Army Airfield changed its profile forever. After WWII many soldiers returned and settled in Boca Raton and downtown Boca took off – well, sort of. A one-block area on East Boca Raton Road became the one-stop shopping and social center. This is where local news began and spread, and where citizens would keep in touch with the happenings of their town. Today, Boca Raton Road is a snap-shot of it’s early downtown development. Its enduring presence continues to provide a sense of place that is unique to Boca Raton. Bonnie Dearborn, Historic Preservation Consultant and BRHS Volunteer, will give a PowerPoint presentation at the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum in the restored Boca Raton Town Hall showcasing East Boca Raton Road’s, architecture, merchants, activities, and evolution to a service and design center. The lecture will be followed by a walking tour of the one-block area next to Sanborn Square.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Bonnie Dearborn connects with her audiences by using visual aids and contextual narratives on local history, architecture, and historic preservation. After receiving an MA from the University of Miami, Magna Cum Laude, Bonnie was recruited by Palm Beach County as an intergovernmental affairs representative - successfully acquiring state and federal funds and friendly substantive legislation for local governments. She was then recruited to administer the State’s South Regional Preservation Office and assist local governments in 13 counties on historic preservation matters. Today, Bonnie works closely with the Boca Raton Historical Society and Museum where she hosts tours of historic properties and neighborhoods. A strong advocate of historic preservation, she often initiates the process of listing historically significant properties on the local register. An avid traveler and student of other cultures, she recently toured China and Egypt. Bonnie Dearborn can be contacted at dearbornresearch@att.net or via phone at 561-251-0335.