Hamilton Disston
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Hamilton Disston (August 23, 1844 - April 30, 1896) was the person responsible for draining the central and southern parts of Florida, also known as the Everglades. His family was from Philadelphia where they owned the Disston & Sons saw works. He purchased 4 million acres (16,000 km²) of Florida land in 1881 and became one of the state’s first real estate developers. In 1882, Disston dredged a waterway from Lake Okeechobee to Kissimmee and west to the Gulf of Mexico, as a result opening the region to steamboats. He is credited as one of the businessmen who started up Florida's economy in the late 19th century.
Considered the founder of Gulfport, Florida. The town was originally named Disston City in 1884.
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