Ten houses of refuge; unique to Florida�s east coast; were constructed by the US Life-Saving Service between 1876 and 1886. When ships traveling along the almost uninhabited coast were grounded or wrecked on reefs; survivors often made it to land but had no way to reach civilization. House of refuge keepers and their families provided food and shelter to victims of shipwrecks. The keepers� lives were monotonous but punctuated with the excitement of an occasional shipwreck. The US Life-Saving Service provided the framework on which the east coast of Florida developed. With the establishment of the US Coast Guard in 1915; the Life-Saving Service houses of refuge became Coast Guard stations.
2016-12-05 2016-12-05File Name: B01MXUWL3R
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