Two founders of St. Joseph, FL (1835-1842) find success and love in the new town before it is devastated by a yellow fever epidemic and a Category 5 hurricane.

SYNOPSIS:

On the streets of New York City around 1855, a young boy meets an older man in rags. The boy speaks to the man and the man sings. The scene dissolves into New York City circa 1835. Two men are trying to entice others to move to a brand-new town in the territory of Florida. Sean Bohanan speaks from a soap box and interacts with the crowd. A young lady steps up and vouches for Sean. Se had loved him for many years. Sean and his partner Jacob Greenwood are at the docks of New York as passengers board headed for Florida.

Jacob stops off at a plantation and gets married to Senoia Griffin. They head to St. Joseph. The first act ends with a train (one of the first in the U.S.) arriving in St. Joseph.

The state constitution is drafted with Sean and Jacob playing key roles. The town grows rapidly. Sean and Senoia have a connection while in St. Joseph. The town was founded to compete with Apalachicola as a cotton port; however, there is no river to feed the cotton to it. The town then becomes a force for business and tourism. Bars and hotels crop up everywhere. A traveling preacher comes and preaches doom for the town.

As the town grows, Jacob becomes more involved in commerce and Sean and Senoia become romantically involved. In 1841, a ship docks and the entire crew is suffering from yellow fever. Over seventy-five percent of the town dies from the epidemic, including Jacob. The rest all move away, including Senoia; however, Sean remains.

In 1845, a major hurricane destroys what is left of the town.

The story returns to 1855 New York City. Sean is talking to the boy again. Senoia comes up and Sean and her are reunited and he learns that the boy is his son.