Early Everglades.

The early settlers in Florida, along with the land developers, considered the Everglades a "worthless swamp." By 1910, large piece of land were already converted to agricultural lands, which stimulated southern Florida's economy. When the railroads hit the Florida peninsula, both visitors and residents flocked to the new lands. The native lands were now transformed to canals, buildings, and roads.

Citation:
"The Florida Everglades." The Florida Everglades. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012.<http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/everglades/everglades.htm>.