1925 – The town of Boca Raton in Palm Beach County was incorporated on this date. The name originates from Spanish and originally appeared on 18th century maps further south. One of the earliest settler after the Second Seminole War was T.M. Rikards who built a house near the present-day Palmetto Park bridge. During the 1920s, Baca Raton experienced a massive land boom and the population grew sharply. During WWII much of Boca Raton was converted into the Boca Raton Army Air Force Base. Florida Atlantic University now sits on the site of the former Army Air base. The area experienced another population increase after WWII which continues today, with over 80,000 residents currently calling Boca Raton home.