man ▁Allen ▁West ▁and ▁then - G overn or ▁Rick ▁Scott . ▁ ▁Name ▁The ▁w reck ▁of ▁the ▁Prov iden cia ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁giving ▁Pal m ▁Beach ▁its ▁famous ▁name . ▁The ▁Prov iden cia ▁was ▁travel ing ▁from ▁Hav ana ▁to ▁C ád iz , ▁Spain ▁with ▁a ▁cargo ▁of ▁co con uts ▁har v ested ▁on ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁island ▁nation ▁of ▁Tr in idad ▁& ▁Tob ago , ▁when ▁the ▁ship ▁w reck ed ▁near ▁Pal m ▁Beach . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁co con ut ▁natural ized ▁or ▁were ▁plant ed ▁along ▁the ▁Pal m ▁Beach ▁coast . ▁A ▁l ush ▁gro ve ▁of ▁pal m ▁trees ▁soon ▁grew ▁on ▁what ▁would ▁later ▁be ▁named ▁Pal m ▁Beach . ▁ ▁Geography ▁▁ ▁Pal m ▁Beach ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁eastern most ▁towns ▁in ▁Florida , ▁though ▁the ▁state ' s ▁eastern most ▁point ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁Pal m ▁Beach ▁Sh ores , ▁just ▁north ▁of ▁Lake ▁W orth ▁In let . ▁The ▁town ▁is ▁located ▁on ▁an ▁ ▁long ▁bar rier ▁island ▁between ▁Int rac o ast al ▁Water way ▁( loc ally ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Lake ▁W orth ▁L ago on ) ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁and ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean ▁on ▁the ▁east . ▁At ▁no ▁point ▁is ▁the ▁island ▁wider ▁than ▁three - quarters ▁of ▁a ▁mile ▁( 1 . 2   km ), ▁and ▁in ▁places ▁it ▁is ▁only ▁ 5 0 0   fe et ▁( 1 5 0   m ) ▁wide