Residents had settled in the area which would become Golfview at least since 1934 when they erected a 20 ft (6.1 m) archway for the town. In May 1937, a proposal was submitted to the Florida Legislature to chart a 125 acres (51 ha) community, situated near the intersection of Belvedere Road and Military Trail. On June 11, Florida Governor Fred P. Cone signed House Bill 1852, which chartered the town of Golfview. Although no golf courses existed in the town, Golfview derived its name from the nearby West Palm Beach Golf Course. Golfview initially had about one dozen residents, but the population increased to approximately 155 people by 1962 and expanded to about 1 sq mi (2.6 km2) in the area. That same year, the county’s only federally financed fallout shelter was built at Mayor Ellis Altman’s property.