Six beach towns. Six distinct histories and personalities. One common denominator.
Living on the Gulf Coast comes with many advantages, from world-class fishing to spectacular natural beauty, so it's no surprise that the region's popularity has only increased with time. But it certainly didn't happen overnight. Here's a look at the rich and colorful histories of six distinct Gulf Coast beach towns and how each of their origins have shaped the unique character of this coast.
Fairhope, Alabama
Fairhope, a small town on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, was founded on idealistic principles centered on community and equal opportunity — a spirit that endures to this day. "The single tax corporation set aside the beach land to be used as public land forever," said Gabriel Gold-Vukson, director of the Fairhope Museum of History. "The sense of community that comes with communal use is a central part of Fairhope's founding principles and its culture today." Fairhope has long attracted tourists and creative types, and a passion for the arts persists to present day.
1894: Fairhope is founded as a radical, socialist "single tax" colony by a small group of followers of economist Henry George. The original settlers believed their location and ideals offered "a fair hope of success" (equal opportunity) for their budding community.
1908: The city of Fairhope is established, taking over responsibility for municipal services for its 500 residents.
Early 1900s: Fairhope becomes a popular winter getaway, attracting artists, writers, and intellectuals. Notable visitors included novelist Sherwood Anderson, lawyer Clarence Darrow, and writer and political activist Upton Sinclair.
1930s: The city government becomes the caretaker of some of Fairhope's greatest assets: the beachfront park, Henry George Park, Knoll Park, and the Fairhope pier.
1953: The first Arts & Crafts tour takes place. Exhibits were displayed inside store windows and represented a wide variety of interests. Now in its 69th year, the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival is one of the city's biggest events and attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.
2001: A small Mission-style cottage is saved from demolition by author Sonny Brewer and other Fairhopians, who proposed turning it into a writers' residence. The Fairhope Center for the Writing Arts raised money to renovate the cottage, and welcomed their first writer-in-residence in 2004: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author Rick Bragg.
Apalachicola, Florida
Apalachicola is an old settlement with a history going back long before the town was given its present-day name. The area where the Apalachicola River meets the Gulf of Mexico was home to Native Americans and Spanish settlers drawn to the area for its abundance in natural resources. History and maritime culture remain central to Apalachicola's identity today, with historic homes lining the streets and fresh-caught seafood populating menus all over town.
1800s: With the expansion of railroads across the country and an expanse of cypress forests, Franklin County's lumber industry takes shape. Lumber magnates from this time are responsible for some of the historic homes that still line the streets of Apalachicola today.
1831: The city is officially named Apalachicola and grows quickly as a cotton shipping port town. By the 1850s, Apalachicola's busy waterfront was lined with brick warehouses and broad streets to handle the loading and unloading of cotton.
1851: Dr. John Gorrie creates and patents an ice machine to help cool down his yellow fever patients. His revolutionary invention later became the basis for the ice industry and air conditioning. A replica of Gorrie's ice machine sits in the John Gorrie Museum State Park.
1880s: By the end of the 19th century, harvesting oysters and seafood became an important industry, though oysters were sold locally as early as 1836. At its peak, Franklin County harvested 90 percent of all oysters from Florida.
1907: The Gibson Inn is built by James Fulton Buck. The luxury hotel was originally named The Franklin and was built using native heart pine and black cypress. When sisters Annie Gibson Hayes and Mary Ellen "Sunshine" Gibson purchased the hotel in 1923, they renamed it The Gibson Inn.
1983: UNESCO designates the Apalachicola Bay, River, and floodplain as a Biosphere Reserve.
Panama City Beach, Florida
With miles of pristine white-sand beaches, ample Gulf-front accommodations, and major events sprinkled throughout the year — including UNwineD, Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam, Sand Jam, and the New Year's Eve Beach Ball Drop — Panama City Beach has perpetually evolved as a thriving vacation destination. "PCB" has much to offer locals and tourists alike, from hiking trails, marinas, and fishing piers to shopping centers and local restaurants highlighting fresh-caught Gulf fare.
1920s: The Long Beach area is homesteaded by Hubert Brown. W. T. Sharpless also purchased land there and partnered up with Brown to buy the Pavilion. They moved the building from what is now known as Shell Island over the sand using a mule and wagon.
1929: The Coastal Highway (now U.S. 98) and the Hathaway Bridge open, making a land connection between white-sand beaches and west Panama City. This ended the need for ferry rides, boat rides, or a long drive around West Bay to get there.
1932: J. E. Churchwell purchases Long Beach from Brown and Sharpless — 220 acres, for $10,000. He constructs rental cottages and later builds Long Beach Resort, which included the famous Hangout.
1935: Gideon Marion Thomas purchases 104 acres just east of Long Beach and builds the Panama City Beach Hotel, which had 12 rooms and two stories. After his death in 1937, his daughter Claudia and her husband Angus W. Pledger continue the development.
1953: Panama City Beach is incorporated. Claudia Pledger is elected mayor in the first election. Thomas Drive is named after her father.
1959: Goofy Golf opens. It's the last standing attraction from the old days of amusement parks that were part of the stretch of Front Beach Road known as the Miracle Strip, which also included Florida's first roller coaster (the Starliner) and the 200-foot-tall Top o' the Strip observation tower.
1970s–1980s: The tourism industry grows and new, more modern hotels and condominiums are built. MTV's Spring Break coverage establishes PCB as a wildly popular destination known worldwide.
2008: PCB grows up. Simon Property Group opens Pier Park, a premium outdoor shopping complex. Events and activities develop to cater to adults and families.
2010: Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport opens as part of a plan to develop land surrounding West Bay.
Pensacola Beach, Florida
The history of Santa Rosa Island includes Native American settlements, Spanish settlements, and the Battle of Santa Rosa Island during the Civil War, but in terms of the Pensacola Beach we know today, its history begins with the opening of two bridges, which gave Pensacola residents and tourists easy access to the beach by car.
"For years, this beach was our local hidden gem, but more and more people from the rest of the world have come to really understand and know that it's here — this beautiful white sand and blue-green water," said Robert Overton, Jr., executive director of UWF Historic Trust. "I used to go over and only see my neighbors. Now I see people from all over the country." One thing that hasn't changed are the long stretches of pristine beach that are part of Gulf Islands National Seashore.
1931: A pair of bridges linking Pensacola to Gulf Breeze and Pensacola Beach open. Before this, the only way to reach Santa Rosa Island was by boat. The three-mile bridge spanning Pensacola Bay was built for $2 million. The Pensacola Beach Casino, a recreational complex with a bath house, dining room, dance hall, and a 1,200-foot-long fishing pier, also opens.
1940s: Thomas A. Johnson abolishes the bridge toll as secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation. In 1948, the bridge is renamed in his honor.
1962: The four-lane Philip Dane Beall Sr. Memorial Bridge opens. The original bridge was converted to a fishing pier and remained in service until 2004, when it was damaged by Hurricane Ivan.
1972: The Pensacola Beach Casino is demolished after falling into disrepair in the late '60s. The casino lives on in name, as the main public beach on Pensacola Beach is known as Casino Beach.
2000: The original pier at Pensacola Beach is replaced following damage from Hurricanes Erin and Opal. The new pier is wider and taller than the original, and it's one of the longest piers on the Gulf Coast.
Destin, Florida
A lot has changed in Destin through the decades, but some things — like her white sand, emerald waters, and legendary fishing access — have stayed the same. Kathy Marler Blue, executive director of the Destin History & Fishing Museum, told Beach Happy about some of the unique ingredients that are central to Destin's appeal. "We're a peninsula, so we have deep sea fishing and back bay fishing. We have a sheltered harbor, which is home to the largest licensed charter and commercial fishing fleet in Florida. It's like God put us in just the right place."
The sand here is 97% quartz, and when the sunlight goes through the water and reflects off of it, the light refracts through the bodies of microorganisms, casting the emerald green color our waters are known for.
1852: Leonard Destin, a fisherman from New London, Connecticut, settles at Moreno Point (the western end of modern-day Destin). He had sailed to Key West in 1835 to extend his fishing season and decided to remain in the Gulf Coast area.
1896: William Marler, the future first postmaster of Destin, fills out an application to get a post office at East Pass. The Post Office Department rejects Marler's application for "East Pass," instead requesting a single-word name for the town. Marler resubmitted his application using "Destin," the surname of his employer.
Mid-1930s: U.S. Highway 98 is commissioned and constructed. In 1936, the bridge at East Pass is completed. This new access was pivotal in Destin's development.
1948: The first Destin Fishing Rodeo takes place. The tournament for saltwater anglers was started to attract tourists to the area.
1973: Construction starts on Sandpiper Cove, Destin's first condominium complex.
1993: The Mid-Bay Bridge, a 3.6-mile two-lane toll bridge cutting across Choctawhatchee Bay, opens, connecting Destin to Niceville.
2003: Destin Commons opens, establishing Destin as a shopping destination.
2004–2015: HarborWalk evolves into an entertainment district along Destin Harbor that includes restaurants, shopping, and daily events.
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
From initial settlements by American Indian tribes to the opening of Eglin Air Force Base, Fort Walton Beach is rich with history and interesting stories that paved its way to becoming a well-known beach community. Events like the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival pay homage to the city's colorful history, and the gorgeous beaches on Okaloosa Island remain largely unchanged in recent decades.
A.D. 700–1500: The Fort Walton Culture, a politically advanced Florida tribe, builds the Fort Walton Temple Mound, which is now a National Historic Landmark. The temple mound served as a village center, as well as the home of the tribal chief and a military lookout point.
16th century: Spanish exploration of the area now known as Fort Walton Beach ravages Florida tribes with the introduction of new diseases and harsh treatment.
Late 1700s–early 1800s: Some historians believe that the legendary pirate and Indian leader William Augustus Bowles, popularly known as Captain Billy Bowlegs, plundered Spanish, English, and French ships and buried his fortune of gold and silver along these particular Gulf shores.
1922: James E. Plew starts the Valparaiso Realty Company with a goal of building retirement homes, businesses, and golf courses.
1930s: Early Fort Walton citizens Dr. J. H. Beal and Thomas E. Brooks build a casino and cottages to attract tourists to the area.
1934: Plew donates 1,460 acres to the U.S. government. The plot is named the Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base, but the name was changed to Eglin Field in 1937. The opening of Eglin Air Force Base was a significant factor in the future growth of the city.
1940s: Fort Walton becomes a gambling mecca and earns the nickname "Little Las Vegas of Florida." Local hot spots included the Magnolia Club and the Shalimar Club.
1953: Law enforcement agencies put an end to gambling, and Fort Walton is renamed Fort Walton Beach to help promote family tourism.
1956: German artist Emil Holzhauer and other charter members start the Arts and Design Society to promote the arts. Today, the non-profit has more than 200 members and maintains a free art gallery open to the public.
Story by Abigail Abesamis Demarest · Photos courtesy of Fairhope Single Tax Corporation Archives, Florida State Archives, Franklin County TDC, Visit Panama City Beach, UWF Historic Trust, Visit Pensacola, Destin–Fort Walton Beach, and Florida Memory · Originally published in Beach Happy Magazine, Issue 4
