Panama City

J. D. Weeks

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2005
• Print ISBN: 9780738541853
• eBook ISBN: 9781439633359
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

Panama City began as three 640-acre homesteads in the late 1800s and was incorporated in 1909. The seat of Bay County, this thriving port city of nearly 156, 000 is home to Tyndall Air Force Base and the Naval Coastal Systems Center. This volume contains more than 200 vintage postcard views of Panama City from its earliest years through the 1970s. Scenes of neighboring Panama City Beach include early beach institutions like the Hangout at Long Beach Resort, Jenkins Drive In, Mitties Tavern, and Little Birmingham. Those who remember the FoCsle Grille at the Verde Mer Cottages in Laguna Beach deserve a gold star.

Six

BEACH MOTELS AND COTTAGES

LAGUNA BEACH APARTMENTS, c. 1940. This view of the Laguna Beach Apartments is typical of those that sprang up at Laguna Beach starting in the late 1930s. J. B. Lahan from Birmingham, Alabama, purchased property in that area in 1936 and built a home. He sold off some of his property in lots for vacation cottages, and that was the beginning of Laguna Beach. Many folks, the author included, had their first taste of those beautiful white-sand beaches here at Laguna Beach. This one, being directly on Highway 98 West, boasts of being 100 feet from the beautiful Gulf Beach. All motels listed in this chapter will be on U.S. Highway 98 West.

OLD DUTCH HOTEL, c. 1952. The Old Dutch Hotel was located on Bahama Beach, an area developed by Cliff Stiles of Birmingham that was earlier called Dutchville. This postcard was mailed to Youngstown, Ohio, in 1953, encouraging someone to “come on down and visit.” The Old Dutch Tavern, the first bar on the beach, was next door. Located on that site now is the Days Inn Beach.

VERDE MER COTTAGES AND FO’C’SLE GRILL. The Verde Mer, operated by Claude Maenza, sat directly on the beach side of Highway 98 in Laguna Beach. They advertised fine food and modern cottages. No one seems to recall the Fo’c’sle Grill, and since it does appear to be quite small, it could easily have been overlooked. The sender of this postcard says they ate there last Sunday at noon. Hopefully there was not a large crowd.

EDGEWATER GULF BEACH APARTMENTS, c. 1940S. The Edgewater Gulf Beach Apartments were located at Edgewater Gulf Beach. They contained one and two bedrooms, a combination living/dining room, kitchen, and a full bath. As the arrow sign indicates, the daily rate was $2 per person. Edgewater Beach Resort, incorporated in 1953, merged with Panama City Beach in 1970. This postcard message says the sender would not want to stay here since there is nothing but sand.

GULF RESORT BEACH COTTAGES. The Gulf Beach Resort area was developed by J. B. Lahan and W. E. Hooper, both of Birmingham. The Gulf Resort Beach Cottages, located at the intersection of State Highway 79 and U.S. Highway 98, were owned by the Arnold Brothers. The cottages had two bedrooms, a living room, and kitchen.

LARKWAY VILLAS, c. 1940. The Larkway Villas were built in 1938 and owned by Harry Edwards and his son, Jimmy Lark. They consisted of 17 individual four-room Spanish-type buildings. In 1948, when this postcard was mailed to Aliceville, Alabama, the owner was listed as M. H. Edwards Jr. and the manager as D. M. Powell. Edwards was a real estate broker and had a connecting office.

ANCHOR INN, c. 1950. The Anchor Inn was located at 14400 West Highway 98 and was owned by Mr. and Mrs. George F. Godwin. This postcard, another by Cooper’s News Agency, was mailed on June 18, 1954, to Louisville, Kentucky. The writer relates that she had a marvelous meal here tonight. It was directly across the road from the current location of the Fontainebleau Terrace Motel.

HOTEL PATIO, c. 1940. The Hotel Patio and Cottages were east of the Panama City Beach Hotel near Oleander Court and McElvey Cottages. Opened and operated by Mrs. J. W. Crawford, they offered modern air-conditioned cottages with private baths. In 1953, the resid...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• One - DOWNTOWN PANAMA CITY
• Two - ST. ANDREWS, BUNKER’S COVE, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES
• Three - THE ORIGINAL PANAMA CITY BEACH
• Four - LONG BEACH RESORT
• Five - THOMAS DRIVE
• Six - BEACH MOTELS AND COTTAGES
• Seven - AMUSEMENTS AND THINGS TO DO
• Eight - RESTAURANTS AND PLACES TO EAT
• Nine - MISCELLANEOUS
• BIBLIOGRAPHY