The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-12-20
PENSACOLA: IT'S EARLY HISTORY


sense of moral obligation. Who
knows but that many a dsrk-skinned
Floridian, il he could trace the ram
bling branches of his ramily tree,
might find its root in the heart OF
some dusky tribe. In the annals of
/ later period we find records of the
marriages of white men VINO had sue
cumbed to the charms of Indian maid
ems and given them the legal fright
| to bear their Nance, and there is no
reason to suppose their Spanish pre-
decessors were any more squeamish
when the need of wife presented
| itself
Failed to ohliterate Name.
The flames that destroyed the sec
ond Pensacola failed to ooliterata the
name which rose phoenix-like from it,
ashes to be bestowed on colony be-
gun (probably by stragglers and refu-
gees from the destroyed town. on
Santa Rosa Island shortly after the
destruction of the second settlement
for although the former site had been
restored to the Spaniarcs by order
| of the French government, the island
was doubtless considered better pro-
tected from unexpected attacks by
1 the Indians.
/ According to-a sketch made in 1743
10y d IfducT Wishing Juc port, the
Santa Rosa town had made some arch
iitectural advancement. A stone
church. public fountain. ana the COM
mandant's house. an imposing struc-
tture, inasmuch as it boosted of two
stories. Rows of smaller dwellings
| were laid out with view to forming
streets. and in position to command
the entrance to the harbor, the very
necessary fort We can suppose there
were also warehouses. as a lucrative
trade had been established with 9TH
er colonies, in Louisiana and Cuba.
Here also originated the Timber
trade. on which the prosperity of Pen
sscola has always so largely depend
ed.
The Town Swept Away.
1t would seem that q settlement
hourishing under such suspicious
conditions would be permanancy,
but a power beyond mans control
had willed otherwise, and in l754 in
one fearful night, the results of a
quarter Of century OF human en-
surging waters of the Gulf
Exactly in what shape the deyastat-
ing forces came is not known, but
some tremendous upheayal of nature
must have submerged or ensu1fed a
\ portion of the island, for its dimen-
sions, even in the memory of the old
est inhabitant, have never been such
as to AFFORD site for a growing city.
When the storm subsidized those WHO
had survived the fury of the ele-
ments chung together ON the wet sand
,unsheltered and homeless-fars from
the help and succcr that in, our day
would pour in at the tapping of a
wire.
This was tle last ephemeral growth.
Transplanted by the survivors of the
hurricane to the northern shore of
the bay, to an indentation borderej
east and west by estuar;es, later
known as Bayous Chico and Texar
Pensacola at last took permanent hold
on Florida soil, although It remained
Il for years but a puny, insignificant
hamlet, forgotten in the turmoil OF
! EufOpean wars by the powers that
had originally builded and destroyed
A British Province.
BY the treaty of Paris in 1853 Flori,
da became British province, and
when Spain removed the troops quar-
; tered in Pensacola, the entire popu.
lation emigrated to Cuba rather than
TO remain under British rule. From
what can be learned of the town al
. that time, they did not abandon muc-
NOAlCNIAOA vi PdiiACtiO lAolCACU
huts, surrounded by stoclade oil
pine posts as protection from In
dian depredations.
Pensacola became, the capital oil
. the British province. and under Brit
| ish rule many improvements were
inaugurated It was during the ad
ministration OF the English Governor
tombstone. that the town was survey
ed and laid out in blocks and Streets
the main thorougbfares bearing the
names of England.s king and queen
; located district extending as fal
north as the present fntendencis
street, was reserved fsr public pari
, and other public uses and early be
came the centre round which the
, business life of the town revolved.
On the summit OF Psiafox Hill, Their
, called after an English general. Gag
Hill, was erected an observatory and
from its towering height, instead Of
, the sigltless eyes of the stone carved
l Confederate veteran. the alert gazt
! of a British sentinel kept watch
|. searching the broad expanse of SAINTS
/ Marie for alien or piratical craft.
II A Fort Constructed.
In 1772 Peter Chester. another gov
4 ernor under British rule. built a for
lon Gage Hfll-Fort George during the
!. English occupancy. but changed Il
e ST. Michael after the capture by Gal
e lyez 1t is still. fememberel by tina
! name by tne oldest Inhabitants o
3 Pensacola. Entering the house of DIT
Heron, the visitor stands on the sit
of its council chamber. where thu
q white invaders-Spanish and Englisl
2 | in their turn, held powwow VITA rer
4 resentative members OF Creek, Choc
! ltaw or Seminole nations Councils OF
d which much OF the peace. and pros
: perity of the province depended. Her
the terms of capitulation were Signe'
; that transferred Pensacola from Brit
S Iish domination TO Spanish rule again
t This fort being constructed orly
d earth and timber. soon fell into dc
4 lcay. after the merciless hoinbarimen
$ of General Jackson in 1914 There ar
e men in the community sedsy. who a