The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-10-18
PENsAcoLA's GREATEST ASSET


Pensacola has as its greatest asset
the vast expanse of water which sur
rounds it. giving to it such a harbor
as Is unknown anywhere else on the
gulf, and furnishing to its people such
opportunities for recreation as no
other city in Florida may offer.
But in making this statement, it is
necessary to qualify it, and add, pro-
vided that advantage is taken of these
possibilities.
Potentially. Pensacola is the great
playground Of Florida Actually, there
is less opportunity of recreation here
than in most of the inland cities of the
State.
Latent advantages never amount to
anything until transmitted into actu-
alities.
In many inland towns of Florida
there are more means of recreation.
and wste recreation. than right here
in Pensacola, where we are only seven
miles from the open gulf. and sur
rounded by the bay, bayous and rivers
which are fairly bewildering in their
beauty and their potentialities for
pleasure seekers.
In the little city Of Barlow, Fla,
with population Of $500, the people
enjoy the water as much, and possibly
more. than here in Pensacola.
Polk County is not only inland, but
about as far inland as It well could
be located, being in the south central
part OF the State. almost midway from
the Atlantic on the one side and the
gulf on the other. Yet the people of
Polk County see as much Of the water
as the people Of Pensacola, to all prac-
tical purposes.
And the reason for this is that Polk
County and All Central and South
Florida have good roads. Polk County
is the only county in the United States
where every town in the county is
connected with every other town by
q perfect system Of roads.
Through a county bond issue and
special district bonds Polk County
has spent approximately $4,000, 900 on
Its road development.
These roads have opened up the
county from one end to the other. and
have made possible a number of rec
reational centers in Polk County,
which makes 1t possible to advertise
that county, with truth, as a delightful
part Of Floridas playground.
Tourists come to play and remain
to invest. Attracted to Polk County
by the fame of its good roads. they
remain to buy acres OF land-not one
whit better than Escambia County
land, and to put money into phosphate
citrus culture, truck farming,
and other kinds of county develop
ment
But first they come to play
That is what draws capital to Flor
ida.
Northern capitalists come to Florida
for diversion. not for investments.
They make these Investments after
they have had an opportunity. in their
leisure time. to look over the country
and find that it is good
Ton years ago in Polk County the
acreage which is now selling for from
one to three thousand dollars, having
been planted to citrus trees, sold for
So SO an acre.
Good roads did 1t. Roads that wind
like asphalt ribbons all through the
county. so closely connecting it with
every other parts of the county and
other parts OF the State as to make II |
one OF the greatest recreatlonal cen
ters. one Of the greatest commercial
centers and one of the greatest agri-
and horticultural centers in
the South.
Capital came to play and stayed to |
invest. Here in Escambia. having the /
recreatfonal advantages pos
sessed BY any county in the state with |
s. 900 600 voted for good roads we
may look to Polk County for example |
Il we spend this money wisely: If vel
build our county roads and our Gulf
Beach Highway. We shall not have to I
seek capital Capital win seek Us. I
we shall be what we should long ago
have been--Florida's biggest and love-
lest playground.
Capital will come to play and re-
main 10 invest.