Mexico Beach

By Al Cathey and Cathey Parker Hobbs

Hurricane Michael may have taken away some of the landmarks, but these images reveal the history of Florida's Mexico Beach, once known as the "Unforgettable Coast".

As French interests in the Americas dwindled, records indicate very little activity around Mexico Beach until rumors of buried riches and sunken ships brought treasure hunters to the coast. In the early 1900s, businessman Felix du Pont purchased the land known today as Mexico Beach. Resin to make turpentine was harvested from the native pine trees, and fishermen could not resist the migratory fish passing through the area's waters. By the 1930s, US Highway 98 was completed, and visitors could finally reach the sugar-soft sand beaches of the "Unforgettable Coast." By 1941, Tyndall Field was constructed and became a training site for Air Force pilots. In 1946, a group of farsighted businessmen, led by Gordon Parker, W.T. McGowan, and J.W. Wainwright, purchased 1,850 acres along the beach for $65,000. Parker's son Charlie moved to the area in 1949 with his wife, Inky, and their family. He soon took over development responsibilities for the Mexico Beach Corporation and laid the groundwork for the beach town known and loved today. Charlie went on to become the city's first mayor and a lifelong advocate of the family-friendly community.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Apr 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781439642870

Al Cathey

Cousins from a family of Mexico Beach pioneers, Cathey Parker Hobbs and Al Cathey worked together to compile this pictorial retrospective. They invite readers to view the undeveloped area of the past, learn about the men and women whose unyielding spirit shaped the town, and enjoy the history of the piece of paradise known as Mexico Beach.

Book preview

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