Pouring A Round Of Pensacola's Past

By John D. Melvin, II

A seminal investigation into the history of Florida’s “City of Five Flags”—illustrated with period photos, maps, and sketches.

Pensacola, Florida, was a postbellum boomtown that offered the promise of prosperity to potential newcomers and long-time residents alike. Pouring a Round of Pensacola’s Past divulges the hidden past of a city steeped in mystery and local lore. From German immigrants to backwoods country folk, Pensacolians were as diverse as they were prosperous, with a penchant for alcohol production and consumption. The money flowed freely in Pensacola, and so too did the booze. But behind this facade of industry and revelry lay secrets of historical significance, secrets waiting to be uncovered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781948080323

Book preview

Pouring A Round Of Pensacola’s Past

by

John D. Melvin, II

Pouring A Round Of Pensacola’s Past

by

John D. Melvin, II

Pouring A Round Of Pensacola’s Past

Copyright © 2017 by John D. Melvin, II

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

All photographs, news clippings, and transcripts of news articles are the property of their respective owners and publications unless otherwise noted. Used with permission. Photographs courtesy of Pensacola Historical Society, University of West Florida Historic Trust.

Lead Editor: Hamishe Randall

Cover design: Amy Vega

Interior design: Lisa DeSpain

Cover Photographer: Chelsea Zachary

Indigo River Publishing

3 West Garden Street Ste. 352

Pensacola, FL 32502

www.indigoriverpublishing.com

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales: Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address above. Orders by U.S. trade bookstores and wholesalers: Please contact the publisher at the address above.

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number:

ISBN: 978-0-9972945-6-9

ISBN: 978-1-9480803-2-3 (e-book)

LOC: 2017933802

First Edition

With Indigo River Publishing, you can always expect great books, strong voices, and meaningful messages. Most importantly, you’ll always find… words worth reading.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to Dr. Jay Clune, for his mentorship and unwavering support in all of my personal and academic endeavors, and for pushing me to never quit, even when it would have been very easy to do so. Doubtless, without Dr. Clune, I would not be where I am today. To him I owe my scholastic achievements, and I will forever be in his debt. Thank you, my friend.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pensacola: The Place to Be

Early German Influence

Kupfrian’s Park

Early Saloons in Downtown Pensacola

Sam Clepper and Prohibition in Pensacola

The Spearman Brewing Company

The Brass Tacks: The Prominent Details in History

Pensacola Then and Now

Work Cited

TABLE OF FIGURES

PENSACOLA: THE PLACE TO BE

Pensacola is the nation’s oldest settlement, and its economic and social history is thus rich and long lasting. Even after the American Civil War (1861-1865), when many major Southern cities were in utter shambles with the economic ravages the war reaped on the former Confederate States, Pensacola’s pitch pine timber and lumber, brick making, and red snapper industries helped keep the city’s economy afloat. Foremost among these industries, the lumber business boomed, lumber exports reached new all-time highs, and Pensacola shipping reached a scale never before fathomed. An environment existed in which social activities, in addition to commerce, burgeoned and left a notable imprint in the history of Pensacola. Rivaling major Northeastern cities in industrial and economic importance, the Port of Pensacola at old Palafox Wharf never rested. In fact, Pensacola was such an active port city that a legend arose: one could walk across Pensacola Bay by jumping from one sailing vessel to another during the shipping boom in the late 19th century. Although this legend is likely inaccurate, it gives insight into just how many ships inundated the bay on a daily basis.

By the 1880s, there was plenty of money in