Panama City in Bay County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
The “Cap’n Scuba” House
c. 1890’s
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
1. The “Cap’n Scuba” House Marker
Inscription.
The “Cap’n Scuba” House. c. 1890’s. The land was purchased during the 1886 "land boom" when the St. Andrews Bay RR Land and Mining Company sold this lot for $9. The home was constructed shortly thereafter and housed the J.R. Thompson Store from 1901 - 1915, Over the years the property was owned by several people with familiar St. Andrews names including Gainer, Welch, Harries, and Fletcher Black. It was purchased in 1960 by Bill and Eloise Tant, founders of Southern Skin Divers Supply, Inc. (1953) from Birmingham, Alabama. The Tants "bunked" hundreds of divers in the house over the years, taking them for some of the earliest dives on local historic wrecks such as the SS Tarpon, the Empire Mica, and others. Thus, the foundation for diving in this area was established here in St. Andrews.
The land was purchased during the 1886 "land boom" when the St. Andrews Bay RR Land & Mining Company sold this lot for $9. The home was constructed shortly thereafter and housed the J.R. Thompson Store from 1901 - 1915, Over the years the property was owned by several people with familiar St. Andrews names including Gainer, Welch, Harries, & Fletcher Black. It was purchased in 1960 by Bill & Eloise Tant, founders of Southern Skin Divers Supply, Inc. (1953) from Birmingham, Alabama. The Tants "bunked" hundreds of divers in the house over the years, taking them for some of the earliest dives on local historic wrecks such as the SS Tarpon, the Empire Mica, and others. Thus, the foundation for diving in this area was established here in St. Andrews.
Erected by Historic St. Andrew’s Waterfront Partnership-Panama City.
Location. 30° 10.1′ N, 85° 42.151′ W. Marker is in Panama City, Florida, in Bay County. It is at the intersection of Bayview Avenue and West 11th Street, on the right when traveling north on Bayview Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3014 W 11th St, Panama City FL 32401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Panhandle. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 26, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 591 times since then and 69 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on April 26, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
