Panama City in Bay County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
George M. West Home
c. 1887
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, March 4, 2023
1. George M. West Home Marker
Inscription.
George M. West Home. c. 1887. John Clark, Governor of Georgia from 1819 to 1823, built and lived in a lodge-style home on this site in 1827. He and his family died of yellow fever in 1832 and were buried on the property. In 1923, the headstones and remains were returned to Georgia by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Union soldiers destroyed 32 homes, including Clark's in 1863. The Clark heirs owned the property until eventually the St. Andrews Bay Railroad Land and Mining Company acquired it as part of their massive real estate project known as the "Land Boom" of the 1880's. Businessmen from Marianna purchased the property and then sold it to George M. West in 1887. He built this home but continued to work in Chicago until he permanently moved to St. Andrews in the early 1900's. West is credited as the "Father of Panama City." He published newspapers and started the Gulf Coast Development Company and several other ventures in St. Andrews and Panama City. West constructed the publishing building on Beck Avenue in 1920. He died in 1926 and his third wife "Miss Lillian" built the log cabin just west of here in 1934. She sold the old West home and lived in the log cabin. More information is available at the Panama City Publishing Company Museum and Visitor Center at 1134 Beck Avenue.
John Clark, Governor of Georgia from 1819 to 1823, built and lived in a lodge-style home on this site in 1827. He and his family died of yellow fever in 1832 and were buried on the property. In 1923, the headstones and remains were returned to Georgia by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Union soldiers destroyed 32 homes, including Clark's in 1863. The Clark heirs owned the property until eventually the St. Andrews Bay Railroad Land and Mining Company acquired it as part of their massive real estate project known as the "Land Boom" of the 1880's. Businessmen from Marianna purchased the property and then sold it to George M. West in 1887. He built this home but continued to work in Chicago until he permanently moved to St. Andrews in the early 1900's. West is credited as the "Father of Panama City." He published newspapers and started the Gulf Coast Development Company and several other ventures in St. Andrews and Panama City. West constructed the publishing building on Beck Avenue in 1920. He died in 1926 and his third wife "Miss Lillian" built the log cabin just west of here in 1934. She sold the old West home and lived in the log cabin. More information is available at the Panama City Publishing Company Museum and Visitor Center at 1134 Beck Avenue.
Erected by Historic St. Andrews
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Waterfront Partnership-Panama City.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.
Location. 30° 9.892′ N, 85° 41.441′ W. Marker is in Panama City, Florida, in Bay County. It is on West Beach Drive west of Flower Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1910 W Beach Dr, 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.
Other markers no longer nearby. St. Andrew Skirmish (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing); St. Andrews Bay Skirmish (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on April 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 702 times since then and 90 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on April 28, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
