Pensacola in Escambia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
"Gloucester of the Gulf"
— Pensacola Maritime Heritage Trail —
The last all-sail fishing fleet in the United States, Pensacola's red snapper fishing schooners were often called "smacks" because of the sound of water and fish splashing inside the vessels' live wells. These fishing smacks were a unique fixture of the city's waterfront until the decline of the industry in the mid-1900s.
Photo captions:
Top right: Out at sea in the early 190Os, a commercial fisherman from Pensacola shows off his recent red snaper catch. (Image courtesy of the UWF Historic Trust)
Bottom right: Archaeologists recovered this deck prism from a commercial fishing shipwreck in the near Blackwater River. Prisms like these helped disperse daylight to dark areas in a ship's cabin. (Image courtesy of UWF Archaeology Institute)
Background Image: Red Snapper fishing schooners lined up along one of Pensacola's wharves, c 1910. (Image courtesy of the UWF Historic Trust)
Erected 2016 by the City of Pensacola and the University of West Florida Historic Trust. (Marker Number I.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1910.
Location. 30° 24.271′ N, 87° 13.198′ W. Marker is in Pensacola, Florida, in Escambia County. Marker is on South Devilliers Street, 0.1 miles south of West Main Street, on the right when traveling south. Near the Blue Wahoos Stadium. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: South Devilliers Street, Pensacola FL 32502, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A History Shaped by Hurricanes (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Archaeology in a Maritime Community (about 600 feet away); Site of Panton Leslie & Co's (approx. ¼ mile away); St. Joseph Catholic Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Trader Jon's (approx. 0.4 miles away); 407 South Palafox (approx. 0.4 miles away); Industry At Sea (approx. 0.4 miles away); Luna Expedition (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pensacola.
More about this marker. Photo caption spelling of "snaper" should be "snapper."
Credits. This page was last revised on October 9, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 266 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 8, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.