This granite and brick Greek revival building, presently serving as the Apalachicola City Hall, was the first of more than fifty identical three-story warehouse structures built here on Water Street in the 1830's to accommodate the burgeoning Port . . . — — Map (db m276259) HM
When the Civil War began, the Apalachicola River was a vital transportation artery. With its Chattahoochee and Flint River tributaries navigable as far north as Columbus and Albany in Georgia, the river provided access to Apalachicola, a vital . . . — — Map (db m276226) HM
In the early 1900s there were several federal agencies with offices in Apalachicola.The customs house, post office, and inspector of steamships were spread throughout town but had long been established in Apalachicola. It was in 1823 that the first . . . — — Map (db m275987) HM
At one time, cotton was king in Apalachicola. Less than 10 years after the town was established in 1831, Apalachicola reveled a cotton boom that lasted nearly 20 years and catapulted the town to rank as third largest cotton shipping port on the Gulf . . . — — Map (db m276092) HM
Apalachicola is one of the most historic cities in Florida. Located where the Apalachicola River meets Apalachicola Bay, the name "Apalachicola" is an Indian word interpreted as a ridge of earth produced by sweeping the ground in preparation for a . . . — — Map (db m276202) HM
From the mid 1870's to the early decades of the twentieth century, the sponge industry was one of Apalachicola's most lucrative fisheries. By 1895, there were two sponge warehouses, a fleet of 16 sponge harvesting boats and approximately 100 men . . . — — Map (db m276157) HM
Founding Father
Born in Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) is
remembered as the elder statesman of the American cause
during the Revolutionary War. Beyond the political arena, he
pursued many interests, including higher . . . — — Map (db m309137) HM
One of Northwest Florida's earliest developed American settlements, Apalachicola is also home to a modern marvel. Dr. John Gorrie, a 19th-century physician credited with inventing mechanical refrigeration and artificial ice, developed his patent in . . . — — Map (db m309135) HM
Chestnut Street Cemetery dates prior to 1831. Interred are some of Apalachicola's founders and molders of her colorful history. Also buried here are many soldiers of the Confederacy and victims of yellow fever and shipwrecks. Seven of the . . . — — Map (db m101138) HM
Herbert Eugene Smith
Chief Master Sergeant
Born March 1, 1936.
Missing In Action in Laos
July 29, 1966.
Honor those whose lives
were given for our liberty
and above all bring the
living home to the
freedom they . . . — — Map (db m276258) WM
Alvan Wentworth Chapman (1809-1899) was a physician and internationally renowned botanist. His discovery of an amazing variety of plants, and flowers over his decades of work in the South established him as one of the brightest scientific minds of . . . — — Map (db m275999) HM
Dr. John Gorrie (1803-1855) was an early pioneer in the invention of the artificial manufacture of ice, refrigeration, and air conditioning. He was granted the first U.S. patent for mechanical refrigeration on May 6, 1851 (U.S. Patent No. 8080). Dr. . . . — — Map (db m27028) HM
During the year of 1914/1915, a group of Elders and Missionaries came to this city preaching and teaching Holiness. The names of some who came recruiting souls to be saved were: Bishop J. O. Croom, Elder S. P. Croom, Mother Goosbie, Missionaries . . . — — Map (db m276517) HM
The Franklin Guards, a company of Infantry organized in Apalachicola in 1884 by J. H. Coombs and Fred Betterfield, erected the first building in the city to be used solely as an armory in 1898. Made of simulated brick, it was located at the corner . . . — — Map (db m26120) HM
Named for Benjamin Franklin, the county was created in 1832. Apalachicola, the county seat, which dates back to the times of the Creek Indians, was an important center for cotton trade. The county is noted for agriculture, timber, livestock and sea . . . — — Map (db m101140) HM
Apalachicola’s layout was organized in the mid 1830s by the Apalachicola Land Company. The original plan, patterned after the City of Philadelphia, featured a one-mile square grid with a large central square and smaller squares surrounding it. Each . . . — — Map (db m121998) HM
Early Development Patterns Focused on Neighborhoods
Apalachicola's layout was organized in the mid 1830s by the Apalachicola Land Company. The original plan, patterned after the City of Philadelphia, featured a one-mile square grid with a . . . — — Map (db m270168) HM
On February 5, 1920, a group of nuns from the missionary Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family (one of three orders of African American nuns in the U.S.) arrived from New Orleans to serve the new mission in Apalachicola. In 1922, the . . . — — Map (db m276531) HM
Ship Chandlers, Disbursing Agents, Merchants Importers of Liverpool Salt Agents for Lloyds “London” Existing building occupied in November 1900 after original building burned in May 1900. — — Map (db m276266) HM
Often, the entire community turned out for a funeral service to honor the deceased. Children were permitted to participate in the mourning rituals and local people provided succor for the bereaved family. The Usher Board members were present for . . . — — Map (db m276508) HM
First United Methodist Church of Apalachicola was established in 1839 when Reverend Peter Haskew was appointed to serve the St. Joseph and Apalachicola Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The original sanctuary, built and dedicated . . . — — Map (db m26393) HM
The First Baptist Church was established in Apalachicola in 1848 under the leadership of a White minister. According to the Tennessee Baptist - published October 24, 1857, Rev. E. H. Warren became the pastor of the Church in December 1855. . . . — — Map (db m276738) HM
The Odd Fellows Hall in Apalachicola
FL at 143 Sixth Street was built between 1881 and 1883 as a meeting hall for the local Black Fraternal Order.
The period from the end of the Civil War to the First World War has been called the golden age . . . — — Map (db m276709) HM
At the end of the Civil War, Emanuel Smith, a formerly enslaved man who became a member of the local school board in Apalachicola during Reconstruction, wrote to the American Missionary Association for help in establishing a school in Apalachicola . . . — — Map (db m276505) HM
Often referred to as the Riverside Café building, this historic wood-frame structure served as a popular meeting spot from the early 1920s until it closed in the mid 1940s. The building features 14-foot ceilings, a diagonal corner entrance, front . . . — — Map (db m275846) HM
African American churches have stood on this spot for more than 150 years, playing a vital role in the spiritual, educational, and economic growth of the community.
On April 16, 1866, the Stewards of the Methodist Episcopal Church purchased . . . — — Map (db m276578) HM
Steamboat travel began on the Apalachicola River in 1827 with the arrival of the steamboat Fannie. For the next 120 years, hundreds of boats would ply the Apalachicola-Flint-Chattachoochee River system (ACF) transporting people and goods between . . . — — Map (db m276225) HM
A vacant two story wooden building that stood on this corner was, destroyed by the fire that swept through downtown Apalachicola in May 1900. John H. Cook rebuilt on the site two smaller, one-story wooden buildings that housed a pool hall and . . . — — Map (db m275904) HM
Originally the site of the Cook Insurance Building was covered by a portion of Mr. Singer's saloon and pool hall. This two-story wooden building stretched from the corner of Commerce Street and burned in the fire of 1900. John H. Cook, the owner of . . . — — Map (db m275873) HM
This classical Greek Revival style house served as the residence of Dr. Alvan Wentworth Chapman, physician, scientist, and eminent botanist, whose research and writings on the flora of the South received international recognition. Born in 1809 in . . . — — Map (db m101139) HM
This classical Greek Revival style house served as the residence of Dr. Alvan Wentworth Chapman, physician, scientist, and eminent botanist, whose research and writings on the flora of the South received international recognition. Born in 1809 in . . . — — Map (db m154205) HM
Once known as the Fradozia Building, this structure is actually two distinct buildings with a common façade. It was built in 1900, one of the first buildings to be constructed after the May 25, 1900 fire that destroyed Apalachicola's entire business . . . — — Map (db m270174) HM
The Gibson Inn was built in 1907 at the peak of Apalachicola's reign as a center for lumber and shipping. Originally called the Franklin Hotel, the Gibson was constructed by James Fulton Buck. It was a classic three story Victorian structure with . . . — — Map (db m275849) HM
Constructed ca. 1845, the Hanserd-Fry House is one of Apalachicola's finest examples of Palladian Greek Revival style architecture. The well-preserved house features a symmetrical porch with Tuscan classical columns typical of the Greek Revival . . . — — Map (db m100891) HM
Thomas Orman (1799-1880) was an ambitious entrepreneur and significant member of the Apalachicola mercantile community. In his lifetime, Orman held title to over 39,000 acres in Franklin County. Of the many cotton warehouses once located on Water . . . — — Map (db m275855) HM
The live oak tree creates the character of Lafayette Park. These 100 to 300 year old trees were, in times past, of tremendous value as naval stores. Timber from the arching branches of these trees was ideal for use as ribs and keels in ship . . . — — Map (db m278858) HM WM
During the 1830's, when the cotton port of Apalachicola was rapidly expanding, David G. Raney built a rather plain, Federal style house at this site. Around 1850, A two - story portico and other features of the then popular Greek Revival . . . — — Map (db m26663) HM
The Sponge Exchange is one of the oldest structures in town, dating to the 1850s. The building gets its name from its role during Apalachicola's sponge trade era which began in the 1870s when immigrants from Greece brought their centuries-old sponge . . . — — Map (db m275836) HM
Three Soldiers Detail Statue was dedicated this 12th day of July, 2008 in memory of those persons from the south who valiantly served their country during the Vietnam War (1959-1975). Their commitment to their country, to freedom and to each other . . . — — Map (db m278821) WM
This original structure of white pine had previously been cut into sections in New York and floated by sailing vessel down the Atlantic Coast and around the Florida keys before it was erected on this site.
This parish was first organized in . . . — — Map (db m27026) HM
In Memory Of
All Those Who Gave Their
Lives In The Defense
Of Our Country In All
Wars. May Their Deeds
Always Be Remembered
We Shall Never Forget — — Map (db m276244) WM
(side 1)
History records the first shipment of cotton to leave this Port, arrived New York, 1822.
Beginning 1836, forty-three, three-storied brick, Cotton Warehouses and Brokerages lined Apalachicola's water front. Their granite-columned . . . — — Map (db m101141) HM
Apalachicola Bay is considered one of the least polluted, most undeveloped, resource rich systems in the U.S. The Apalachicola drainage basin includes upland, floodplain, riverine, estuarine, and barrier island environments all of which are . . . — — Map (db m276187) HM
In Memory of
Lieutenant
Willoughby Ryan Marks
Commanding Co. C, 61st Inf.
5th Division U.S.A.
Who Showed
Extraordinary Valor
and Sacrificed His Life
Above the Call of Duty
in an attempt
to save a comrade . . . — — Map (db m276038) WM
With the approach of World War II, amphibious warfare training centers were hurriedly built. Camp Carrabelle opened in September 1941. Construction began in July 1942 and the camp was renamed in honor of Colonel Gordon Johnston (1874-1934), a highly . . . — — Map (db m100897) HM
From Faraway Ports Life changed dramatically with the influx of people from many nations. Large ships of Spanish explorers came in search of gold. A few French expeditions and British observers also journeyed here. With plunder on their minds, . . . — — Map (db m299197) HM
1945 • WWII ended. Barn Raising The Army left behind many new paved roads which brought more tourists to the area. Commercial fishing expanded. Riverfront homes and businesses, such as The Barn, were built or improved, using surplus . . . — — Map (db m299386) HM
In 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed construction of the Carrabelle city hall building. At the time of its dedication, it was a state-of-the-art facility for a community of its size. The mayor's office, water department, . . . — — Map (db m275633) HM
The Carrabelle Town Center was once part of the Franklin Lumber Company mill site owned by James Coombs, which operated along the north shore of the Carrabelle River from 1875 to 1928. Ships came from around the world seeking cypress timber, . . . — — Map (db m190602) HM
In honor of the veterans of Carrabelle who have
served and will serve our country
This memorial is donated by
Patricia A. Bragdon
in loving memory of her husband
Alva L. “Sonny Boy” Bragdon
A lifelong resident of Carrabelle, . . . — — Map (db m278865) WM
The Crooked River Lighthouse, built in 1895, replaced three lighthouses on Dog Island that over the years were destroyed by storms. The lightstation grounds originally included a house for both the Keeper and the Assistant Keeper, and several . . . — — Map (db m117427) HM
1900 • In the wake of the 1899 hurricane, downtown Carrabelle was moved to its present location. A Time of Prosperity Many larger buildings still standing today were constructed in the early 1900s. This was another boom time for . . . — — Map (db m299199) HM
1861 • The Civil War Began. War Breaks Out Confederate forces established camp on top of the town’s highest sand dune. Union ships plied the waters of St. George Sound. Supplies were smuggled in on fast ships, known as blockade runners. . . . — — Map (db m299198) HM
The Georgia Florida & Alabama Railroad (GF&A), also known as the Gopher, Frog & Alligator, travelled from Carrabelle to Sopchoppy to Tallahassee during the early 1900s. This timber came from the trestle that went over a small creek crossing the . . . — — Map (db m276511) HM
Marvin N. Justiss was born November 16, 1898. He married Thelma Massey in Pensacola, Florida and moved to Carrabelle in 1929. They had one daughter, Virginia Justiss Sanborn. Marvin Justiss came to Carrabelle and began building both homes and . . . — — Map (db m121999) HM
The first Carrabelle School was built in the 1880s but it was quickly outgrown with new residents. In the early 1900s a new school building was constructed at 312 NW Avenue D and a 2nd story was added onto the school, along with a bell tower. This . . . — — Map (db m276507) HM
Richard W. Ervin
Lawyer • Jurist • Fraternalist
Born in Carrabelle January 26, 1905. Destined to become one of Florida’s most outstanding public servants. From legislative engrossing clerk in 1921 to Attorney General 1949-1964. To . . . — — Map (db m276500) HM
Where the River Meets the Gulf Native peoples were drawn to this natural port. They used dugout canoes for travel and fishing. Parties of men hunted and fished while women gardened and gathered herbs in the marshes. 200 A.D. — 800 A.D. . . . — — Map (db m299196) HM
Jebediah Tate was a superstitious farmer that lived northwest of Carrabelle in Sumatra Florida. His only son was born just before the war and he named him Cebe. Jebediah was a Civil War veteran, and his wife was half Cherokee Indian. He bought 160 . . . — — Map (db m122000) HM
A Trip Back in Time… 12,000 Years Ago Where is the Water? Imagine standing on this site when native peoples first arrived in North America. The sea level was much lower then, with the Gulf of Mexico lying 50 miles away. 4,000 Years . . . — — Map (db m299195) HM
In late 1943, Carrabelle Beach and Dog Island, while they were a part of Camp Gordon Johnston, were used by the US Army 4th Infantry Division to train for the Normandy Invasion on D-Day, June 6th, 1944. The Amphibious Training Center had been . . . — — Map (db m16847) HM
Carrabelle, Florida Home of the… World’s Smallest Police Station
In 1947, Albin Westberg became Police Chief and the only day policeman in Carrabelle. He and his night officers had to protect the citizens, answer calls, pump water for . . . — — Map (db m131800) HM
In June 1942 the U.S. War Department selected a 155,000 acre section of coastal Franklin County to be used as an amphibious warfare training center. Originally called Camp Carabelle, the base was renamed in January 1943 to honor the memory of . . . — — Map (db m101177) HM
During a storm in 1799, the schooner Fox ran aground off the eastern end of St. George Island. On board was William Augustus Bowles, a British citizen and self-styled leader of the Creek-Cherokee nation. Bowles was bringing gunpowder and bullets, he . . . — — Map (db m52650) HM
Francis the Prophet, whose Indian name was Hillis Hadjo, was an important Creek chief who was forced to leave his home in the Alabama Territory at the end of the Creek War of 1813-14. He established a new town on the Wakulla River several miles . . . — — Map (db m114624) HM
It is hard to imagine the horrible scene that greeted the first Americans to stand here on the morning of July 27, 1816. The remains of the 270 persons killed in the magazine explosion lay scattered about. They also found an arsenal of ten cannons, . . . — — Map (db m114623) HM
(Side A)
Built in 1814 by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Nichols, His Majesty's Marines, as a rallying point to encourage the Seminole Indians to ally themselves with England against the United States in the War of 1812. Abandoned after 1814, . . . — — Map (db m116355) HM
In 1838 the steamship Irvington, carr[y]ing 200 bales of cotton on a downstream run, burned and sank four miles upstream from here. This 115 foot side-wheeler was constructed in 1836 in Marion, Indiana. These boilers and parts were dredged from the . . . — — Map (db m114622) HM
