EDITOR’S NOTE: This is another of the Bay County Centennial articles. It is the first of two detailing the ties West Florida almost had with Alabama.
Panama City, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Port St. Joe and Apalachicola - for decades individuals being sent or assigned to these towns asked “where it that? I never heard of that place.” They weren’t the only ones. On several old state maps, cartographers overlooked these spots. They conveniently sliced off the Florida Panhandle or printed it separately, showing only North, Central and South Florida.
Those living in Alabama were very much aware of the situation with West Florida. They tried numerous times to have this section annexed into their state.
Since this area received little publicity, Leland J. Henderson, secretary of the Commercial Association of Pensacola, wrote G.M. West, editor and owner of the Pilot, querying “What do you think of the advisability of holding a National Convention at some place in West Florida to discuss the making of a new state of the thirteen West Florida counties?”
On Feb. 6, 1913, West replied, “it is under the impression that just at the present there is not that wide interest in the subject of dividing Florida as to warrant the calling of a National Convention to discuss it. In fact it would be well to get the citizens of Florida further interested in it first.”
West finished with “if a Convention of any kind is to be called in connection with this subject, it should be held right here in Panama City, the coming metropolis of West Florida, and the only logical site for the capitol thereof.”
A New State
West admitted the desirability of forming a state out of what was known as West Florida but doubted the possibilities of being able to do so under their present laws of the state constitution. He wrote that the constitution could only be amended by a majority vote. It required a much larger number of voters in the 13 counties than they now possessed to accomplish this much talked of “desiration.”
Over the past two centuries, the idea of separating the Florida Panhandle from the rest of Florida attracted attention many times. East and West Florida were divided by the Apalachicola River. For the most part, the Floridas functioned as two separate districts. Travel and transportation were often dangerous and undeveloped, and little trade took place between the two sections.
In many respects, West Florida seemed comparable to South Alabama. The residents enjoyed the same climate and grew similar crops. Rivers rising in Alabama flowed through Florida to the Gulf.
West Florida first drew supporters as early as 1811 when the Mississippi Territory petitioned Congress to incorporate this land. Alabama belonged to Mississippi at that time. Georgia also took action when the Mississippi territory was mentioned. Georgia asked for the land that was left in the northern part of the Florida territory.
In 1822, U.S. Sen. John W. Walker introduced a bill in Congress adding the land on the southern border to his state of Alabama. This proposition involved approximately 2 million acres. Under this proposal Alabama would acquire an additional 200 miles of coastline and Pensacola’s excellent harbor, deriving great benefits from this move. The bill did not pass.
But Walker remained confident that it was only a matter of time before this section would become part of Alabama.
Florida Territorial Gov. Andrew Jackson wrote the U.S. Secretary of State on Oct. 6, 1821, stating “the best interests of the Floridas in my opinion required that they should be united under one territorial government, with an eye to speedy admission into the union as a state.”
When he was about to leave the territory and return home to Tennessee, he commented, “The State of Alabama - We love her as a sister, but would not be wed.”
Many residents of West Florida felt different about the situation, however. They signed a lengthy memo to Congress in which they unhesitatingly declared it was their desire “for the political, civil and commercial interest and prosperity of West Florida to be annexed to the State of Alabama.”
But the proposal died in the senate on the grounds that the issue was premature. Tallahassee became the capital in 1824.
The idea resurfaced again during the Constitutional Convention of 1838-1839 in St. Joseph, where plans were drawn for Florida’s statehood. Alabama delegates presented a resolution asking for the annexation of the Panhandle land.
Although a majority of residents were said to favor this division, Gov. Richard Call stated that such a measure would have “most fatal consequences for Florida and would postpone a state government for years.” Delegates tabled the issue until a future date.
Next week: More on the West Florida-Alabama controversy.