The
Gulf Breeze Area Historical Society has a rich history in providing
historical information to our community. The Gulf Breeze Area
Historical Society was founded in 1989 by Betty Ann Copeland
Johnson, Ruth Van Wezel, Jo Ann Jaynes, Jeanne Hunsley, Betty
Price Repko, Dorothy H. Jordan, and Patricia Briska. Under the
leadership of Jo Ann Jaynes, Ed Lang, Barbara Brown, Dorothy
Jordan, Trish Briska, Bob Kelly, Jean Broxton Spring, Betty
Ann Johnson, Ann Martin Brodie, Gordon Sprague, Kathy Kuehl,
Randall Broxton and many others the society has grown and expanded
its horizons.
Guest
speakers have included Earl Hutto, a former United States Congressman;
and educator Hilda Speed. Aviation historian Leo Murphy; Santa
Rosa historians, Dr. Brian Rucker, and Nathan Woolsey, historian
Betty Vickers spoke on the arts and culture as did Sherrie Mitchell
on the Pensacola Opera. Archaeologist and current President
of the University of West Florida Dr. Judy Bense presented numerous
programs to the society. Steven Gray, a noted photographer,
presented Gulf Breeze and Surrounding Area in Photos. Many community
leaders gave reminiscences such as Ann Martin Brodie, James
Mansfield Coe, Col .George Hoffman, Tim Hoffman, Robert Duncan;
Ed Bonifay, Pat Allen, Hilda Bingham Beck, Aggie Hansford, and
others. Dr. Doug Hightower spoke on the many contributions of
Mae Hightower Gilmore Drake and Millard Gilmore. Dr. Sandra
Lockney Davis presented a program on Women Serving in Korea
and Vietnam. Writers have also presented Susan Anderson, Cold
Case in Ellyson; Annice Broxson Webb, Journey to Change: Old
Holley and the Gulf Breeze Peninsula; David Walby, Geronimo
in Pensacola and the Battle of Santa Rosa; Charlie Davis, Growing
Up in Pensacola; Dead Man’s Island Project was presented by
Heather Reed. Dr Bertis Jordan and George Bokas presented a
Medical History of Gulf Breeze. Pat Rose provided the History
of the Gulf Breeze Library. Many students from the University
of West Florida presented to the Gulf Breeze group.
The
Gulf Breeze Area Historical Society supports and encourages
innovation such as the program developed by Dr. Patrick Moore,
Dr. Jay Clune, and Tim Roberts of the University of West Florida
and presented as Next Exit History. One of the missions of the
Gulf Breeze Area Historical Society is to collect, preserve,
and display historical information, maps, artifacts, and other
collectables. Curators Bob Kelly, from the past, and Joshua
Simmons from the present , work with community leaders such
as Ann Livingston and Ann Martin Brodie to continue this process.
The group reaches out to the future historical leaders through
History Fair in past years and a history project developed by
Laverne Baker with Gulf Breeze High School students. The group
has provided community trips to the Pensacola Lighthouse, the
Arcadia Mill site, walking tours of the Seville Square area,
North Hill, Upper North Hill, Lower North Hill, East Hill including
the site of the P. K. Yonge Collection beginnings, a tour of
the Sherrill Estate and the Walter C Payne home. The tours of
the Gordon Sprague Antique Auto Museum and the Scott Brodie
“Train Center” were favorites. The group encourages publicity
of historical events. The support of journalists such as Ruth
Van Wezel, Jean Freeman, Donna Freckmann, Earle Bowden, Betty
Archer Allen and others is appreciated. Long time members and
current members have helped the organization achieve its goals.
Among these not mentioned above are Joan Adams, Robert Bothfield,
Mark X Benson, Elouise Benson, David Szymanski, Helen Szymanski,
Tom Kuehl, Bette Sprague, Helen Garbark, Julie Connerly, June
Guerra, Mike Guerra, Glynn McMillan, Judy McMillan, Dick Baker,
Bob Brown, Cotton Connell, Marilyn Freeman, Muriel Schooley,
Don Schlueter, Joan Schlueter, Jan Redditt, Lou Jones, Margaret
Jones, Louise Lang, Doris Kelly, Louise Tolbert, Patricia Tunison,
Patricia Moreland, Eunice Osban, Nancy Dow Johnson, Virginia
Faulk, Ed Gray, Buz Eddy, Betty Kahn, Meagan Scott, Beverly
Ishol, and so many more to credit.
We
thank and appreciate all of the selfless people mentioned or
not mentioned who have helped to achieve our long lasting history
and our current goals. The group participates in community affairs
and provides information to other area groups. Members have
served as volunteers for the Gulf South History and Humanities
Conference, the Florida Historical Society, the Friends of St.
Michael’s Cemetery, the Friends of St. John’s Historic Cemetery,
and other groups. The Gulf Breeze Area Historical Society sponsored
a Maritime Conference at the Gulf Breeze Holiday Inn in the
1990s. The Gulf Breeze Area Historical Society was an active
participate in the 50th Anniversary Celebration for Gulf Breeze.
The Benson Project to create a home museum and/or more display
opportunities remains a future goal of the Historical Society.
Randall Broxton
President, 2010-2012
