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Pensacola & Florida Civic/Government Heritage in St. John's Historic Cemetery
Edward Aylsworth Perry
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William Hazard Northup made major contributions to the development of commerce and public service in Pensacola at the turn of the 20th century. His family members played important roles in the early development of musical organizations in the community.
According to his grandson, Dr. Aldrich Northup of Pensacola, William H. Northup was born on a farm near Tower Hill, Rhode Island in 1847.As a teenager he ran way to sea. By age 21 he had become captain of a coastwise schooner. There was a big demand for shipping of ice by coastal schooners.
Eugene E. Saunders, an acquaintance of Northup’s in Rhode Island also was a ship’s captain and had moved to Pensacola in 1868, establishing E. E Saunders Fishing Company. Saunders probably encouraged Northup to move to Pensacola in the early 1870’s. Captain William Northup left the sea, married Saunders’ sister, Harriet, and became active in business and politics. William and Harriet had a son, Edwin Saunders Northup, born in1873.
At that time, there was a demand for livery services since many could not board and care for their own horses at home in the city. According to Dr. Northup, William H. Northup opened Northup and Wood Livery Stable. One could call by telephone and have his horse and carriage delivered to his home. Some might lease a horse and buggy, a sort of “Hertz” of the times. Since funeral processions required a horse-drawn hearse and multiple carriages, undertaking and funerals were part of the livery business.
According to John Appleyard, in the mid-1890’s when the Pensacola Street Railway Company went out of business Captain Northup, with others, formed a successor company. They immediately filed requests with the City of Pensacola to enlarge an existing electrical generating plant to electrify street railways, and then double-track the system along Palafox Street. Later, the local electric generating company and the street railway company were merged and the process of further electrification began. Thereafter, there were several mergers, climaxing in 1905 when the Pensacola Electric Company, direct ancestor of Gulf Power Company, acquired the organization.
William H. Northup was elected Mayor of Pensacola in 1897-1898. President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Northup Collector of Customs at the Port of Pensacola in 1907 and President William H. Taft appointed him Postmaster at Pensacola. According to Dr. Northup the above appointments were probably awarded for Northup’s services as one of the few local Republicans! Captain Northup sold his undertaking business to T. M. Lloyd just before Northup’s death in 1925.
When Harriet Northup had a serious illness, their young son Edwin S. Northup was sent back to New England to be raised by his grandparents. He studied at St. Paul’s in Long Island, N.Y. and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He had considerable training in music. In 1925,he was serving as an engineer in Albany, N.Y. when his father, William H. died. Edwin then moved to Pensacola with his wife, Louise, and two sons, Eugene S. and William H. A third son, Aldrich, was born the next year. Edwin Saunders Northup managed the affairs of his father, William H, and was very active in community music activities, both instrumental and choral. Meetings of musicians in his home on West Gregory Street were the vestigial beginnings of the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. Edwin was the director of the choir at Christ Church and community choruses. Edwin S. Northup’s son, Dr. Aldrich, has carried on the family music tradition for years as a tenor soloist at Christ Church and in the community.
William H. Northup is buried at St. John’s in 1 North, Section 9
1848-1925
Edwin Saunders Northup is in 4North, Section 9 1873-1940
How did ice harvesting in New England play such an important
role in the early growth and development of Pensacola? Some of the answers may
be found in the intermingling stories of three New Englanders who were
transplanted to Pensacola at different times. All of them eventually
participated as entrepreneurs and leaders in the boomtown of Pensacola in the
late 1800’s and early 1900’s. All of them went to sea at an early age, two
becoming captains of their own ships; all of them were engaged in the shipping
of ice in sailing ships; two of them became mayors of Pensacola.
Thomas E. Welles’s story is presented here. The stories of the other two, E. E. Saunders and William H. Northup are described in other sections of “Pensacola’s Heritage at St John’s Historic Cemetery” on this web site. Welles and Captain Northup are two of the ten Mayors of Pensacola buried in St. John’s Historic Cemetery.
According to his grandson, Bill Langford, Thomas E. Welles was educated in the schools of Mystic, Connecticut. He went to sea at an early age and later, was employed by Captain T. C. Cobb of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Captain Cobb’s fleet of sailing ships often carried cargoes of ice harvested in huge chunks from the lakes and rivers of New England. Packed in sawdust, ice was sent to many ports around the world, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Islands and South America.
Thomas E. Welles learned the business of sailing, fishing and shipping under Captain Cobb and, in the early 1870’s was sent as purser of a ship delivering ice to E. E. Saunders Co., a leader in fishing in Pensacola. Mr. Saunders was so impressed with Thomas Welles that he offered to sell him an interest in his company with Welles as manager.
Welles returned to Massachusetts with the ship. Subsequently, he married Caroline Brown Cobb, Captain Cobb’s daughter; Captain Cobb lent him money to buy stock in E. E. Saunders Company and Welles moved to Pensacola. Saunders was occupied with other enterprises of the company, such as oceangoing tugboats, recovery and sale of ballast rocks and land development. The company employed over a thousand men and had over forty “fishing smacks”, moderate-sized sailing ships built in New England according to E. E Saunders Company specifications. The annual payroll was in excess of $100,000. They developed a local fish market in the Palafox wharf area and a fishmeal plant with by-products of fertilizer and glue. Their ice manufacturing plant produced 35 tons of ice a day and allowed cold storage of 100,000 pounds of fish. Looking for ways to repair the fleet at home, they bought the marine ways on the north side of the Gulf Breeze peninsula and renamed it the Gulf of Mexico Marine Railway Company. The fishing smacks of E. E. Saunders Company and the very successful Warren Fish Company established Pensacola as “The Red Snapper Capital “ of the World”.
In 1889 the Pensacola Driving Association was organized “to operate and maintain a racecourse and encourage sport among local horse owners”; Welles was one of the founders. He was vice president of the Citizens National Bank for years and a director of the Peoples National Bank. As president of the Gulf City Coffee Company he helped organize Welles-Kahn Company. Welles was the president of the Good Government League, and a member of the Knights of Pythias, Woodmen of the World and the Masons. He was an avid reader and had an impressive library in his large home on the corner of Gadsden Street and 12th Avenue. His daughter, Ruth Alden married Adrian Langford and, subsequently, the Langfords lived in the Gadsden Street house and raised an outstanding family, including surviving sons Bill and Dick Langford. In addition, Welles owned a large plantation in north Alabama where his family spent the summers. Welles son, Frank, had two sons, well known in Pensacola, Thomas and Frank, Jr (“Junie”).
Welles served as mayor of Pensacola from 1903 until 1905. When Saunders died in April 1913, Welles bought Saunders’ portion of the various businesses from Saunders’ widow. Welles died in November 1914 and is buried in St. John’s Historic Cemetery 1 South Section 10.
Submitted by John Appleyard
Francis R. (Frank) Pou was Pensacola's mayor for the single year
of 1918. The Pou family, with two branches, is first listed in the city's
initial directory in 1885, in this way:
1) Pou, Lewis A., (Pou & Company) general store, Palafox near Intendencia; home, Gregory St. near Alcaniz.
2) Pou (Francis G.) & Co., general store, Palafox near Intendencia, home Gregory near Alcaniz.
Apparently the two were brothers; the directory listed no other family members.
In 1897 the Bliss Quarterly Magazine lists the Levy & Pou Company, Wholesale and Retail, clothing, gents furnishings, shoes and hats.
509-511 South Palafox Street
L. M. Levy was President and treasurer, while H. O. Anson was secretary.
The next available listing was for F. R. Pou in the L&N Railroad's magazine dated 1905. The copy said:
Mr. F. R. Pou Feed and Livery Stable and Funeral Director. Nos. 13-17 West Intendencia Street. Office Phone: 31, Residence Phone 673. The Above Enterprise is the Largest of its kind in Pensacola, In Every Respect. The Business Has Been Established Here for Eight Years, and Gives Employment to a Force of Eight Men, All of Whom Are Practicable in the Various Departments. The Capacity of the Barns and Stables Are Extremely Large, Having Facilities of Accommodating Sixty Head of Stock, and a Number of Fine Vehicles of the Most Fashionable Style. They Make a Specialty of Boarding Horses and in This Department Every Effort is Put Forth to Give All Customers Proper Attention to Their Stock. Mr. Pou is a Businessman of Fine Ability, and Under His Able Management the Business Has Met with Increasing Success Each Year it Has Been in Existence. He is a Practicable Embalmer Himself, and in This Particular Line He is Undoubtedly the Best in the City. Courteous Treatment Is One of the Principal Features of the Establishment.
Unfortunately other available data does not carry this personal account farther. The funeral service later became Fisher-Pou. He is buried at St. John’s Historic Cemetery.
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Frank Dent Sanders, Mayor of Pensacola in 1919, was born 26 August of 1867, to Cicero Marion Sanders and Lucy Emma Varner, in Barbour County, Alabama. He relocated to Pensacola, Florida in 1893. He married Ida Anastasia Duval Christie on 4 September 1899 at St. Joseph Church in Pensacola. They had nine children, all born in Pensacola.
Sanders' first job was a public one. He assumed the duties of Chief Deputy under Sheriff George E. Smith, his brother-in-law. Mr. Smith was quite ill at the time and relinquished almost all the duties of his office to Mr. Sanders.
In June 1917 Sanders was elected to the office of City Commissioner, was
re-elected in June 1920 and again in June 1923. He served at different times as
Mayor, Commissioner of Finance and Revenue, Commissioner of Streets and Public
Works, and Police and Fire Commissioner, which office he held at the time of his
death. Prior to his election to the office of City Commissioner, Sanders served
the City as special police officer, Deputy Marshal, City Marshal, and Chief of
Police. "His faithful and efficient services in every position that he held
merited the esteem and confidence of the people of Pensacola,
and gained for him a popularity which was greater than that enjoyed by any other
man who had held office in the City of Pensacola during a like period of time,"
from the Resolution by the Board of Commissioners of the City of Pensacola, 19
November 1925.
Frank Dent Sanders passed away in 1925, at age of 58. The funeral was held in his home on Wednesday, November 18, 1925.
Frank Dent Sanders is buried in St. John's Cemetery 3 North Section 37
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J. Harvey Bayliss
Outstanding Mayor of Pensacola: 1922-1931
J. Harvey Bayliss was elected a Pensacola city commissioner in 1922,and when chosen as Mayor at age 28 he was the youngest mayor in the country. He served three three-year terms as mayor and was elected to a fourth term but never served because in 1931 the form of city government changed. Only Adm. Charles Mason, who was mayor for 12 years, and Vince Whibbs, who served 14 years, exceeded Bayliss' years as mayor.
Bayliss was born in Pensacola on Dec. 23, 1893. He was the son of James and Elizabeth Bayliss. He was educated in Escambia County public schools and attended some business courses. His first job was with the city attorney, John B. Jones. He was appointed assistant city comptroller while quite a young man and was comptroller when he was elected mayor.
During Bayliss' second term as mayor he was elected to the State Road Department as representative from West Florida. He promoted development of the roads in the county and state and was an original supporter for the Old Spanish Trail through Escambia County. Bayliss' push for better highways provided development of roads and highways throughout the state as well as the county. Scenic Highway was completed during the late 1920s and the Pensacola Bay Bridge opened in the spring of 1931.
In an editorial following Bayliss' death, W. R. Helie praised Bayliss for his dedication to the city. Helie said Bayliss was "the most popular young executive in this entire area." One of the contributions to the city while Bayliss was mayor included the city-owned radio station, WCOA, which began broadcasting from city hall Feb. 3, 1926. The radio station was to advertise the "Wonderful City of Advantages" with Johnny Frenkel, jovial announcer, calling himself "The Breezey Boy from the Gulf". Broadcasts were made from the top floor of the San Carlos Hotel after John C. Pace purchased the station in the early 1930s.
Bayliss was a member of the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club, the Knights of Pythias, the Elks, Woodmen of the World, Masons and the Shriners. He was a member of the Methodist church. When he died Sept. 15, 1954, he was survived by his wife, Lucille, and a daughter. He was buried in St. John's Cemetery 2 North Section 25.
Lee Conner Hagler
Mayor of Pensacola
1936-1943 and Manager of the San Carlos Hotel
During Eventful Times in the City
One of the most colorful periods in Pensacola occurred while L. Conner Hagler served as mayor of the city: President Franklin D.
Roosevelt visited, a movie was filmed here, and the New York Giants came for spring training .As the manager of Hotel San Carlos for 20 years and as mayor, Hagler was in the middle of exciting times. The hotel was the center of social and civic activities in Pensacola.
Hagler was born Feb. 25, 1890, in Attalla, Ala., where he received his education. He served in the Navy during World War I. In 1920, he came to Pensacola, where he worked for the Liquid Carbonic Co. and traveled through Florida and Alabama. In 1922, he married Bess Harberson of Pensacola and they stayed briefly in the San Carlos, which had just been purchased by Bess' father. Later he was named manager of the hotel and held that position until his death.
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When Harberson bought the hotel, it had 150 rooms. In 1927 he remodeled it and added two wings for a total of 246 rooms. The hotel's balcony was used by city officials and others to view parades and many of the city's Mardi Gras balls and other dances were held in the San Carlos Ballroom. Many civic clubs and others met for lunch at the San Carlos. The Pensacola Historical Society was organized in the hotel and long before Harberson and Hagler took over the hotel, the Pensacola Music Study Club had its first meeting there.
In 1936 Hagler was appointed to fill a vacant City Council seat. Subsequently, he was appointed as mayor, was elected for succeeding terms and remained in that position until his death.
In July 1938, a crew arrived to film "Wings of the Navy," a major motion picture. The Hollywood entourage had 35 suites at the San Carlos for its 12-day stay while filming. Later the world premier was at the Saenger Theater in Pensacola. That same year, Hagler, a longtime baseball fan, welcomed the Giants for spring training. But the highlights of Mayor Hagler's tenure may have been visits by President Roosevelt in 1938 and twice in 1940. Eleanor Roosevelt returned to Pensacola alone in 1942 for three days, staying at the hotel.
The Haglers' moved to North Hill around 1926. They were the parents of three sons and a daughter. In addition to being manager of the San Carlos and mayor of the city, Hagler was vice president of the Pensacola Baseball Club, member and officer of Barcelona Street Wharf Co., officer of the Camp Walton Boat Co., director of the American National Bank, Pensacola Chamber of Commerce and on the executive board of the Florida Hotel Men's Association. L.C. Hagler died on Aug. 12, 1943 and is buried in St. John's Cemetery 4 North Section 49.
Walter Wicke
Civic Leader and Manager of the Pensacola Municipal
Auditorium;
Mayor of Pensacola 1944-1947
Walter Wicke was a native Pensacolian, born November 25, 1895, into a family which already had deep local roots and had been one of the first major plumbing contractors and facilities sales outlets downtown. Walter attended local schools and enlisted to serve with the Army in Britain and France during World War I. Wicke’s career changed with the time, and he became deeply interested in local government during the Depression. He served on the City Council from 1937-47 and was mayor of the city during the final four years. He became a factor in veterans affairs, too, belonging to the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He also was an active Mason, rising to 32nd degree in Scottish Rite. Wicke was a Fiesta monarch of the Zelica Grotto, a Rotarian, and an elder in the First Presbyterian Church. Wicke became active in scouting and was recipient of the Silver Beaver Award, one of Boy Scouting’s highest honors for adults. He also was a charter member of the Tuberculosis Association. In later years he also was active with the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce.
In 1955 Wicke switched careers and became manager of the new Pensacola Municipal Auditorium, a role which he maintained until his death in 1966. In that position he also became an active participant in the Association of Auditorium Managers. He received an award of merit from that organization.
Walter Wicke was survived by his widow, Mamie Lee, two sons, Edward and James, a foster daughter, Joanne Wicke Ragdale, and eight grandchildren. Walter Wicke was buried in St. John's Cemetery 3 North Section 39.
Wiley J. McDavid
(1874-1964)
Outstanding, Respected Civic Leader;
Escambia County Tax Assessor for Thirty Six Years
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Wiley J. McDavid was one of the best known and respected men in Escambia County, Florida when he died in 1964. His election and re-election as Tax Assessor over 36 years was a testimony to his integrity, competence and popularity. Wiley McDavid watched Escambia’s tax roll grow from $14 million in 1917, when he prepared his first report, to $106 million in 1953 when he retired. He was a member of the Florida Tax Assessor’s Association for 36 years and served as its President.
Mr. McDavid was born in Santa Rosa County and moved to Pensacola in 1903. He married Maud Duncan, and their son was Duncan McDavid, Sr., well-known industrialist and golfer; their home in East Hill was a Pensacola landmark. Duncan McDavid married Blanche Lamar, joining together two very prominent Pensacola families.
Wiley J. McDavid was a very active member of the First Baptist Church. He was treasurer of the Kiwanis Club for over 15 years. He served the YMCA as President, was a member of the YMCA board of directors for over 30 years; later he was a trustee. He served for many years on the board of the Crippled Children’s Home. He was a member of the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce public affairs committee and the Chamber’s Gopher Club.
Mr. McDavid and his fellow Pensacolian, the Reverend John D. Thomas, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church for 22 years, had funeral services on the same day, April 27, 1964. The Pensacola Journal stated, “Each has left lasting memories in the hearts of thousands of friends and acquaintances in Pensacola and Escambia County who mourn their passing, but who will always remember their lovable characters and their long years of work for the city, the county and the people who dwell therein.” Dr. Jim Pleitz conducted Mr. McDavid’s funeral service and pallbearers included members of the Kiwanis Club, members of the board of the Crippled Children’s Home and the Escambia County Commissioners.
Wiley J. McDavid was buried in St. John’s Cemetery along with his wife, Maud Duncan McDavid. Their son Duncan, Sr., was buried alongside his parents, May 1999, in 5 South Section 72.
