Buried Town On Santa Rosa Island Awaits Rediscovery

Pensacola News Journal ^ | 2-2-2003 | Carl Wernicke

[blam]

It began with a plan to drain Pensacola Bay, and ended with a hurricane. In between was 30 years of struggle to colonize Santa Rosa Island.

Today the site lies peacefully under a blanket of white sand. Low-lying dunes and typical barrier island vegetation give no hint at what's underneath, and the sound of waves crashing on the Gulf of Mexico shoreline is easily heard. But about two feet down lie what should be extremely well-preserved remains of the third Spanish settlement in Pensacola.

[blam]

This area has some of the whitest beaches in the world. The beaches are absolutely beautiful

I have some 7,000 year old wood that was dredged up from Santa Rosa Sound. The wood comes from a coastal forest that was flooded when the Gulf Of Mexico was reflooded due to the ending of the last Ice Age.

[blam]

FYI.

[valleygal]

I lived on Santa Rosa Island, off Ft. Walton Beach in 1971.
The island had a few hotels, apartments, and houses. I remember the Gulfarium (aquarium) was down by the bridge to Ft. Walton. But there was still alot of open area.

When we came home from school (which was on the mainland), one kid on our bus would always stand up as we went over the bridge to see if it was a good day for surfing. I have some fond memories of that place.

The sand is absolutely beautiful and just as white as you said. I still have some of the sand and huge shells we gathered there. We could see from our house to the beach across the street.

Unfortunately, my dad says I wouldn't recognize it anymore. The island has been completely developed with high rises, etc. And the little house we lived in is now surrounded on all sides by big buildings. Very sad.

[Eagle Eye]

Thieves, whores and drunks...

Then they moved into politics, eh?

[blam]

"When we came home from school (which was on the mainland), one kid on our bus would always stand up as we went over the bridge to see if it was a good day for surfing. I have some fond memories of that place."

It's amazing the image some people have of this area, northwest Florida, southwest Alabama have some of the best beaches in the world.