Boardwalk along Seaview Avenue

My aunts and grandparents used to talk about the Boardwalk in St. Andrews. They said it ran along the Bay on Seaview Avenue, later renamed Beach Drive, starting at the old town limits of St. Andrews and running west, in front of my house here at 2308 WBD, running on west, round the bend where the St. Andrews Marina is now. Where it stopped I do not know but someone knows.

They said that in those days there was no road along Beach Drive in St. Andrews. The Boardwalk was the road. And there was no Hathaway Bridge, but apparently there was a ferry across about where the bridge is now; otherwise, automobile and horse-drawn traffic enroute west had to go round the Bay.

Despairing of life after the 1918 death of their son Alfred, my grandparents left this house in 1920 and moved to Ocilla, Georgia, where my grandfather was the Ford dealer for a few years. It was a time when Ford Motor Company was rather callous with their dealers and my grandfather got the brunt of that in the little backwoods Georgia town. The Model T Fords used to arrive by rail in a freight car “knocked down” and my father and others would go to the train depot, assemble the cars, and drive them to the Ford garage. Car parts also were shipped by rail. My grandfather told me that one day he received a shipment of Lincoln parts. There not being a Lincoln automobile closer than Atlanta, he refused the shipment, had it returned to Detroit, explaining that he would never, ever have a requirement for Lincoln parts. Soon a Ford Motor Company executive arrived in a Lincoln automobile that needed repair parts, and my grandfather was lambasted for not having them. I don’t know whether he lost his dealership because of that or quit because of it. I suspect the latter, because Pop had a strong sense of fairness and unfairness. He also could be obstinate and bullheaded.

My grandparents moved back to St. Andrews about 1928. For years they lived in an old house on Baker Court next to the Bennetts, Bakers, and Joyners. Early 1940s my grandfather built the house at 1040 E. Caroline Boulevard where they lived the rest of their lives. It was cement block with a flat roof. In 1962 my parents bought the old Weller homestead at 2308 W. Beach Drive and started work on it. Mom was long dead by then, but Pop lived until 1964. His memories of Alfred were still so strong that he never would come in the house.

Sunday afternoons during World War II we used to drive out to a place on the Bay where we had a good view of the shipyard (where Port of Panama City is now) and watch the launch of Liberty ships (photo), always an exciting day. Panama City was one of seventeen shipyards along the Gulf, Atlantic and Pacific coasts that built over 2700 ships for war service. Some of the ships experienced hull failure because of the steel quality: the steel became brittle and cracked in the extreme cold of the North Atlantic. Three broke in two at sea without warning.

My favorite Sunday afternoons were, on the way home from church, stopping by my grandparents’ house whether on Baker Court or E. Caroline Blvd and successfully begging to “spend the day” which meant stay for dinner and through supper until a parent came for me. Always happy time. My cousin Ann, same age as me, lived there. We explored around Lake Caroline and picked blackberries and Mom made blackberry cobbler.

The Boardwalk eventually was destroyed or taken down, when I have no idea but it was before my time. I wouldn’t be surprised if hurricanes played a part.

TW+