HIGHWAY 98

Back in the late 60's when my Dad bought some land in Evergreen Shores from Mr. and Mrs. Dodd, he loved to ride "across the bay" and walk the property. He paid maybe $10 down and $10 a month or something crazy like that. I don't know the story about how he heard about the land or why he wanted it. Maybe my two older sisters will remember and tell us.

Anyway, he would say, "Joyce, let's ride across the bay and see our land." I loved to go because it gave us some "bonding" time together. I guess he realized how much I appreciated the land because he offered me a free lot as a wedding gift. At that time I was just a young thing but I did have a steady boyfriend and we had already talked about getting married. My boyfriend (now my hubby) was Roush Retherford. My maiden name was Kell and my daddy and mamma was Clarence and Nana Kell. My mamma was one of the "Bonifays" who grew up on the bayou in East Pensacola Heights.

When we would go to the property we drove down highway 98. At that time it was a blacktop 2-lane highway and the speed limit was 70 MPH. The "Stay Alive, Drive 55" slogan had not yet been born. There was not much traffic down that way anyhow so driving 70 was no big deal. Funny thing though, I don't remember Daddy EVER driving that fast. He loved to ride and tell me stories and jokes about the "good ole days." When we would go to the property we would take a cooler of cokes and some potted meat and crackers in case we needed a snack. We would take rakes and axes and work a few hours clearing the lot. It was awesome fun and I cherish these memories.

I will continue the story soon.

How long have you been "breezin'?"

I moved to Midway in 1967 as a new bride. My dad gave us a small plot of land in Evergreen Shores. Back then it was all wooded and no one around. There weren't any roads yet down to our property. We had to pull off the highway and park the car and hike through the woods to get to our lot. We were only teenagers then. We took this property and started a life together. Now over 40 years have passed and we would love to have others share their memories of the tremendous growth of Gulf Breeze/Midway area. If you have any stories or photos, please post them here for everyone to enjoy.
Thanks,
Joyce