U.S. Route 98

Although not as well-known as U.S. Route 1 or 101, which follows the east and west coast respectfully, U.S. Route 98 less dramatically follows the southern coast of the United States along the Gulf of Mexico. When it was originally established in 1933, it simply ran from Apalachicola to Pensacola, Florida. Today, its 964 miles takes it from Washington, Mississippi to Palm Beach, Florida. The road’s approximation of the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico in northern Florida, the so-called “Forgotten Coast,” is where the rarely seen America can be found. 

Abandoned building in the waterfront district of Carrabelle

Carrabelle, supposedly named for Miss Carrie Hall, the “belle” of the town, is a small town that was built on fishing. The town today looks as if many of the commercial fishermen have left, yet some of the private ones remain. Several of the buildings in the center of town, near the port, have been abandoned. For baseball enthusiasts, the most famous person to hail from Carrabelle was Buck O’Neill, of the Negro Leagues, Cubs and star of the Ken Burns documentary, Baseball.

The 13-mile drive from Carrabelle to Eastpoint is an enticing drive with Pine Trees on one side and the Gulf of Mexico, literally a few feet from the road, on the other. The welcome sign upon entering, reads: “Eastpoint…Oysters since 1898.” Seafood dives are the only restaurants in town and they are unpretentious and filled with character. 

The remains of a local business

Interestingly, Eastpoint was the site of an experimental cooperative living community in the early twentieth century. In 1901, the Reverend Harry C. Vrooman helped to organize a cooperative plan in which residents purchased shares in the Co-Operative Association of America, which would distribute profits to all workers. Investors, who would be guaranteed a job, had the choice of living and working in either Eastport or Lewiston, Maine. Vrooman wrote, “Industrial co-operation cheapens production and distribution and makes possible a just and equitable division of the wealth created.” This 19th-century optimism is rarely found in the world today. Much like the Shakers and Christian socialists, Vrooman’s belief in a world where equality and fairness can be achieved is rarely found today. Most people in Eastpoint would not even recognize it as a viable option.

An old trailer in Eastpoint

Today, Eastpoint, especially the center of town where US98 transits, is a poor community. Walking through town, one can see that economic prospects are tough. Some still make a living on oysters and seafood, but compared to neighboring communities, especially Saint George Island and Apalachicola, Eastpoint faces many difficulties.

The bridge that crosses the mouth of the Apalachicola River is a six-mile span that is named for the 19th century inventor John Gorrie. In the 1840s, Gorrie devised a machine that would make ice. Although his goal was to provide a way to cool patients who were suffering from fever, the machine would have several practical applications in an era where refrigeration was limited to where ice could be shipped. After he died in 1855, Gorrie’s invention was all but forgotten. Yet accounts of the machine appeared in the September 1849 issue of The Scientific American, as well as the American and British patent offices. His friend, the famed botanist and author Alvan Chapman, did much to revive his legacy. Chapman lived forty-six years longer than Gorrie and would constantly praise his late friend’s work and invention. Gorrie is commemorated at a State Park and Monument in the town of Apalachicola.

The buildings in the business district of Apalachicola is a veritable cornucopia of late-19th and early-20th century rural architecture. The Cook Building, which today is the home of Tamara's Café, was the former A&P Grocery Store and later a five and dime. The interior is a fascinating mix of pressed tin ceilings painted rust red, exposed bricks, and original wooden floors. Yet, the most famous house in town is the Raney House. Built in 1838, the home belonged to some of the most prominent families in town, including the man who built the house, David Raney, who made his fortune in cotton, and his son a Confederate naval hero. One of the stunning features of the house was an original stairwell made from what the guide called Cuban Mahogany, more commonly known as West Indian Mahogany, which only grows in Florida and the Caribbean. The mahogany is a threatened species and is now protected nationally and internationally. I was surprised that we were allowed to walk on it and use the stairs to access the second floor.

 Our guide through the Raney House, who had moved to Apalachicola from Birmingham, Alabama two years earlier, was fixated by the low crime rate in her adopted home. She told the group on the tour, who hailed from England, Spain, South Africa and Pennsylvania, that it was the best thing about living in the area. She went to say that the worst thing was that there was not a lot of shopping around; as a matter of fact, the nearest Walmart was nearly two hours away she lamented. I think she was startled when just about everyone in the group voiced the opinion that this was a good thing.

To be continued…