HISTORY OF THE GREATER PENSACOLA CHAMBER 1889–2022
THE GREATER PENSACOLA CHAMBER IS ONE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA’S OLDEST ORGANIZATIONS
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ollowing the American Civil War, when settlers flowed west, forming new towns and villages, each settlement quickly sought to establish a local system of commerce through the building of hotels, colleges, banks and special attractions. To accomplish this, and to generate capital to promote the area, required cooperation. Business people soon discovered the obvious: combining forces in a voluntary business development “association” made good sense. Across the nation, local chambers of commerce were formed. On Sept.16, 1889, our organization became reality. The initial meeting was held in the seven-year old Opera House, where charter members elected railroad magnate William Dudley Chipley to lead. By 1889, Pensacola had grown to a population of almost 10,000. The many lumbering interests were expanding rapidly, and as shipping grew to carry wood products to other nations, the waterfront spawned a host of companies, dedicated to caring for the needs of vessels and crews. Soon, hotels, commercial shops, professional men, contractors and builders, places of entertainment and more emerged. The City of Pensacola was served by one railroad running north, to connect with the Louisville and Nashville system, plus the new
road, which Col. Chipley’s forces had built between Pensacola and the Chattahoochee River. There was representation from various professions, including attorney William Fisher and several physicians. E.R. Ross, MD, was the Chamber’s second chairman, serving from 1890 to 1896. By 1901, the Southern Manufacturer Magazine reported more positive results of the Chamber at work and businessgovernment cooperation. In 1900, Pensacola’s port shipments were valued at almost $14.5 million, ten times those of Tampa, the second largest port in Florida. At this turn of the century, many new corporations were created here, including St. Anthony’s Hospital; Baars, Dunwoody & Company; the Pensacola Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company; American National Bank; the Southern States Lumber Company; and contractors, such as J.H. Crona and C.H. Turner. The area’s military establishment had also seen new activity, especially during the Spanish American War, when improvements were made to coastal defenses. The community’s successful lobbying for military improvements following the April 1898 Declaration of War against Spain suggests that the Chamber had by then established a military affairs component, which would promote and defend that portion of the area’s economy. However, in the decade that immediately followed, the military’s position here declined. A new commandant at the Navy Yard, ADM Lucien Young, would arrive and ably defend the yard’s position, but a new commission appointed by
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Secretary of the Navy George Von Meyer recommended the yard’s closing, which ultimately occurred in October of 1911. Five years into the 20th century, Pensacola was showing the positive impact of progress through its chamber of commerce. The population continued to climb, and the Chamber’s national and international workings had paid major commercial dividends, for in 1904, 267 steam and 147 sailing vessels called here, carrying a total of 658,000 tons of cargo and deposits of $2.8 million. By 1905, there had been new additions to Chamber leadership, who interfaced with city and county leaders regularly. Those contacts proved important at this juncture, for Chamber officials and members were working diligently to upgrade public facilities and services. The years that followed brought many changes as well: the institution of core values, Chamber committee structures to facilitate the many programs, recognizing the evolution of national trends, new emphasis on performance quality, the broadening of member services, ongoing business development programs, educational reform and many, many others. In 133 years, the Greater Pensacola Chamber has meant countless things to countless people. When its doors first opened, the community it served was a rough boomtown, lacking all but the simplest niceties with almost no utilities and no hard-surfaced roads. As part of its work, the Chamber became part of the transition from navy yard to space-age naval aviation, and the community
emerged from the era of clay streets to interstate highways. Relationships with all branches of government grew, and the Chamber would be credited with many of the elements of industrial growth, quality-of-life improvements, the evolution of Downtown Pensacola, the community’s educational capabilities and the protection of business interests and rights. Where in 1889 there was a tiny Chamber office and virtually no staff, by the year 2004, the organization, now nationally accredited, had its first woman president, a thriving business base and a staff of qualified professionals. Today Pensacola bears little resemblance to the city that W.D. Chipley governed as mayor thanks to the hard work of the Chamber. Today, we have more than 1,150 members with a re-energized commitment to become a worldclass economic development organization. Our efforts will continue to benefit Greater Pensacola, bringing economic prosperity to the region through a partnership with city and county government, along with the life blood of this organization, our business partners in the community.
