100 Block E Zaragoza

Marker #3

M. F. Gonzalez Co. - Museum Plaza
Commanding Officer’s Compound
Arbona
Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Museum

M. F. Gonzalez Co. - Museum Plaza

M. F. Gonzalez Co., ca. 1910, UWF Historic Trust

The M. F. Gonzalez Co. Wholesale Grain company, also known as Golay Mill, operated a grain dealership and grist mill out of a wooden building on the corner of Zaragoza and Tarragona streets in 1884 where the current parking lot is now located. The Sanborn Fire Insurance maps of 1884 and 1887 indicated that the Gonzalez Co. Wholesale Grain building was constructed of wood; however, by 1897 the building had been renovated or rebuilt with a stone façade. In 1904, the building had once again been converted but this time to brick, probably from a local brick mill. By 1934, the Gonzalez Co. had moved from the area and by 1940, the Florida Drum Co. had moved into the space. Florida Drum Co. manufactured steel drums for naval stores and also produced lubricating oil and alcohol in this location until 1957. By 1962, the buildings that once stood here had been demolished and replaced with a parking lot.

Opened in 2019, Museum Plaza is an outdoor education center featuring the Linda Evans Memorial Education Pavilion, an early childhood education playground, the Rose Garden Storytelling Circle, and the Commanding Officers Compound.

Bicentennial of Spain Transferring Florida to the United States 1821-2021

On July 17, 1821, celebrations in Pensacola marked the United States’ official acquisition of Spanish Florida. The people in attendance represented Pensacola’s diverse multicultural and multiethnic population. Many of them now rest in nearby St. Michael’s Cemetery. This marker is near the historic bay-side entrance that led to the military and administrative heart of Pensacola during the First Spanish, British, and Second Spanish periods (1756 – 1821). It is also near the historic location of the fort’s flagpole where the official exchange of flags took place in 1821. Archaeological research by the University of West Florida identified features and materials reflecting the continuous use of the Commanding Officer’s Compound site from the colonial era up to the modern day. The archaeological evidence revealed details about how Pensacola’s past communities changed and coalesced throughout history. This marker celebrates Florida’s 200th anniversary as part of the United States, and recognizes Pensacola’s historic role as the county seat of Escambia County and as the colonial capital of West Florida. It commemorates the city’s diverse past and our continued effort toward a more perfect union.

Pictured | Jackson Taking Pensacola for the U.S., 1932, Elenor King (Hookman). UWF Historic Trust

Colonial Archaeological Trail Stratigraphy Drawing, UWF Historic Trust
Colonial Archaeological Trail Stratigraphy Drawing, UWF Historic Trust

The Commanding Officer’s Compound

The Commanding Officer’s Compound is the first stop on the Colonial Archaeological Trail. This outdoor exhibit reveals a complex use of space over time. Spanish soldiers built the first structures in this area, which became Fort San Miguel in 1756. After taking Pensacola in 1763, the British expanded and rebuilt buildings for their Commanding Officer. The area turned into the military administrative center of Pensacola with the return of the Spanish in 1781. Today’s vibrant Gulf Coast community is a result of this long history of cultural diversity.

Arbona

The Pensacola Children’s Museum

Constructed in 1885, this two-story structure, now home to the Pensacola Children’s Museum, once housed the Gulf Saloon, which was owned and operated by Eugenio and Fannie Arbona. After Eugenio’s death in 1890, Fannie and her sons maintained the saloon until its closure in 1907. The second floor of the building remained a home for Fannie while the Alabama Liquor store, located on the first floor, operated from 1907 to 1910 and then the Nu-Grape Bottling Co. in 1913. In 1936, Fannie Arbona passed away at the age of ninety-five and the Nu-Grape Bottling Co moved out of the Arbona building. In 1946 the T. T. Todd Wholesale and Produce Co. began to use the building as a restaurant warehouse and storage facility. Todd’s business remained in the Arbona from 1946 to 1975, when a devastating fire destroyed his property. The Arbona building was not harmed during the fire, but T. T. Todd’s business relocated in 1976.

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Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center

Opened in October 2014, the Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center explores Pensacola's diverse multicultural history. Oral history labs as well as a lecture space with stage make a welcome addition to the downtown campus. Changing exhibits are on the first floor, while the second floor houses the Hilton-Green Research Room.

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Port of Pensacola Mural

Located on the west side 117 E Government Street, this large mural welcomes us into a snapshot of Pensacola’s twentieth-century port, this panoramic provides the viewer with an insight into the bustling enterprise of industry. As the Gulf of Mexico’s only deep-water port, Pensacola has welcomed a diverse population of ships. Our deep waters created an environment for booming industries like fishing and lumbering.

Pictured | Port of Pensacola, c. 1903, UWF Historic Trust

POP: Murals