A Piece of Yesterday on the Gulf of Mexico By Sallie W. Boyles • Photography by Romona Robbins
In an area that was once dubbed the Forgotten Coast, a chat with the locals of Mexico Beach, Florida, is all it takes to see that their town is truly unforgettable.
“If you are a fancy pants, this isn’t for you,” says Wylie Petty, manager of the El Governor Motel in Mexico Beach. He’s referring to the 124-room motel he has run since 1995 and also to the town itself. Likewise, as Ike Godwin, owner of Gulf Foods and Gifts, puts it, “We don’t have the wild bunch here for spring break.” In other words, Barbara Harmon, owner of Mexico Beach Harmon Realty, explains, “If you like a quiet, family lifestyle, you won’t find a better value.” By fate and by design, Mexico Beach, which inhabits a five-mile stretch of snowy white beach between Tyndall Air Force Base and Port St. Joe on the Gulf of Mexico, attracts the kind of people who are proud of their town. Home to about a thousand residents, plus a happy variety of mom-and-pop businesses that offer the necessities and just enough niceties, this unique community has a history of enticing those who are content with enhancements that yield comfort and pleasure but don’t overwhelm what nature has provided. The modern-day community got its start in 1946, when Gordon Parker, W. T. McGowan, and J. W. Wainwright purchased 1,850 acres of land and formed the
Mexico Beach Corporation. Taking the lead on developing a family-friendly beach town, Gordon passed the torch to his son, Charlie, who, in 1949, settled there with his wife, Inky, and their two daughters. Upon incorporating the City of Mexico Beach in 1966, the townspeople voted Charlie, also a beloved Methodist minister, their first mayor. Leaving a lasting imprint, Charlie and other leaders knew the value of beach access. As other communities grew up, private property, often marked by high-rise condos and hotels, obstructed views and restricted who could set foot in the sand. In addition to implementing an ordinance that limits new construction to three stories, Mexico Beach maintains approximately one mile of public beach that cannot be developed. Moreover, four public parks and several convenient boardwalks, located where city streets meet Highway 98 (which runs parallel to the coast), make the beach available. Any visitor or resident can cross over the dunes and claim a spot, and without the usual high-density complexes, beachgoers further find generous amounts of space for blankets and umbrellas. Many take golf carts—parking is free—but walking is also practical, since the farthest point inland is less than a mile from the shore. V IE Z INE .C OM | 87