As the Naval Air Station continued to build in importance as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation,” more and more facilities were needed to keep up with its growth. Their need for security and extra room reached the point that they decided to move the old community of “Warrington” from its location on the south side of Bayou Grande over to the north side where it rests today. The move was completed by 1930 giving the Naval Air Station full control over the entire peninsular from the bayou to the bay. Also, as the steam locomotives continued to rumble through Pensacola the city fathers turned even more attention to the influx of automobile traffic. Between 1927 and 1930, two more routes were paved with concrete for the convenience of travel to include an eighteen-mile stretch of Gulf Beach Highway connecting Pensacola to the Gulf of Mexico and State Route #7 that connected the city with Flomaton, Alabama. Both connections were major boons to the tourist trade and ultimately the tax dollars that came with them. During that same period, another tourist interest was the completion of the Scenic Highway system along the western shores of Escambia Bay that connected Pensacola with the new Escambia Bay Bridge. The ten-mile road cost one million dollars and contained numerous “pull-offs” for the motorist to enjoy the breath-taking view. The highway was completed in 1926 and was built so that any motorists traveling from east to west was forced to travel right through the heart of Pensacola thereby ensuring more of those needed tax dollars for the local economy.
Pensacola's Scenic Highway with pull offs 1930's
Pensacola Scenic Highway bluffs 1924
Pensacola Magnolia Bluffs Rail Depot on Scenic Highway
Pensacola's Scenic Highway 1940's