The "Father of American Police," August Vollmer is considered to be the first to use motorcycles on patrol in 1911 in Berkley, California. However, the Detroit police were the first to purchase police motorcycles from Harley Davidson in 1908. So, when did this innovative means of cheap transportation reach Pensacola? As it turns out, it was in January 1913 when the News Journal announced that the Pensacola Police Department had obtained their first motorcycle for use in catching speeders. The newspaper stated the new contraption actually had a "speedometer" so the officer could better measure a violators speed. It also touted a speed of up to 90-miles per hour so that it could outrun the 1913 automobiles that registered a top speed of 45-mph. Pensacola's first motorcycle officer was none other than Albert Julius Anderson, a native Pensacolian.
Albert Julius Anderson was born in Pensacola on August 30, 1880, the son of Johan (John) Alfred Anderson (1851-1935) and Maria Olsen (1862-1936). His father immigrated from Sweden in 1876 and his mother from Norway in 1880. They were married in Mobile, Alabama in 1883 and made their home in Pensacola. John supported his large family as a carpenter, both in housing and in ship building. Both were buried in St. John's Cemetery one year apart.
But in the meantime, Maria gave birth to at least ten children: Albert Julius (1880-1959), Emma M. (1887-), Anna L. (1890-), Bertha S. (1893-), Julia S. (1894-), Thomas Alfred (1895-1956 USCG WWI), Hans Malcolm (1899-1978 USN WWI), Henry John (1901-1957 WWI USN), Olga Althea Anderson Harp (1905-1926), and James Curtis (1909-1931). Following Albert's birth in 1880, he attended local schools and claimed to have completed the first year of high school.
On March 6, 1901, he enlisted in the US Army with the 7th Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) as a mechanic. He was stationed at Ft. Barrancas until his discharge on March 4, 1904. His enlistment period qualified him as a Spanish American War veteran, which included any service during the Spanish American War (1898-1899), Philippine-American War (1899-1902), or the Chinese Relief Expedition, commonly called the Boxer Rebellion, (1900-1901).
Albert first appeared in the city directories in 1905 as an electrician living with his family at 523 East Gregory Street. Two years later he was a "debt collector" for Henry T. Crawford at his mortgage company. By 1909, Alfred had joined the Pensacola Police Department and had married Elizabeth Thomas (born 1884 in Kentucky). At the time they were living at 306 South Reus Street while his own family had moved to 519 West Garden St. By 1916, he and Elizabeth were living at 821 Deleon Street (built 1900 and still there). The following year, Albert was promoted to Captain, a position he would occupy until June 8, 1918. His resignation was based on the fact that the city commissioners had decided to shake up the city's police, street, and sewer departments by laying off staff and realigning the supervisory hierarchy. Six police officers, two street workers and one from the sewage department were laid off. Perhaps in protest, Captain Anderson resigned. Three months later, he had joined the US Internal Revenue Service as a tax collector with his second wife Suzanne R. (1901-1990) and a new home at 600 Hayne Street one block from his parent's house. In 1920, he was promoted to narcotic inspector.
From that point on, little was heard from Albert until 1931 when he reappeared as a clerk for the Pensacola Water Department. He would occupy this position until his retirement sometime after 1942. In 1959, his health deteriorated to the point he was forced to enter the US Veteran's Hospital in Biloxi, Mississippi. There, he passed away on July 10, 1959. He was returned to Pensacola and buried in the Barrancas Cemetery where he was joined by Suzanne in 1990.
Albert's parents, John Alfred
Anderson and Maria Olsen
This photo of Albert taken c1901-1904 as he is dressed in his Army dress uniform. The jacket would have been blue and note the crossed cannons on his cap noting the CAC (Coastal Artillery Corps). This means, given their age, that his sister on the right would have to be Emma Maria and on the left Anna L. Anderson.
Pensacola News Journal 1-16-1913
1913 Police Motorcycle Unit (Not Pensacola)
Built 1900 and occupied by Albert & Elizabeth in 1916 (as it appears today)
Pensacola Police Department Motorcycles 1930's
Pensacola Police Department Motorcycles 1930's
Pensacola Police Department Motorcycles 1930's
Pensacola News Journal 6-15-1918
Pensacola News Journal 6-9-1918
Albert J. Anderson, IRS Narcotic Officer, 1920
Pensacola News Journal 3-20-1932 Chief of Police. Oddly, this article appeared on 3-30-1932 after Albert had already left the force and become a clerk for the City's Water Department. Perhaps a family member can come forth to explain the discrepancy.
Alfred's younger brother Henry John Anderson, 1936
Albert's daughter Sue Marie Anderson Black, PHS Class of 1957
Pensacola News Journal 7-11-1959
Tombstone Request 1959
Gravesite of Albert J. Anderson, Barrancas Cemetery
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