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July 29, 2005
Oldest Saloon in Florida
Where else would you find us hanging out but across the street from the oldest saloon in Florida, third oldest in the USA?
Fernandina was once a salty Spanish town occupied by seafaring rogues of unsavory repute, a place where over 50 saloons and bodellos formed the "Ladies Promenade", at a time when Princess Amelia was widely known as the "Spanish Hussy".
In 1807, the US Embargo Act banned imports into the US from the UK and exports to Europe, making Fernandina the perfect place for smuggling. The next year, the US banned the importation of slaves from Africa, and Fernandina became a premier slave-smuggling port. It all came to an end 2 days before Christmas, 1817 when US Naval and Marine forces landed on the shores and brought Fernandina's swashbuckling days to an end.
Posted by dave at July 29, 2005 06:47 PM