Miles of sandy white beaches, easy access to deep sea fishing, water sports, and a sundry of amusements have made Panama City Beach a beloved destination for generations of families and winter residents. In the early days, hard work, togetherness, and active community service of PCB’s pioneer families provided the foundation for this thriving Emerald Coast city that is visited by thousands of tourists and cherished by the people who call "PCB" home.

 

In 1952, Ben Graham married Eloise Stephenson. In those days the young couple lived in their Birmingham, Alabama home from September through February, then moved down to Panama City Beach, Florida each February with the arrival of Spring Breakers, stayed through the summer, and on through Labor Day weekend. In the fifties, Eloise’s family, the Stephenson's, owned a couple of motels in Panama City Beach. She and Ben purchased the Green Star Court and later the Jones Motel, which they demolished to construct The El Dorado, one of the first four-story motels, across the street from Green Star Court. In 1985 the Grahams sold both motels to Woody Minor, who later sold to Dykes, then Dykes sold to the Majestic. Innovators like the Grahams and other families including the Bennett’s, Churchwell’s, Gheesling’s, Gray’s, Pledger’s, Stiles’, Stephenson’s, and Thomas’s, to name a few, began PCB development with cottages and court-style travel motels. A 1957 ad in the New York Times placed by broker Sam Hearn offers small tourist courts for sale at prices ranging from $22,000 to $65,000, some being beachfront property. The courts and motels birthed hotels, chains, and eventually the multitude of high-rise condominiums lining the shores of PCB today.

In 1970, several small municipalities including Edgewater Gulf Beach, Long Beach Resort, old Panama City Beach, and West Panama City Beach were combined into one municipality and officially named Panama City Beach. The newly unified city was established and Dan Russell, who had been mayor of West Panama City Beach, was elected the first mayor. At that time, this narrow strip of Florida Panhandle land with nine miles of oceanfront had a population of less than 2,000. The population of PCB was 8,424 in the year 2000; 12,068 in 2010; and 17,965 in 2020 (18,970 in 2023).

 

Some of the popular entertainment in the 1950s and 1960s were the PlayHouse, Fritz’s Liquor, the Old Dutch, Little Birmingham, the Hangout at J.E. Churchwell’s Long Beach, and the Casino. The Casino was a big building that was moved from Shell Island to Long Beach and converted into an entertainment center. The Hangout was in front of the Casino; it had two dance floors and jukeboxes. The Hangout was The Place to see and be seen on the beach, usually all night and all day (as soon as you could drag yourself and your buddies out of bed). Some didn’t have to get out of bed... they slept on the beach! The dancing started early at The Hangout, with the jukebox playing the newest 45's continuously. The music had to be loud to drown out the scratching of the sand between the dancer’s shoes and the dance floor, which was surrounded by a wooden fence that was a natural seat for spectators to lean or sit on. The Hangout also had a bowling alley, a skating rink, and a few rides. Long Beach is now a resort with several high-rise condominiums.

 

PCB vacationers and locals often equate Panama City Beach with Miracle Strip. Jimmy Lark built a small park in 1946. He enlarged the park in 1963 and it “boasted the fastest roller coaster in America,” the Tornado. Rides like the Abominable Snowman, Galaxy, and Dante’s Inferno were added year by year, and Miracle Strip itself drew people to PCB. This contributed to economic growth for surrounding hotels, restaurants, and businesses. The park enjoyed success for many years; the Larks added a second amusement park, Shipwreck Island, in 1983. Over 20 million people had visited Miracle Strip by the time the doors were closed in 2004, and the prime real estate was sold to developers for building luxury condominiums. Unfortunately, the impact of the 2007-2009 recession led to the demise of the plans for Miracles Resort Park. Locals and tourists alike often expressed sadness over the loss of such an icon, but many were relieved to see a replica of Miracle Strip being established at Pier Park.