History of Shell Point told at local potluck

By MELISSA JAGGEARS Correspondent

Fried chicken, squash casserole and banana pudding were just some of the opening acts at Shell Point’s monthly potluck, held on July 10. The real draw was a colorful overview of the history of Shell Point and its surrounding communities of Live Oak Island, Oyster Bay and Spring Creek.
About 90 Shell Point locals gathered in the community firehouse to share a meal and hear a 30 minute presentation by Gail Campbell, who has lived in the area since 1977. Campbell has been gathering historical information for the past few years, and is passionate about making sure that both current and future residents appreciate how Shell Point came about so that they will want to preserve it’s beauty and maintain it’s “step up” attitude.
“The folks in this community have always stepped up to the needs of the broader community. That’s what makes this place so special,” Campbell said. “It means we all stand today on the shoulders of those who came before us, protecting our homes, aiding the injured, reducing insurance costs...it means the right people in the right places and at the right time who continue to be supported by this community....all of you.”
To keep the presentation brief, Campbell was able to just touch on the many points along Shell Point’s timeline.
She said that more than 1,000 years ago, the land between the Aucilla River and Apalachicola River was inhabited by farming Indians known as the Apalachee tribe. Creek and Seminole Indians eventually came too. But Spanish and French and English explorers came and raids and battles ensued. The Apalachee Tribe was almost destroyed. Today, about 300 Apalachee are living today in Louisiana with state and federal recognition as the Talimali Band of the Apalachee Indians of Louisiana.
“Those of us in this room and living in this place are blessed beyond measure for the opportunity to be right here, and we respectfully acknowledge the land on which we live is the unceded traditional territory of the Apalachee Natives. We are uninvited guests on this land and thankful to its caretakers...past, present and future,” Campbell said.
Fast forward to a mere century ago, Campbell said that Shell Point was an undeveloped yet popular place for camping, boating and fishing. About 3,200 acres was owned by the families of A.B. Taff of Tallahassee and I.B. Raker of Havana. The portion making up Shell Point was about 1,300 of that acreage.
Long before there was a hotel or restaurant or marina, (which there was for many years) people would come to camp for weeks at a time. She cited a 1928 article from The Tallahassee Daily Democrat, as it was called back then: “A wonderful beach, of pure white sand and shell, brings many bathers and boaters to Shell Point in the summer,” the article stated. “In the winter, and during fishing season, many people come there for oysters and fish; the Shell Point oysters are noted for their delicious flavor...”  The article also noted that people drove trucks from North Florida, Georgia and Alabama to purchase thousands of pounds of fish and oysters annually.
And so it remained a popular fishing and camping site with only modest accommodations from about 1928 to the early 1960s. A small cafe and icehouse had been built, and several barrack-style cabins were added for campers to rent.
In the early 1960s, E.C. Allen, a Tallahassee man with a successful mobile home business, oversaw the building of about 114 mobile homes to create Paradise Village in Shell Point. Many of the homes in The Village in Shell Point, as it is called today, are original to the community. Many of them have withstood storm damage over the years, but some have been totally destroyed by the storms, so current codes require any new homes in The Village to be built on stilts.
Allen, who built his own home one street over from Paradise Village, was also involved in dredging the canals and making other alterations to the natural lines of Shell Point to complete his vision for the area. But a young nature activist, Jack Rudloe, warned the state even back then that the dredging would have a long-term negative impact. Oysters in the immediate area did indeed disappear over time and today, no such developments are permitted. But the sparkling new neighborhood proved attractive to those wanting to live on the water.
Other developers soon came. Ted and Thelma Gaupin bought and developed a neighborhood they named, “Island Club,” along with investors such as Dee Shriver, Barbara Slaughter, Carol Ann Williams, Linda Alexander, and the late Jim Esner, all of whom were or still are realtors. Lots of homes were built and lots of lots were sold.
Also during this time, the Taff family, led now by George Taff Sr., oversaw the building of Shell Point Marina, Hotel & Restaurant. The popular facilities were well used over the years but fell into disrepair after the death of Taff years later.
By the end of the year of 2000, all three businesses shut down as the heirs decided how best to liquidate what was left.
The James Spear family of Spring Creek is recorded as the oldest family in Wakulla County, dating back to 1860. It was the spot of the very popular Spring Creek Restaurant, owned and run by the Leo Lovel family. Attracting customers from all over, three people could, in 1978, enjoy a mullet dinner with all the trimmings plus a huge salad to share, for only $10. After weathering several storms over the years, the beloved restaurant closed after Hurricane Michael hit hard in 2018.
When Live Oak Island began being developed in in the 1970s, Campbell and her husband, Jody, bought one lot on the island and were told that they would have to build their new home on stilts. “We thought that was crazy, and appealed it,” smiled Campbell. They lost the appeal. But that loss helped them “win” against Hurricane Kate in 1985. The storm wrecked much of the island, but their house was spared, due to those stilts that they thought were crazy. Years later, at least two more large hurricanes would come and leave their mark on all of Shell Point.
In1976, The community formed a volunteer fire department. Up until this point, a vintage Navy surplus truck, with a 200 gallon water tank, served as the fire truck. But the volunteers felt that a true firetruck and an actual firehouse were needed. People stepped up and held fund raisers and were able to purchase a newer truck and build a new building The firehouse is still in use today and also serves as a frequently used community meeting center. Plans are in the works, however, for a more modern fire station to be built further up the road in the near future.
In 1979, a group of residents came together to establish the Seafarer’s Chapel. The small group congregated every Sunday in a block building on the beach.
A new building, on stilts, was built in 1994-95 to house both the Seafarer’s Chapel and a U.S. Coast Guard office. Much of the work on this building was contributed by local builder Galveston Alexander, and his wife, Linda, who wanted to build the chapel in memory of their son, Robbie, who had died in a car accident at that time. Alexander’s crew spent many hours building it. Many more people contributed their time by raising money to fund the project, especially John Edrington and Bob Morgan, who spearheaded the effort.
Campbell said so many people pitched into help. “The point of this part of the story is that no matter what this community needed, there was step up. Painting, nailing nails, loading block, unloading building materials, planting, cleaning, selling fish fry dinner tickets, selling cards, all donating to the cause.”
The Shell Point pattern of stepping is clear. Whether the close community has needed a place to worship, a new firehouse and truck, or funds to clean up and make repairs after a brutal storm, people found ways to put their money together a few dollars at a time.
“So where did the money come from all this? From us, all of us in this room, and from those who’ve gone on before us. Bingo, small and big garage sales, fish frys, raffles, donations of boats and tractors, T-shirt sales, festivals, tournaments, donations by restaurants, engraved bricks, a Miss Shell Point contest, and other fun events.”
Neighbors stepping up for a cause, and having fun doing it together.
Campbell concluded with a heart-felt prayer. “Thank you, Lord, for the Gulf in our front yard, the federal lands in our back yard, the one road in and the one road out, and for the gift of being able to live here at all. Give us the strength to endure the hardships of living life in a risk zone, and the wisdom to protect this land and its waters for all of us who follow.
“Collectively, that’s our job.”