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Amelia's charm and enchantment of a bygone era live on through the intrigue of the island's earliest inhabitants, pirates and buried treasure, rough-and-tumble characters, notable community leaders and eight flag "rulers". 

 

                 Enjoy these "snippets" ...

 

                       whispered bits of facts, history and tales ...

 

                                                                                                                                         with more to come. 

 

 American Beach & The "Beach Lady"


 

            Her wardrobe kaleidoscopic ... her hair over seven feet long.  The “Beach Lady", MaVynee Betsch, was born in 1935, the same year her millionaire great-grandfather, Abraham Lincoln Lewis, founded American Beach. 

          For African-Americans living in an era when beaches were segregated, American Beach's glorious 200 acres of beautiful sand along the Atlantic Ocean was the place - the only place - to be and people came from all over the South to play in the ocean, dine in the restaurants and pack the night clubs to see the performances of Ray Charles and Cab Calloway.

            As time passed, and the heyday of the 40's and 50's faded, the Beach Lady remained vigilant in preserving American Beach's history and resurgence to ensure recognition for its special place in history.  Her efforts have earned American Beach a stop on the Florida Black Heritage Trail and a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

         Though the "Beach Lady" is no longer with us, her spirit remains ... in this special place along the  coastline and among the beautiful dunes of American Beach on Amelia Island.  

 

 

The Grande Dame of Beech Street

History of The Beech Street Grill


     More than 150 years ago, identical seafaring twin brothers, William and James Bell,  from Cape Fear,  North Carolina joined the Confederate Navy during the War Between the States.   After the war, the brothers  made their way down to the new State  of Florida ... and to "Old Town" and the bluffs of Egan's Creek on Amelia Island. Their skillful and daring seamanship across the Cumberland Sound  earned them the right to pilot ships through the channel to the docks.

     During slack seasons and inclement weather, the Bells turned their hands to building a church and homes for themselves and other harbor pilots.  After their first simple cottages in "Old Town," the brothers' endeavors became more elaborate and ornate in the new City of Fernandina - a bustling shipping industry.

     The home at the corner of 8th and  Beech Street is a product of their endeavors.  Built in 1889 as a wedding gift for the bride of  William, the Eastlake landmark is noteworthy for its bay windows and two story verandahs ornamented with Chippendale style balustrades.  The house is constructed of heart pine and has a coined-seam metal roof.  Marble mantels and fireplace facades were imported from Italy with finishing touches from as far away as England and Belgium. 

 

     The Depression brought additions to the rear and side of the building - for apartments.  Later these areas were converted into retail shops.    Then in 1990, along came new owners ... with a vision ... and their painstaking renovations breathed new life into the Bell home.   A neighborhood bistro was born. 

 

      Today, The Beech Street Grill's intimate dining areas, showcasing the features of this Grande Ole Dame, and the chefs' creative contemporary cuisine make for a delightful experience in taste and ambiance.


A Passion Play ... The Handsome Guard & The Faithful Guardian

 

            Live Oak trees abound on Amelia.  But one handsome tree, in particular, lives to tell its near-death story.  The grand old live oak on Ash Street had stood guard for years overlooking Kate Bailey’s stately Queen Anne home and oh, how Kate adored that tree.

 

             Then one day, the powers that were, decreed that in the name of progress, the mighty oak must come down. When the workers came with their axes, Kate stood her ground.  Word has it, that the tree was a minor obstacle compared to the lady on her veranda with a shotgun in hand.

            We still drive around "Kate's Tree" today - proudly standing guard in the middle of Ash Street.

 

 

Pippi Longstocking House

A Homesite With A  “Past”

 

            Amelia, once simmered with depravity as smugglers and ruffians sought to seize the "prima donna" of Florida land.   As the border town, between Spanish Florida and American territory, the island's most colorful period began during Jefferson's Embargo Act of 1807.

 

            With all U.S. ports closed to foreign shipping, the island's harbor became a smuggling center for slaves, liquor and foreign luxuries.  What is now known as Old Town attracted racketeers worldwide and the bluff, now occupied by the mansion used in the Pippi Longstocking movie, was lined with bordellos.

 

            Eventually this "festering fleshpot" and survivor of three more flag usurpations, was forced to relinquish its illegal ways when it finally ceded to the United States in 1821.