Pensacola Lighthouse

From: Collector's Office New Orleans
15 April 1823
To: The collector at Pensacola

For more than four and a half centuries the ships of various nations have sought shelter in the protected waters of Pensacola Bay.   For the past century and a half, the captains of vessels have had the good fortune to find a lighthouse at Pensacola Bay to guide them. Prior to that time, vessel captains were forced to rely on the bay's natural features to help guide them safely through the winding channel. The most prominent natural feature at the mouth of Pensacola Bay is the Barrancas. This Spanish word refers to a gully or ravine.