Woolsey, Florida facts for kids
Woolsey, Florida, was a small town that used to be right next to the Pensacola Navy Yard. The Navy Yard started being built in April 1826 in Northwest Florida. Sadly, the town of Woolsey was taken down in 1922. This happened so the Navy could make its facilities bigger.
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History of Woolsey
In 1825, leaders saw that the Pensacola harbor was a great spot for ships. There were also lots of trees nearby, which were perfect for building ships. So, President John Quincy Adams and Secretary of the Navy Samuel Southard decided to build a Navy Yard there. It was located at the southern tip of Escambia County.
Three Navy captains, William Bainbridge, Lewis Warrington, and James Biddle, picked the exact spot on Pensacola Bay. Commodore Warrington was the first person in charge of the Navy Yard. Later, in 1827, Commodore Melancthon Taylor Woolsey took over. He was in charge until 1831. Commodore Woolsey helped create two small towns, Warrington and Woolsey, for people who worked at the Navy Yard to live in.
The Railroad Connection
A railroad line called the Pensacola and Fort Barrancas Railroad started being built in 1870. This eight-mile track connected Pensacola to Fort Barrancas. It also passed through the towns of Warrington and Woolsey. The company that built the railroad got special permission from Florida in 1870. Then, in 1871, the U.S. Congress allowed it to run through the federal Navy Yard area.
Why Woolsey Disappeared
After World War I, the Naval Air Station Pensacola started using more land-based airplanes. Because of this, the Navy needed more space. They decided to expand the air field that had opened north of the old Navy Yard in 1916.
In 1922, to make room for this bigger air field, the small town of Woolsey was removed. The new field was first called Station Field. It was meant only for Navy planes. Later, in 1935, it was renamed Chevalier Field. Today, there are no signs left of the town of Woolsey.
