Urban Migration
The population changed in Florida Directly after the Civil War. The major port cities of Florida started to grow because of various industries and shipping opportunities. The opportunities these industries provided allowed for better wages than the rural areas of Florida and neighboring states. The population in Florida from 1890 to 1910 rose from 391,422 to 752,619. That is a population increase of 92.2% for the whole state in a 20-year period.
Escambia county followed with this trend and the population rose from 20,188 in 1890 to 38,029 by 1910. This was close to the state increase at 88.3% for the county. The port city of Pensacola, Fl attributed to the increase of population in Escambia county. The pine industry followed with the new railroads enticed many to move to Pensacola, including Ezra Gerry’s grandmother Georgianna Goodlow.
Pensacola, after the Civil War, exploded in population, naturally aligned as a port city and hub of trade and shipping for the Gulf Coast region. The only other counties to have a greater population was Hillsboro and Duval county. Hillsboro contains the port city of Tampa and Duval county contains Jacksonville. These counties had little to no competition of nearby port cities like Pensacola.
Pensacola is located only 61 miles east of the Port of Mobile. Mobile had all the advantages of a very successful harbor, but Pensacola still thrived due to the Yellow Pine industry that was needed to create ships and later for homes and other construction needs. The pine was moved and loaded by African Americans and provided opportunities for their families.
The increasing trade through the Port of Pensacola provided new advantages for life outside of farming that was enticing for all peoples. African-Americans were the first to take advantage during Reconstruction Era and bring prosperity to their family. No family strived for a better future than Ezra Gerry’s family. Georgianna Goodlow moved the family from the rural community of Milton to Pensacola shortly after the 1880s.
