Before 1906, Perdido Pass was located three miles east of today's Pass.
It was all a part of Point Ornocor with a short river at its end curving to
the west. The pass was narrow and very dangerous. Alabama Point and
Ono Island did not exist. It was so treacherous that early in 1906, a group
of local men, the Callaway's and Walker's, dug a ditch through the dunes
in a more convenient location. The Hurricane of September of 1906
changed that ditch into today's Perdido Pass and created Alabama Point.
The old pass silted in and that short river broke through among the dunes
to the new Perdido Pass creating Old River and Ono Island.
On May 29, 1953, the State of Alabama and Florida settled a border
dispute that permanently established the state line at the site of the old
pass: The dredging of Perdido Pass began that same year.
Reverse
The first buildings here at Alabama Point were the Seagate Motel built by Lovick
Allen in 1949, and shortly after, the Paul Smith house, the Henry Sweet house in the
50s, and the Outrigger store built in the 70s by Sturgis Lowman and Bill Graham.
On September 24, 1956, Hurricane Flossy caused a seven acre lake that existed near the Pass to disappear.
After three years of construction, the first bridge over the
Pass was dedicated May
12, 1962, connecting Alabama Point to Florida Point. With support of the Orange
Beach Fishing Association and many individuals, sea walls and jetties were built
during the 60s. On September 12, 1979, Hurricane Frederic damaged the bridge
requiring repairs. A stronger, higher Perdido Pass bridge was dedicated August 28,
1989, that allowed heavy loads to cross over and sailboats to pass under.
For over 100 years this entire area was referred to as Gulf Beach, now called
Perdido Key, part of Gulf State Park, Alabama Point East.
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