St. Andrews Bay Splash, 105 Years Ago

Lillian Carlisle West, alongside her husband George M. West, used her influence as a newspaper woman to publicize and promote the St. Andrews Bay area as a place of opportunity for its residents, investors, and newcomers.  Her interest manifested itself in Bay County’s premier celebration, “St. Andrews Bay Splash.” World War I was over, the influenza that ravaged the country had subsided, and 1920 was a new era for women. Sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce, the event stretched across the 4th of July weekend starting in 1920 as celebration of July 4th and Bay County’s incorporation anniversary from July 3rd, 1913. “Splash” symbolized an emergent interest in sports, leisure activities, and material consumption that captivated the nation during the 1920s.  Parades, swimming contests, boat races, baseball games, aerobatics, and fireworks delighted participants during the three-day extravaganza. The event solidified a sense of community and identity for Bay County and acted as a form of civic boosterism to attract development. The “Splash” annual event lasted through 1926, and, during its run, elevated the image and reputation of St. Andrews Bay and Bay County throughout the Southeast. 

“But it would be take a whole edition of this paper to tell of all that is planned, and even half do it justice…remember this is our first Splash… BE THERE.”

June 29, 1920