Friends, I’m packing for the trip to Pensacola this weekend to walk the paths that Emmett trod! This trip has been a long time in planning. I’m so thrilled that it is almost here!
Of course, those paths may be four-lane highways today, but still. The notion that I get to see things he saw, and to deepen my understanding of him by exploring his home and former living spaces thrills me.
Palafox Street, 1910. Emmett worked in the tall building to the right, now known as Seville Tower, on the 7th floor. Source: Shorpy.com
A colleague of mine from the Pensacola Historical Society is generously going to accompany me on my jaunts. She’s awesome. Hanging out with a professional historian means she can tell me what he saw, and what it was like when he lived in Pensacola at the turn of the last century. It’s almost like she has a portal to the past that she can access regularly. I wish she did. I’m sure she’d let me use it; she’s cool that way.
In putting the trip together, I am in constant awe and appreciation of the many kind folks in Florida who have been encouraging me along the way and helping with my research questions. I’m going to meet these colleagues for the first time this weekend.
This project has truly been a series of ‘gifts,’ you know. Not just the fact that I’ve gotten to know Emmett, but I’ve met a lot of wonderful people, and it has been a great learning opportunity. Emmett’s biography may never make the top 10 bestseller list, but this experience, so far, has best one of the best in my life. I can’t wait to see what I uncover about Emmett in Florida.
Back to packing!
Categories: Florida History Recommended Sources Research Status
jsmith532
Professor,
Communication, Arts, and the Humanities
The University of Maryland Global Campus
Tell my story. 
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