Pensacola

Pensacola, a port of entry and the capital of Escambia county, Florida, is 244 miles by rail ENE. of New Orleans, on the west shore of a deep bay opening into the Gulf of Mexico. The entrance is defended by Fort McRee and Fort Pickens, the latter on Santa Rosa Island; and near by is the Pensacola navy-yard, with a marine hospital and barracks. Pensacola contains foundries and lumber and planing mills, and ships large quantities of yellow pine. It was settled by the Spaniards before 1700, occupied by the British from 1763 to 1781, and afterwards during the wars with Napoleon, taken by Andrew Jackson from the British in 1814 and the Spaniards in 1818, and passed with the rest of Florida to the United States in 1819. Pop. (1880) 6845; (1890) 11,751.