BID-A-WEE BEACH PARK

On February 22, 1926, WWI Veteran Harry C. Cailey of St. Andrews filed claim under the Homestead Act for 140.52 acres on this Gulf of Mexico location. His patent deed, signed by President Calvin Coolidge, required he maintain residency for six-months. On September 5, 1928, he paid $1.25 per acre and received a warranty deed. One year later, he sold the property to Dr. Grover C., and Eula C. Miller of Chipley, Florida. Eula named the beach Bid-A-Wee, Scottish for “bide your time a short while,” to honor her mother’s heritage. In January 1936, she filed a plat for a portion of the beach for the development of Bid-A-Wee community and Bid-A-Wee Beach Park (BAWBP). In February 1938, she dedicated the 2,500-foot beach to the property owners of the community, with a highly restrictive covenant governing the land use “for park purposes only.” Eula Miller died on June 15, 1985. Since then, the BAWBP organization has successfully prevented attempts to commercialize the beach. BAWBP is the only remaining undeveloped private beach in Panama City Beach, Florida. In January 2006, BAWBP, Inc., acquired the titles to this historic beach property with an intent to preserve its natural beauty.