MONEY BAYOU BEACH

In 1951, two Black Port St. Joe businessmen, Damon Peters, Sr. and Raymond Driesbach, secretly negotiated the purchase of 31 acres at Money Bayou Beach for $30,000 from Alfred and Ruby Andreasen. Their goal was to create a safe haven for Black beachgoers during the era of racial segregation. Peters and Driesbach partnered with Dr. Francis Hall, Damon Peters, Jr., and Nathan Peters, Sr. to incorporate the Money Bayou Company in 1953, which became a successful business enterprise with a café, bar, dance hall, and rental cottages. During its heyday, many noted Black performing artists entertained here, including Joe Tex, Sam & Dave, and “Moms” Mabley. Money Bayou Beach was one of relatively few Black-owned beaches on the Gulf Coast, and Black vacationers travelled here from across the Southeast. By the early 1970s, the gradual end of segregated facilities and the increasing mobility of Black families led to the decline of Money Bayou Beach. The beachfront property was sold to a member of the Peters family who, unable to find investors to develop the property, sold it in the late 1990s. All that remains of the café, dance hall, and cottages are the fond memories of the Black Americans who once vacationed here.