Part of the difficulty keeping the railroad workers alive was the lack of nutritious food. As a food source, Minor Keith became interested in a fruit that he had seen for sale in New Orleans…the banana.
He buys several hundred banana plants and has them planted along the railway. They become a welcomed source of food for the workers. In 1872, Keith begins to export small quantities of bananas to New Orleans.
Its rarity and tropical origin added to its allure and its cost. If you can afford to buy bananas you are most certainly well-to-do. Among the wealthy, bananas become a flaunted status symbol.
It is not uncommon for people to have formal photographs made where they are seen holding or eating the costly fruit.
In the meantime, Minor Cooper Keith is making headway with the trans-jungle railroad.
He proves equally adept at finance as well as railway construction. When the Costa Rican government is threatened with bankruptcy, in 1884, Keith travels to London to successfully renegotiate debts held by European bankers.
He returns to Costa Rican the hero of the people. He is awarded 800,000 acres of farmland and even marries Christina Castro, the President’s daughter.
Keith signs a new contract with the government that assigns his company full ownership of the completed railroad for 99 years. Construction of the railroad is finally finished in 1890.
By this time Keith is exporting over one million stems of bananas to New Orleans annually.
Shortly after the turn of the century, Minor Cooper Keith has established a virtual monopoly on the lucrative banana trade throughout the southeastern US.
Keith begins to search for a port on the Gulf of Mexico that would be better positioned to rapidly deliver the time-critical fruit.
Keith’s brother-in-law, W. H. Lynn, (the founder of Lynn Haven, who had also married a daughter of the Costa Rican President) brought to his attention the harbor at Saint Andrew Bay.
When Keith visited Saint Andrew Bay he fell in love with the area and began to invest in local infrastructure, including a railroad from Atlanta to Saint Andrew Bay.
In addition to the railroad, Keith purchased the area’s lumber mills and over two hundred thousand acres of land.
He also built both the Lynn Haven Hotel and the Pines Hotel in Panama City, the largest and finest hotels on Saint Andrew Bay at the time.
In one photo, Keith can be seen surveying a golf course he developed on North Bay.
In 1917, it was Keith’s Atlanta and St. Andrew Bay Railroad that help establish the tourist trade on what would become Panama City Beach.
Visitors rode passenger cars on the Bay Line to Panama City and then rented motor launches that ferried them across the Bay to the beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.
This remained the only way for tourists to visit local Gulf beaches until 1929 when the Gulf Coast Highway was completed by the construction of Hathaway Bridge across Saint Andrew Bay.
The bridge permitted automobile traffic to Gulf Beaches throughout Bay County and expanded the tourist trade that was begun by Minor Cooper Keith when he sought to expand his banana empire.
Today, Chiquita Banana is the modern embodiment of the same company that was started in the jungle by a brave young man over one hundred years ago.
Thats very interesting. I have never heard that before! Thank you for the history..
Lisa, I too only learned of it a few years ago. It should have been taught to all Bay County students as part of our history courses. Thanks for reading and for commenting here.
That was interesting. I injoyed it.
He was a good businessman.
Thanks for posting.
He certainly was a good businessman…back in the day when bravery was a required attribute for success. I think of how brave he was every time I eat a banana.
Wonderful! I didn’t know any of that! Thank you so much
I’m glad you enjoyed the story of MC Keith. There’s a documentary being produced about his exploits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKEqU5qNPMI
How interesting! Loved learning this PCB history!
Thanks for reading and commenting, Tonja. It is one of the best stories ever..!
This history lesson is very interesting. Your ability to present it in such an engaging way is truly a gift. Thanks for caring so much about the roots of Panama City Beach, Kenny. If the powers that be had shared your love and passion for the beach that tall wall of “progress” would not be blocking the view we enjoyed back in OPCB!
We share a love of history, Max. We also share a connection with Jens Paasche too..!
WOW! Really interesting history lesson.
The story of MC Keith would make a blockbuster Hollywood movie..!
Who knew?! We love bananas around here so, thank you Minor Cooper Keith! Great story, Kenny! Keep ‘em coming!
MC Keith often gets lumped in with the folks that took over his company many years after he merged with another banana importer that dominated the northeast. The conglomerate (United Fruit) became involved in Central American politics and was often a bully in the region. United Fruit even supplied transport ships for the Bay of Pigs invasion. Keith was not involved in these intrigues and was, in fact, highly respected by the citizens of Latin America.
Very interesting. I moved to PC in 1982 and never knew that someone in my Keith Family was one of the Founders.
Great connection, Al. I’m glad you commented on my blog.
Was the Hathaway bridge ever a Draw bridge?
The original bridge, built in 1929, had a “swing” span in the middle. All replacements have been high enough to allow ship traffic. Thanks for contacting OPCB.