Features & Events

Programs are presented on the 4th Monday of each month, September thru May, at the Bay County Public Library at 898 W. 11th St. Meetings begin at 6:30 pm and program follows at 7:00. All are free and open to the public.

January 23, 2023

Dale Cox is an award-winning author and historian who grew up in the "suburbs" of the quaint little community of Two-Egg, Florida. His latest book, The Fort at Prospect Bluff, is a deep re-examination of the history of the British Post at Prospect Bluff on the lower Apalachicola River during and following the War of 1812. He uses previously unpublished documents from archives around the world to open the door to the history and tragedy of the critical important establishment and its destruction by U. S. forces in 1816. Dale will be speaking to HSBC members and the public at its January meeting

February 27, 2023

The HSBC will host speaker Peter (Pipes) Coffman at 6:30 pm on Monday, February 27, at the Bay County Public Library on W. 11th Street. His presentation will be on the culture of Tyndall Army Airfield in its early years, based on early newspapers and unit histories.

Coffman is the 325th Fighter Wing Historian at TAFB. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in U.S. History from Mount Olive University and received his master's, Summa Cum Laude in Civil War History from Eastern Carolina University. He served active duty in the USAF for 28 years, and after retiring became an Air Force historian.

March 27, 2023

In March, Nicole Grinnan, who works with the Florida Public Archaeology Network, will address HSBC on Maritime archaeology. The Panhandle of Florida is the site of hundreds of historic shipwrecks. Three such wrecks are featured in this program: USS Massachusetts, the nation's oldest battleship sunk for target practice off Pensacola; SS Tarpon, a merchant vessel famous for its weekly trips between Mobile and Panama City until its loss in a gale; and Vamar, sunk at Port St. Joe under mysterious circumstances during World War II. The Ms. Grinnan holds a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology, another in History and a Master's degree in Historical Archaeology. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Cultural Heritage.