When driving along with the fast moving traffic on our Southern loop road, it’s easy to overlook this rather imposing structure. At one time, perhaps 50 years back, this stretch was the hottest strip of real estate in town, and this was the new home offices of The Gulf American Fire & Casualty Insurance Company. Gulf American was another of those wonderful businesses that were born, thrived and then departed our city. Back in the 1960s it boasted low rates, and every insurance agent in town happily sold its policies. GA even insured pine forests. In those days its offices were downtown in the rear section of the A Nochman’s women’s Apparel Store, and none other than construction mogul, later Postmaster General, Winton Blount, was Chairman of the Board. In 1960 Winton’s construction company was hardly a decade old, but already it had achieved national recognition. By 1970 Blount was Blount International with world status, and from his post as Board Chairman of Gulf American, he persuaded the other stockholders to build this substantial concrete-frame edifice and move out onto the Boulevard, where his own offices had mover earlier. Soon after, sad to say, some far off entity lusted after its success, bought our Gulf American, and took it away.

–Charles Humphries