History of Baileys Bluff Edit page

With a certain fascination with the story of Peter Karr Baillie; without his desire to map the virgin coastline and befriending an Indian Chief, we might not be lucky enough to own a piece of this beautiful land, nestled out over the Gulf.

While he as surveying the coastline, he worked his way down from Cedar Key to the Anclote Rivers, where he found a settlement of Seminole Indians. He made friends with the Chief, who had a very ill son. He was near death from Malaria. Baillie administered quinine from his supplies. Soon, the fever broke and the boy was restored to health. The Chief was so grateful, he took Baillie to a high mound where you could see for miles in all directions. By government arrangement, the entire area was under Indian possession. With a sweep of his arm, the chief gave him the entire area for his thanks for saving his son's life. He sealed the deal in blood onto a parchment and Baillie scribed his mark.

This deal was recorded in Washington and each of the Baillie heirs were paid $100 as each signed a release on the massive acreage.

This story my be a little more dramatic that the actual events, but it is close enough to cause us to take a moment to reflect on the past events.

In 1887, this pioneer was laid to rest and many of his descendants now lay beside him. P.K Baillie is buried in the West Elfers Cemetery, under a beautiful oak tree. 

Later, developers changed the name from Baillie to Bailey.

History Of Baillies Bluff- memories by Bill Rice

This account is from memories by Bill Rice of 2210 Gulfview Dr., an early resident of Bailey’s Bluff, who, after retiring from the military, kept a shrimp boat at his dock which became his primary source of income after military service. The memories were compiled in the 1980’s and were transcribed from his original script to the typed version below. The memories are written in a folksy style which at times are hard to follow. Liberties have been taken regarding punctuation, etc, to make it easier to read.

Name Baillies Bluff originated from a family by the name of Baillie who lived in what is now Elfers (Sapling Woods in those days), first established a meeting place for local people to come and camp on weekends. This was in the days when the only access was either by foot, wagon, or boat.
In later years the sponge fleet from Key West took up occupancy of the Bluff and erected a palm frond thatched roof meeting hall, dug an artesian well, and erected sponge drying racks to the west of Gulfview Drive on the high ground where Werts and Hellbushs houses now stand. Many stubs of the posts from the drying rack catwalks are still in the ground behind the houses now to the south of our beach house.
Sand Bay ( is now Sand Bay and was then ) was a good place for the sponge fleet to anchor their boats and when the tide receded they cleaned the boat bottoms of barnacles.

The developers of the Bluff, 141 acres purchased from the County for unpaid taxes, were Mr. Edward D. Bud Wonders & wife Ruth of NPR, Mr. Edward J. Harrison & wife Chiquita ( Chick), Mr. Harry A. Summers & wife Mary A.

The Bluff acreage was purchased in the early 1950’s and development started. The only access to the Bluff was off U.S. 19 at West Trouble Creek Rd. which was paved for only a short distance, then it became a washboard, single lane, limestone, winding road. Should one encounter an incoming vehicle which one of them had to back up to an area where he could get over far enough and allow the other to pass. Paving of Baillies Bluff Rd. was accomplished by the County after much push from our County Commissioners Red Stevens & Commissioner Strauber. Strauber Memorial Highway was named by the County Commissioners in memory of Commissioner Strauber.

Along the way, behind what is now Beacon Sq. just west of Moog Rd., there was a campsite for a local troop of Sea Scouts which was abandoned after a couple years. Reason for abandonment is unknown.

At the time my wife & I constructed our home on the Bluff in 1968, there were 32 other homes scattered throughout.

The first home completed on the Bluff was erected by a Mr. & Mrs. Fred Hubble, now located at 3029 Bluff Blvd. ( Bluff Blvd up until 1984 was known as Sunset Blvd. at which time County rezoning and the Police Dept re-numbered & renamed the streets to align with others in the County). Mr. Hubble was a retired contractor from Ohio and oversaw the building - he and his wife Viola did most of the clearing of the land saving all the stones & rocks to use in the construction of the house. A Mr. Robt. L. West (Bob a retired U.S. Army Master Sargeant Medical Units) now resides there after buying it from the Hubbles.

The second home completed was by a Mr. Oscar Fortune & wife Anna. Presently owned by her daughter & husband, Mr. & Mrs. Tony & Helen Ashby of Indiana, Address: 3215 Bluff Blvd, formerly 17 Sunset Blvd.

The only home destroyed by fire on the Bluff up to now, was owned by a Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd Kenyon. They rebuilt and sold to Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Gloria Miller, 3241 Pineview Dr. (formerly Gulfview Dr.).

One home was moved from its location. It was the residence of a Mr. & Mrs. Earl & Viola Hall at 41 Sunset Blvd. The present residents, Mr. & Mrs. William & Lois Hammer, 3105 Bluff Blvd erected the present home on the site.

The original water supply for the Bluff was from a well located at what is now the corner of Pineview Dr. & Bayou Dr. 2210 Bayou Dr ( home of W D Harrington Jr. presently) and was owned & managed by Mr. Bud Wonders & Mr. Tony Ashby. Due to great shortages during summers & salt intrusion, a committee was appointed by the Bailey’s Bluff Civic Assn. to approach the County Commissioners to resolve our water problem, by the County extending the water supply from Moog Rd. to the existing pumping location. This committee consisted of residents of the Bluff as follows: Mr. Jim Dreher, Mr. Wm. Marbourg, Mr Wm. Harrington Sr., Mr. Wm. Rice, & Mr. Milon Shear.

Pasco County started supplying water to the Bluff in Feb 1982 after Mr. Jim Dreher, developer of Sand Bay, & Dr. James Gill, owner of adjacent acreage put up an amount of cash to the County for extension of the water line. This upfront money was to be recovered through refund of impact fees upon development later on. Dr. Gill is well known eye surgeon and owner/operator of St. Luke’s Interocular Center on U.S. 19, opposite B-21 Liquors.

Through efforts of the BBCA, surfacing of the road from Strauber Mem. Blvd south to the old Eglin AFB tracking station was done by Ann Hildebrand our District County Commissioner, who was going out of office and had some leftover funds for her district which she had to deplete.
The screen porch area of the beach bldg. was completed in 1981. Labor force was primarily by local volunteers under the supervision of Harry Ritthaler, and contributions from many residents, some contributions of cash and others of materials.