Apalachicola Area Historical Society Spring Speaker Series

The Apalachicola Area Historical Society (AAHS) will be presenting a program, War Comes to Apalachicola: The Story of the HMS Empire Mica by Grayson Shepard as part of their Spring Speaker Series on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 4:00 pm at the Raney Carriage House, 126 Market Street, Apalachicola, FL.  Additional Spring Speaker Series events are scheduled on April 20 with Billy Blackman and May 18 with Jack Rudloe.

According to Florida’s Division of Historical Resources, “The HMS Empire Mica was a 465-foot-long British tanker in use during WWII. Built in 1941, it carried fuel for the Royal Air Force. On June 29th, 1942, it was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sank 21 miles due south of Florida’s Cape San Blas in 110 feet of water. Today, the wreck is a shadow of the magnificent tanker it once represented after the Coast Guard bombed the stern and bridge to reduce threat to navigation.”

Grayson Shepard has been an offshore charter captain and avid scuba diver in Franklin County since 1999. As a history enthusiast, with an emphasis on military history, the Empire Mica and Apalachicola’s role in its story has long been a focus of interest.  As a diver, Grayson has had the opportunity to visit the site dozens of times over the years and assisted in its placement as an underwater archeological site on the Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail.

These Speakers events are part of a well-established, popular series by the Apalachicola Area Historical Society with speakers through May on Saturdays, mid-month, at 4pm in the Raney House Carriage House. Local and tourist history enthusiasts have gathered for these informative talks for a number of years. Previous speakers have spoken about Apalachicola’s predominantly African American north side, Territorial City St Joseph, Early maps of the area, the ice delivery industry, cemetery preservation, Apalachicola historic squares and more.

Seating is limited so come early to get a spot. For more information, please call and leave a message at (850) 653-1700, email to AAHS.Raney@gmail.com, or online at www.apalachicolahistoricalsociety.org. The Raney House Museum is located at 128 Market Street at the corner of Avenue F in historic downtown Apalachicola and is open from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday.  Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.