Ship�s Captain, Businessman, Collector of Customs, Postmaster, Mayor of Pensacola (1897-1898)

William Hazard Northup made major contributions to the development of commerce and public service in Pensacola at the turn of the 20th century. His family members played important roles in the early development of musical organizations in the community.

According to his grandson, Dr. Aldrich Northup of Pensacola, William H. Northup was born on a farm near Tower Hill, Rhode Island in 1847.As a teenager he ran way to sea. By age 21 he had become captain of a coastwise schooner. There was a big demand for shipping of ice by coastal schooners.

Eugene E. Saunders, an acquaintance of Northup�s in Rhode Island also was a ship�s captain and had moved to Pensacola in 1868, establishing E. E Saunders Fishing Company. Saunders probably encouraged Northup to move to Pensacola in the early 1870�s. Captain William Northup left the sea, married Saunders� sister, Harriet, and became active in business and politics. William and Harriet had a son, Edwin Saunders Northup, born in1873.

At that time, there was a demand for livery services since many could not board and care for their own horses at home in the city. According to Dr. Northup, William H. Northup opened Northup and Wood Livery Stable. One could call by telephone and have his horse and carriage delivered to his home. Some might lease a horse and buggy, a sort of �Hertz� of the times. Since funeral processions required a horse-drawn hearse and multiple carriages, undertaking and funerals were part of the livery business.

According to John Appleyard, in the mid-1890�s when the Pensacola Street Railway Company went out of business Captain Northup, with others, formed a successor company. They immediately filed requests with the City of Pensacola to enlarge an existing electrical generating plant to electrify street railways, and then double-track the system along Palafox Street. Later, the local electric generating company and the street railway company were merged and the process of further electrification began. Thereafter, there were several mergers, climaxing in 1905 when the Pensacola Electric Company, direct ancestor of Gulf Power Company, acquired the organization.

William H. Northup was elected Mayor of Pensacola in 1897-1898. President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Northup Collector of Customs at the Port of Pensacola in 1907 and President William H. Taft appointed him Postmaster at Pensacola. According to Dr. Northup the above appointments were probably awarded for Northup�s services as one of the few local Republicans! Captain Northup sold his undertaking business to T. M. Lloyd just before Northup�s death in 1925.

When Harriet Northup had a serious illness, their young son Edwin S. Northup was sent back to New England to be raised by his grandparents. He studied at St. Paul�s in Long Island, N.Y. and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He had considerable training in music. In 1925,he was serving as an engineer in Albany, N.Y. when his father, William H. died. Edwin then moved to Pensacola with his wife, Louise, and two sons, Eugene S. and William H. A third son, Aldrich, was born the next year. Edwin Saunders Northup managed the affairs of his father, William H, and was very active in community music activities, both instrumental and choral. Meetings of musicians in his home on West Gregory Street were the vestigial beginnings of the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. Edwin was the director of the choir at Christ Church and community choruses. Edwin S. Northup�s son, Dr. Aldrich, has carried on the family music tradition for years as a tenor soloist at Christ Church and in the community.

William H. Northup is buried at St. John�s in 1 North, Section 9 1848-1925 Edwin Saunders Northup is in 4 North, Section 9 1873-1940