Working for the Company

Bagdad was a thriving town whose mill at its height employed about 1,200 workers, while more than 60 businesses, churches, and schools operated in the village. An article published on November 7, 1885, in The Pensacola Commercial reported that Bagdad had a population of 500, with white and black residents about equally divided, a good school taught by the Rev Walker, and a residential section laid off and paved with sawdust, with wide shaded streets. The company provided segregated housing for mill workers, but life was hard, with long days and low pay, and many earned about $30 per month until World War I. Housing and electricity were provided at minimal cost and deducted from paychecks, while food, clothing, and supplies were bought at the company store with tokens paid to workers. With few safety provisions, workers occasionally lost fingers, limbs, and even their lives, and before workers' compensation and health insurance, each worker paid a dime per month to the company doctor for medical care. The company sought to create a self-sustaining community for workers and their families. When the Bagdad Land and Lumber Company closed in 1939, the Bagdad Corporation was formed to dispose of the real estate, and many mill houses built in shotgun or Creole Cottage style passed into private ownership at very low prices. A post office was established in 1867, about 25 years after Bagdad was founded, and its first separate facility opened in 1912. It became a hub of community life, where residents collected mail and learned the latest news. Mary Joyner became postmistress in 1896 and served until 1940, followed by Gertrude Gauger, who served until 1975.

Bagdad, Florida · United States