Cold drinks, Candy and Cigars

I found this old photo of the Gulfview Parlor Store in Cortez, Florida. The sign on the building says "Cold drinks, Candy and Cigars"! The property was owned by Joe Guthrie who also owned the Albion Hotel on the water. The photo was taken around 1925-30.


This building was one of the few near the water that survived the 1921 hurricane. It was later divided into three structures. The part to the right is now the home of Linda Molto, Cortez's resident artist. The other parts were used as a bowling alley and another house.


By the time I started visiting Cortez the only store near the water was a small grocery store in front of the present A. P. Bell Fish Company building. I can remember many times walking to it for candy and a few times on a mission from my Grandfather Tink for chewing tobacco or a couple cigars. My Grandfather enjoyed sending me and occasionally a sibling or cousin to the store and would pull out a handful of coins from his pocket and send us off on the candy run. When I came back with the small paper bag and he would always enjoy inspecting the take.