Studer Community Institute

Community vision needed to revive Century

December 5, 2014
/ Mollye Barrows
/ community-dashboard

When Century was founded in 1901, people there had reason to believe that the future was bright. The Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company had moved in, set up a successful sawmill, and started an economic engine that turned a once quiet farming community into a bustling town. Over the next 60 years, the town grew and thrived. It was home to thousands; a busy place with stores, hotels, two hospitals, even a movie theatre. It was a town where most people had a job, a place where parents walked their children to school, and they didn’t have to go far to shop or see the doctor. It was a community with an identity, a purpose. [sidebar] U.S. 29: First stop, Century Follow our journey on U.S. 29. Watch part one of the Century story here. Watch part two of the Century story here. Watch part three of the Century story here. [/sidebar] When Alger-Sullivan closed operations in 1957, that was the beginning of the end of life as Century had known it. When the jobs, businesses, and opportunity dried up, many who had the means moved. Those who didn’t stayed. Families lost income, motivation, and pride and poverty took root in many neighborhoods where it now flourishes. That’s just one side of Century, though. Many people live here because it’s home. They drive to find work in other states just so they can afford to stay and bring up their children here. This is where they’re from, where their families live. It’s a beautiful, historic community where crime is low, people know each other, and roots run deep. Many remember when times were better in Century. They remember going to work at the old mill facility. They remember when there was more to do, when their children went to school in town and everybody was a “Black Cat,” the school’s mascot. Businesses would even shut down each year as the high school homecoming parade rolled through town, so everybody could cheer on the team. Now the schools are closed because of dwindling enrollment. Children are bussed miles out of town to attend school. Students are excelling at these new schools and the community is slowly embracing them, but it has been a painful process for longtime residents. They remember Black Cat pride. Century’s schools brought people together, gave the town a sense of community and an identity. The loss has been not only demoralizing but a hardship to many who were already struggling. The poverty rate has doubled in the last ten years and is now at more than forty percent. Eighty percent of those who are at or below the poverty line are single moms. There’s one daycare in town, but even if working moms could afford it, transportation is an issue. There’s no bus service through town. ECAT makes several trips a day to Century, but there’s only one stop and it only runs back and forth from Pensacola. The silver lining is education. Pensacola State College moved into the old Carver Century K-8 building two years ago and they now offer a variety of programs geared to help with workforce training. Students are getting their GEDs, learning to weld, or get a degree in hospitality, among other options. Meanwhile, local charities and community volunteers reach out to children from some of the poorest neighborhoods, helping them stay on top of their grades and goals. That includes encouraging them to work hard and make a way for themselves, even if it’s out of Century. Bringing back industry and putting people to work again would certainly give the town a boost, maybe even new life. Town, state, and local leaders are trying to help. The University of West Florida’s Haas Center recently finished an economic development plan for Century, which included a comprehensive study of the area’s strengths and weaknesses. As a result, Century adopted a strategic plan that includes the Florida Chamber Foundation Six Pillars framework. It’s a state supported strategy for economic development. The move qualified Century for help from the Competitive Florida Partnership, a program under the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. It’s a program to help rural communities develop a targeted, strategic approach to economic development. They’re committing $40,000 to help Century implement the business strategies. The Haas Center has also hired an economic development coordinator to help implement Century’s strategic plan. They’ll be looking at more than 50 “action items,” like how to do more with Century’s business incubator. People want life to improve in Century. A lot of smart people are working on solutions, but it’s also up to the citizens themselves to decide what they want for Century, what they want Century to be. The return of industry and jobs could revive the town, or residents may need to set their sights on another dream, one that includes a downsized Century made up of citizens who appreciate the pros and cons of what rural living has to offer. The resources are at the ready to help the residents of Century harness their civic pride once again. But it must be their choice, their path to battle the lack of education and jobs that has gripped a big part of the community. For Century to survive its next 100 years, that Black Cat pride must be focused on choosing the most practical, feasible path forward to build the town’s economic and quality of life infrastructure. Building on the investments of education and training are great ways to build a way of life that will carry on for generations to come.

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Community vision needed to revive Century

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