I represent Don Manuel Gonzalez, a European man born in Asturias, Spain. In 1816, I applied to the Spanish Crown to erect a Market House to “continue in the business of supplying fresh beef, not only to the inhabitants of this Town, as [I had] been doing for many years without intermission, as also to the Officers and Soldiers of the Garrison and Employees thereof…” I offered to build the Market House at my own expense, near Escambia Bay — an open gallery 30 feet by 14-15 feet, which could also be used by vegetable vendors free of charge.
In 1817, I was described in my request for a Crown grant of land 15 miles from town (where I would later build 15 Mile House), as “Interpreter for the Indians in this Town.”
At the time of the 1820 census of Pensacola, I was 50 years old and married to Doña Maria Bonifay Gonzalez. Our household was large and consisted of my wife and I and our children — we had 9 at the time, but 2 are not listed in the census, for some reason — including two who were married and had small children. My ranch outside of town (15 Mile House) was where General Andrew Jackson and his troops camped when he first arrived in the area.
(Note: There were three men named Manuel Gonzalez in the Pensacola area at the time: Me, a Don Manuel Gonzalez who was a pulpero — which can be translated as grocer or tavernkeeper — and a Don Manuel Gonzalez who was most likely a fisherman.)