< Back to Oral History project: Saltwater South: Forgotten Coast

ORAL HISTORY

Cutler Edwards

Cutler Edwards was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1975. Originally from Leon County, his parents returned to Florida when Edwards was in second grade. They bought the Spring Creek Stop, a small convenience store, in Spring Creek, Florida. Mullet fishermen, shrimpers, and oystermen who made their living on the surrounding bay frequented their shop. His father often settled tabs by bartering for freshly caught mullet, cobia, or shrimp. Spring Creek was a formative place for Edwards. He and his brothers spent much of their time outside, and Edwards’ first job was bussing tables at the Spring Creek Restaurant owned by the Lovel family.

After he graduated from high school in 1993, Edwards left Spring Creek. He and his wife Marilyn decided to move back to Florida from southern California in 2016. The couple relocated to Apalachicola, and Edwards began marketing for a property management company on St. George Island. He became manager for the renovation of the historic Gibson Inn in 2019. Edwards’ personal life experiences growing up in Spring Creek impact his approach to tourism, development, and hospitality.