Biohazard Cleanup Near Downtown Panacea Panacea, FL

Panacea is an unincorporated community and census-designated place on the Gulf Coast of Wakulla County in Florida's Big Bend, and it is part of the Tallahassee metropolitan area.

The community was first known as Smith Springs, until Boston investors bought the land around its five springs in 1893 and renamed it Panacea - after the Greek goddess of universal remedy - because of the springs' reputed curative waters.

During the Civil War, a large salt works at Panacea supplied salt for much of western Florida.

Most of Panacea's early development was destroyed by a hurricane in 1928.

Panacea first appeared as a census-designated place in the 2010 census, and it had a population of 735 at the 2020 census, down from 816 in 2010.

Panacea has 284 households, of which 199 are families.

Panacea is home to the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory, an independent nonprofit marine research and education organization and public aquarium founded by writer and naturalist Jack Rudloe, whose specimen company began in 1963 and bought its Panacea site in 1964.

Author John Steinbeck, an avid amateur marine biologist, was an important mentor to Gulf Specimen's founder Jack Rudloe and supported the creation of the laboratory.

In Panacea's early resort days, a mule-drawn team on wooden rails - the Panacea Team - carried tourists over from nearby Sopchoppy.