"Lost Paradise" The Canal Zone in Panama

Not only was the Canal Zone in Panama tropical, warm and beautiful (there's plenty of those places to be had) but it was different.

Imagine a clean, safe place where you didn't have to worry where your children were. We walked and rode our bikes everywhere alone. We played on the seawall, in the jungle, swam in Gatun lake (one of the largest man-made lakes in the world) and fought the waves on any one of our beautiful beaches where lifeguards were unheard of.

There was very little crime, pollution was nonexistent and there was only one TV channel so we spent all our time outdoors.

It makes me sad that children today will never be able to imagine what it must have been like to grow up in such an unbelievable, natural environment where kids were truly able to be kids.

We were truly blessed!

The Panama Canal Zone (Spanish: Zona del Canal de Panamá) was a 553 square mile (1,432 km²) territory inside of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles (8.1 km) on each side of the centerline (but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have fallen in part within the limits of the Canal Zone). Its border spanned two of Panama's provinces and was created on November 18, 1903 with the signing of the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty. When artificial lakes were created to assure a steady supply of water for the locks, those lakes were included within the Zone.

From 1903 to 1979 the territory was controlled by the United States of America, which had built and financed the canal's construction. From 1979 to 1999 the canal itself was under joint U.S.-Panamanian control. In 1977 the Torrijos-Carter Treaties established the neutrality of the canal.[1]

The canal was operated by the Panama Canal Company (after 1979, it was the Panama Canal Commission). The Canal Zone Government controlled the Canal Zone. Everyone worked for the Company or the Government in one form or another. There were no independent stores, goods were brought in and sold at a series of stores run by the company such as a commissary, housewares, and so on. The Canal Zone had its own police force (Canal Zone Police), courts, and judges (the United States District Court for the Canal Zone).

The head of the company was also the Governor of the Panama Canal Zone. Residents did not own their homes; instead they rented houses that were assigned, primarily based on seniority in the zone. When an employee moved away, the house would be listed and employees could apply for it. The utility companies were also managed by the company.

During U.S. control of the Canal Zone, the territory, apart from the canal itself, was used mainly for military purposes; however, approximately 3,000 American civilians (called "Zonians") made up the core of permanent residents. U.S. military usage ended when the zone returned to Panamanian control. It has now been integrated to the economic development of Panama, and is a tourist destination of sorts, especially for visiting cruise ships.

Notable people born in the Panama Canal Zone include the Republican 2008 presidential candidate and US Senator from Arizona John McCain, Richard Prince, Kenneth Bancroft Clark and Rod Carew.

We came from all over the United States. Personally, my family came from New Jersey originally and then lived briefly in San Diego. I don't know how everyone else got there but my stepfather saw an ad in the newspaper. Can you believe that? Who knew.

People came from all over and worked as estimators (as my stepfather did, estimating the size and cost of damage of ships going through the canal) pilots, mechanics, doctors, nurses, veterinarians, police officers, secretaries, teachers and the list goes on. We even had our own American governor.

Some people flew but most like my family moved down
there traveling from New Orleans on the S.S. Cristobal, one of the couple of ships that brought families down. Traveling on that ship to this new, unknown destination was an adventure in itself for a little kid!

Working and living in the Canal Zone had it's benefits too. We lived in Government housing which we rented for very low rent. All landscaping and house maintenance was taken care of and most families had a maid even though we weren't rich, just regular middle class folk. That's because American minimum wage was much higher than Panamanian wage, hence the Panamanians would make better money working for an American.

(That's me playing on a canal zone softball team
when I was 13.)

While we can never go back to the "Canal Zone" of the past, Panama continues to be a wonderful country. Panama has so much to offer from it's friendly people to it's wonderful tropical landscapes: great beaches, rainforests, plenty of wildlife and cool mountain towns bursting with flowers and coffee plantations. It's a great place to visit, vacation, move to to do business or retire to. Before you go, here's my favorite Spanish courses to help you on your way:

Rocket Spanish!

Learning Spanish Like Crazy

Synergy Spanish

For the different sets of people reading this, I hope you learned a lot and remembered more. What was so special about this place that no longer exists? Everything.

Even though I have been back in the United States where I was born for many years, I will be forever grateful that I had the chance to grow up in a place I will never forget. From elementary school through my time at Canal Zone College it was wonderful.

Thanks for sharing in my beautiful memories of this piece of American History that no longer exists, The Canal Zone in Panama.