George West was born in 1845 and raised in Oneida County, New York, before moving to Chicago and establishing himself as a lawyer and businessman.

In the late 1880s, he moved to St. Andrews, Florida, and built a house, which still stands, in 1887. In 1905 he used his business contacts in Chicago and other locations throughout the southeast to raise the capital needed to form the Gulf Coast Development Company (GCDC). After raising the necessary funding, he began communicating with railroad companies to extend rail service into the developing area of St. Andrews. The efforts of West helped to convince A.B. Steele to form the Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railway, and in 1908 the railroad arrived in Panama City. Due to his role and contributions to the city’s development, West is often referred to as the Father of Panama City. 

After his return to St. Andrews, West began actively promoting the development of Panama City. As part of his larger strategic vision, in 1907, he founded the Panama City Publishing Company and created the Panama City Pilot. In 1909 he married Lillian Carlisle, and together they became fixtures in the local news scene as publishers and editors of the Pilot. In 1915 West moved the publishing company to St. Andrews, and in 1920 the publishing company was in full production in the current brick building. George continued to remain involved with the business aspects of the Panama City Publishing Company until he died in 1926.

West was one of the most outspoken opponents of the consolidation of Panama City, and he used his publishing resources to help promote his message. The building of the publishing company is the best resource associated with West’s business operations and anti-consolidation advocacy. The publishing company continued to play a role in the business operations of the community into the 1940s, and most of the associated activities took place in its offices.