LOOKING BACK: Christmas at the home of Panama City's founder By Nancy Hudson and Robert Hurst | Special to The News Herald When I read the diary and other publications of George M. West, I can't help but feel that he had a sense he was contributing a bit of history in our city. After all, he came to realize in his lifetime that he was a founder of our city. One part of this was his detailed descriptions of Christmas with the West family. The new exhibit at the Bay County History Museum attempts to portray a part of their holiday tradition.