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The '''Island Cross''' is a [[Pensacola Beach]] landmark that commemorates "the first <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Wikipedia:Western religion|Western]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> religious service in the Pensacola area" (and [[America's First Settlement|by extension]] the United States) on [[August 15]], [[1559]], when Dominican friars with the [[Luna expedition]] performed a mass on [[Santa Rosa Island]] celebrating the [[Wikipedia:Assumption of Mary|Assumption of Mary]].
The 10-foot, cast concrete memorial was established as part of in the lead-up to the [[1959]] [[Quadricentennial Celebration]]<ref>See [[Talk:Island Cross|talk page]].</ref> by the [[Knights of Columbus, De Luna Assembly]]. About 100 people attended the [[May 3]], [[1954]] dedication by [[Mobile]] Bishop [[Thomas J. Toolen]], but only a handful remained after a rainstorm sent most back to their vehicles. It was originally located on the north ([[Santa Rosa Sound|Sound]]) side of [[Fort Pickens Road]] as part of the [[Spanish Village]], but was later relocated to a sand dune on the south ([[Gulf of Mexico|Gulf]]) side.
In the 1960s, the cross became a meeting place for visitors to the beach. "That cross was there when I was in high school," recalled [[SRIA]] director [[Buck Lee|W. A. "Buck" Lee]]. "When someone was saying, 'Let's meet at the beach,' we would say, 'See you at the cross.'"<ref>"Leaders will rededicate sign for cross at Pensacola Beach." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 14, 2006.</ref>
