Welcome! The Walton County Timeline below is a work in progress. Please feel free to send additions and changes to WaltonCountyHeritage@cox.net. Use the search feature on the banner to look for people, places, and things. Enjoy!

1818

Andrew Jackson entered Spanish Florida on March 15, 1818, in search of Indians. The majority of Indians were in central Florida, but sizeable bands lived in northwest Florida.

1819

The Adams-Onis Treaty, also known as the Florida Purchase Treaty, was signed on February 22, officially ceding Florida from Spain to the United States.

1820

Neil McLendon became the first white man to enter Walton County for the purpose of making his home there. His daughter Anna is said to be the first white child born in Walton County.

1821

  • On July 17, 1821, Spain formally ceded Florida to the United States of America, making Florida a United States territory.
  • On July 21, 1821, the Florida territory was divided into two counties, Escambia on the west and St. Johns on the east.
  • Henry M. Brackenridge met Andrew Jackson on the Mississippi River and became Jackson’s secretary for his upcoming mission to the new Florida territory.
  • The yellow fever epidemic killed 300 of the 400 residents in Pensacola.

1822

  • Jackson County was formed from Escambia County.
  • On June 11, 1822, Henry M. Brackenridge was appointed Judge for the West Florida territory.
  • Brackenridge purchased land on Santa Rosa Sound and conducted court session in Pensacola, Chipola, Tallahassee, and Webbville.

1823

The Treaty of Moutrie Creek was signed on September 18, forcing the Seminoles to reliquish their lands in northern Florida and moved to a reservation in central Florida.

1824

  • Walton County was created from Escambia and Jackson counties on December 29, 1824 (Fla. Terr. Acts 1824, 3d sess., sec. 2, p. 260).
  • The county was named for Col. George Walton, Secretary of the West Florida Division, 1821-1826.
  • Alaqua was the first county seat of Walton County.
  • Work commenced on a road between Pensacola and Tallahassee, which would pass through Walton County.

1825

On December 9, 1825, Walton County gained territory from Escambia County, exchanged some territory with Jackson County, and lost some territory to the formation of Washington County (Fla. Terr. Acts 1825, 4th sess., p. 35).

1826

During the first quarter of the year, James Exum and James Lane surveyed land in Alaqua. A settler named Vaughn was living near what is now Alaqua Methodist Church (Steele Church).

1827

Jefferson County was established on January 20. Hamilton and Madison counties were founded on December 26.

Edgar Allan Poe wrote a poem in honor of Octavia Walton LeVert, the daughter of Walton County’s namesake. It was written in an album owned by her and dated May the 1st, 1827.

1828

  • Henry M. Brackenridge was appointed Judge for the District of West Florida.
  • Brackenridge purchased land in Alaqua.
  • On August 22, 1828, Hardy Wood recorded his land deed that touched a corner of Brackenridge’s land.

1829

On May 15, 1829, Judge Brackenridge recorded his land deed for his property in Alaqua.

1830

  • Tallahassee was selected as the state capital of Florida.
  • Freeport was first settled; its former names were “Genoa” and “Four Mile Landing.”
  • On June 1, 1830, the first court session was held at Alaqua in Brackenridge’s home that he shared with James Evans.
  • The federal census of September 27, 1830, listed 1,207 persons in Walton County.
  • The second court session was held on December 1, 1830, Florida vs. Pagget and Alley.

1831

Henry G. Ramsay, Clerk of the Superior Court of Walton County, sent his report about the last six months of court proceedings on June 6, 1831.

1832

1833

  • The Treaty of Fort Gibson (Arkansas Territory) was signed by seven Seminole chiefs on March 28. Upon returning to Florida, the chiefs claimed they were pressured into signing the treaty.
  • On June 18, the U.S. government signed a treaty with the Apalachicola Band, who agreed to give up their lands and move west. 

1834

In April, the U.S. Senate officially ratified the Treaty of Payne’s Landing, but the Seminoles refused to relocate.

1835

The Second Seminole War began with the Dade Massacre on December 28.

1836

  • The Second Seminole War was fought in Walton County.
  • Captain James Mallet began a regular mail-boat service between his landing in Freeport and Pensacola.

1837

  • The first post office in Freeport was built near the location of the present Freeport Middle School.
  • On February 28, 1837, members of the Alberson family who lived on the Alabama/Florida border were killed by Indians.
  • In April 1837, a family near a Blackwater River lumber mill captured a Creek family, causing incidents between the Creeks and other settlers.
  • On May 13, 1837, Indians attacked a white encampment. Both sides suffered four casualties each.
  • On May 19, 1837, a skirmish called Battle Bay, which was near Bruce, resulted in three white and ten Indians dead.
  • Governor Richard Keith Call called up militias from Jackson, Washington, and Franklin counties to help in the battles against the Indians.
  • At the end of May 1837, about 70 Creeks surrendered and were taken west.

1838

The Second Creek War in Alabama started in July 1838, during which Indians raided the Panhandle area.

1839

On July 23, Seminoles attacked a U.S. Army camp along the Caloosahatchee River, which broke a peace treaty and resulted in the continuation of the Second Seminole War.

1840

  • The first store in Freeport was opened.
  • The federal census of 1840 listed two persons drawing a war pension, Joab Horn and Aaron Snowden. The population of the county was 1,461 persons.

1841

Captain James Mallet died in Freeport. He was buried in Eucheeanna because Freeport did not have a cemetery at that time.

1842

  • Giles Bowers served as Walton County Sheriff from 1842 until 1844. He had previously been the Clerk of Court for Walton County.
  • On November 28, Walton County ceded all of its territory west of the Yellow River in order for it to be added to the newly formed Santa Rosa County.

1843

The Second Seminole War was over, and the state continued to grow, adding Hernando County in January and Wakulla County in March.

1844

The Walton County surveyor was Col. John L. McKinnon, one of the first settlers to come from North Carolina.

1845

  • On March 3, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America.
  • The county seat was moved to Eucheeanna.

1846

A portion of Walton County was taken to form Washington County.

1847

The post office at Buena Vista opened on January 28 and remained in service until January 27, 1849. Buena Vista was in the Tallahassee Median, Range 21W, Township 2S, Section 33, which puts it in the area now known as Miramar Beach.

1848

  • A portion of Walton County was taken to form Holmes County on January 8, 1848 (Fla. Laws 1847, 3d sess., ch. 176, sec. 1, p. 45).
  • Knox Hill Academy was founded. It was the first institute of higher learning in the county.

1849

George Walton’s son Robert Walton died on March 22 at the age of 36. George Walton and his wife separated, and George moved to Petersburg, Virginia.

1850

According to the 1850 Federal Census, the county population was 1,817.

1851

On January 11, 1851, Walton County gained part of Santa Rosa Island from Escambia County and exchanged some territory with Santa Rosa County (Fla. Laws 1850, 5th sess., ch. 411, p. 146).

1852

Florida ceased to recognize Indians as a racial category except for the Seminoles living in the Everglades.

1853

  • Walton lost some territory to Santa Rosa County (Fla. Laws 1852, 6th sess., ch. 571, p. 145).
  • Alexander C. Monroe was Sheriff of Walton County from 1853 until 1857.

1855

Union Springs Baptist Church was the first church in the community that would become DeFuniak Springs.

1858

John Lauchlin Campbell served as Walton County Sheriff from 1858 until 1861 and again from 1865 until 1867.

1859

Knox Hill Pottery was operated by M. M. Odom and Robert Turnlee.

1863

Alaqua Methodist Church (Steele Church) was founded.

1864

  • The Civil War came to Freeport.
  • Union forces surprised the village of Eucheeanna on September 23, gathering horses and mules, and making prisoners of fifteen private citizens.

1868

Samuel Rutan served as Sheriff of Walton County from 1868 until 1872.

1870

The first turpentine still was founded in the eastern part of what would become DeFuniak Springs.

1871

The first monument in Florida to honor its Confederate dead was placed in Eucheeanna.

1872

Lafayette Calvin McDonald served as Sheriff of Walton County for part of the year. The reason for his brief term is not known. John Alexander McLeod served as Sheriff until 1873 and again in 1889 until his death in 1894.

1873

Neil McPherson Campbell was elected Sheriff of Walton County and served until 1877.

1875

Freeport’s first church, Freeport Presbyterian, was constructed.

1877

1878

  • Mount Nebo Church was built in what would become DeFuniak Springs.
  • Governor George Franklin Drew appointed William Bethune McLeod as Sheriff of Walton County. McLeod served as the county Tax Assessor and Tax Collector at the same time.

1879

John William Campbell served as Sheriff of Walton County from 1879 until 1891 and from 1898 until 1909.

1880

Two sawmills were in the area of Point Washington, owned by I. N. McLane and W. L. Crigler. The mills produced in excess of one million feet of lumber each.

1881

  • On January 27, 1881, Walton County was granted concurrent jurisdiction with Washington County over the waters of Choctawhatchee Bay (Fla. Laws 1881, 11th sess., ch. 3258, p. 73).
  • Work commenced on the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad, linking Pensacola with Chattahoochee on June 1, 1881.

1882

  • The railroad reached the area now known as DeFuniak Springs, and a depot was built.
  • A group of railroad executives gambled to see whose name would be on the new town. Col. Frederick DeFuniak won.
  • The “Funiak” Post Office was established, most likely across from the old railroad depot on Circle Drive.
  • Murray Cawthon moved to DeFuniak Springs with his wife and eight sons. He built one of the first houses in DeFuniak Springs on Hwy. 90. Harley Henderson had it moved to South Walton in 2000.

1883

  • The railroad between Pensacola and Chattahoochee was completed.
  • The First Presbyterian Church was established in DeFuniak Springs.
  • Dr. John C. McSween served as Walton County Sheriff from 1883 until 1889.

1884

  • The Florida Chautauqua Association was established.
  • William Dudley Chipley platted the city of DeFuniak.
  • The Chautauqua Hotel was built.
  • W. B. Saunders published the first issue of The Signal, the first newspaper in Walton County.
  • The Magnolia Cemetery property was donated by Murray Cawthon.
  • The first baby born in DeFuniak Springs was Fannie Lou Cawthon.
  • The first hotel was on Baldwin Avenue in the middle of what is now 9th Street.
  • Point Washington was a thriving community. Henry Faust was Justice of the Peace. The general store was operated by Thomas Hannah, and his brother William Hannah was the doctor. Simeon Strickland later operated a lumber mill. He was a confederate veteran who came to Point Washington in 1871 from a prisoner of war status. The mill later became known as Strickland-Wesley after the marriage of Strickland’s daughter to W. H. Wesley.

1885

  • The first Florida Chautauqua Assembly was held from February 18 until March 7, 1885.
  • The county seat office in Eucheeanna burned. All records were lost.
  • The McCormick Institute, the first private school in DeFuniak Springs, opened.
  • The Southern Forestry Conference met on Lake DeFuniak in December 1885.

1886

  • What was to become the Florida Education Association first met on March 4th in the Chautauqua building.
  • William J. Van Kirk of the Lake DeFuniak Land Company revised the plan for DeFuniak Springs.
  • The first courthouse in DeFuniak Springs was built, making it the county seat.
  • The Confederate monument was placed on the front lawn of the courthouse.
  • The library was built. It remains the oldest library in continuous service in Florida.

1887

  • The State Normal School in DeFuniak Springs opened on October 3, 1887.
  • The Florida Education Association met in DeFuniak Springs.
  • There were approximately 150 buildings in DeFuniak Springs.
  • The Methodist Episcopal Church, Northern Branch, was established.
  • The P. L. Biddle home was built and was later placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1888

  • Larkin Cleveland purchased The Signal and renamed it the DeFuniak Springs Herald.
  • Wallace Bruce built Dream Cottage, the second oldest house on Circle Drive in DeFuniak Springs.
  • The Florida Education Association met in DeFuniak Springs.
  • The jail in DeFuniak Springs was built. The jailer’s wife often assisted female prisoners. Male prisoners were allowed in the halls and on the porch.

1889

  • The original train depot was replaced by the current one on Circle Drive.
  • The McCormick Institute closed because its building was destroyed by fire.
  • The Florida Education Association met in DeFuniak Springs.
  • The Northern Methodist Church was built on Circle Drive.
  • Rev. John Wesley, who was living in the upper part of Washington County, was invited to come and preach at Point Washington.

1890

  • The population of DeFuniak Springs was 672; the county’s population was approximately 2,000.
  • Rev. John Wesley and two of his sons arrived in Point Washington in January of 1890. He organized and set up the Methodist Church. Later, Mrs. Wesley and their other five sons came from Georgia. Some of the original members of the Methodist Church were Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gunn and children, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kinney and their daughter, Addie Holley, Lilla Russ, John Russ, Katie and Nettie Strickland, Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Jones, Victoria Modrill, and others.
  • The Strickland-Wesley lumber company donated lumber for the Point Washington Methodist Church. General William Miller, a Confederate hero, donated land for the church, cemetery, school, and a park, which was located near W. H. Wesley’s home, which is now part of Eden Gardens State Park.
  • The Captain Fritz, a paddle wheeler, and the sailboat Magnolia, which was owned and operated by George Houseman, were two of the most prominent boats to call upon Point Washington. They carried passengers and freight to Pensacola.
  • The small freighter called The Jewel, owned by George Houseman’s son Harry, called on the port at Point Washington. Its engine had a very distinctive sound that traveled over the water for miles so people could hear it and know The Jewell was arriving.
  • St. Agatha’s Episcopal Church on Circle Drive in DeFuniak Springs was organized.
  • The Presbyterian Church was built on Circle Drive in DeFuniak Springs, but the original building was later destroyed by a storm.
  • A room at the Hotel Chautauqua was $2.00 a day, the same price as renting a saddle horse for a day.

1892

  • The first issue of The Florida Chautauqua quarterly newsletter was published.
  • Royal W. Storrs started The Breeze newspaper.
  • A pear orchard of 500 trees in Walton County was expected to yield six bushels per tree.

1893

  • William Rogers and Company, which later became Beach-Rogers & Co., opened its lumber mill.
  • The congregation of St. Agatha’s Episcopal Church started meeting.
  • The Florida Education Association met in DeFuniak Springs.

1894

  • Wallace Bruce chaired the Chautauqua Assembly starting in 1894 and lasting until his death in 1914.
  • During the early Chautauqua times, Charles E. Murray operated an indoor merry-go-round at 116 West Baldwin Avenue. In later years, they added a Ferris wheel behind the building. The location has since been stores for Danley Furniture, Heilig-Meyers Furniture, Rooms and More, and Ashley Furniture.
  • Marvel Manning served as Sheriff of Walton County after his predecessor died in office of natural causes. Manning served until March 1898 when he was killed while attempting to arrest a man.

1896

The St. Agatha’s Episcopal Church building was erected on Circle Drive.

1897

Dr. G. P. Morris and his wife, who was also a physician, opened the DeFuniak Springs Sanitarium for chronic diseases.

1898

  • DeFuniak Springs experienced an unusual snowstorm in the winter.
  • St. Stephens Baptist Church in Freeport was built in May.
  • On September 19, a fire destroyed 22 wooden buildings on Baldwin Avenue in DeFuniak Springs.

1899

King & Co., a drug, grocery, hardware, and dry goods store, at the corner of Baldwin Avenue and Sixth Street, opened on December 12th. It closed in 1998.

1900

The population of DeFuniak Springs was 1,661.

1901

  • On July 30, the electors voted to organize the city and incorporate.
  • DeFuniak Springs was incorporated. It was 265 feet above sea level, 270 feet above the Gulf of Mexico.
  • The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, began meeting in DeFuniak Springs.

1902

The First Baptist Church was organized.

1903

  • The first high school was established in DeFuniak Springs.
  • The Big Store on Baldwin Avenue was built by Burress Cawthon.
  • The Cawthon State Bank building on the corner of Baldwin and 8th opened.

1904

  • First National Bank was founded at the corner of Baldwin Avenue and 7th Street.
  • The First Baptist Church was built at the corner of Live Oak and 11th Street. It burned in 1926.

1905

  • The Florida State Normal School was closed; women were sent to Tallahassee and men to Gainesville.
  • Smith’s Dairy, which was located two miles south of DeFuniak Springs, opened.
  • Frederick DeFuniak, for whom DeFuniak Springs was named, died in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 29th.
  • Harry Murray was awarded a 20-year franchise to provide acetylene gas to the public. It fueled the carbide lighting systems although most businesses had their own gas generating systems.

1906

Cawthon State Bank was founded at the corner of Baldwin Avenue and 7th Street.

1907

  • Palmer College and Academy, the first junior college in Florida, opened in DeFuniak Springs. It closed in 1916.
  • On March 3, an ordinance was adopted to provide the public water works system in DeFuniak Springs that was installed where the water tank now stands. $20,000 was allotted for the water system, $10,000 for schools, and $3,000 for the sewer system.
  • A hotel and sanitorium was built on 8th Street by Dr. G. P. Morris and wife (also a physician).
  • The Methodist Episcopal Church branches, North and South, merged.

1908

  • A flowing well was constructed in Freeport.
  • The first brick school building in DeFuniak Springs was the high school, which was built at a cost of $15,000. It later became Maude Saunders Elementary School.
  • One of the first automobiles in DeFuniak Springs was a Brush with a one cylinder engine and a chain drive to the rear wheels. It was used to deliver the mail to Freeport and was worn out within the year.
  • The J. J. McCaskill sawmill commenced operation at Jolly Bay and continued until 1931.

1909

  • James Murdock Bell became Walton County Sheriff on January 5 and served until his death in 1916.
  • The Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood was completed at a cost of $28,000. The auditorium could seat 4,000.
  • Charles and Minnie Gordon purchased the first Ford automobile in Walton County.
  • The first sidewalks were paved in downtown DeFuniak Springs.

1910

  • On January 7, the city of DeFuniak Springs adopted an ordinance providing $8,000 for an electric light plant to be installed at the public water station. A steam powered plant was installed, providing 100 KWH of power. One of the very first electric lights was installed at 7th street and Circle Drive. It was placed in the center of the street to separate north and south traffic. At that time, the L&N Railroad, with all the parking attendants, made this intersection dangerous. The kerosene lanterns that were hung from posts around Lake DeFuniak would soon be retired.
  • Alterations were made to the DeFuniak Springs train depot.
  • Several sections of the walkway around Lake DeFuniak were paved.
  • The circular drive around Lake DeFuniak was first named Wright Avenue in honor of T.T. Wright, a builder and developer and promoter of Chautauqua. The name was changed to Circle Drive much later. Wright lived in Pensacola, but he had a home on the drive, which was later known as the old Howard Cawthon home.

1911

  • More alterations were made to the DeFuniak Springs train depot.
  • John L. McKinnon published History of Walton County.
  • The first wedding in Santa Rosa Beach joined Miss Oakley and Mr. I. Oldes in April.

1912

  • Tivoli School opened in DeFuniak Springs as an elementary and junior high school for blacks.
  • The name of the Hotel Chautauqua was changed to the Walton Hotel.

1913

  • Walton County gained territory from Washington County on May 17, 1913 (Fla. Laws 1913, 14th sess., gen., ch. 6508, sec. 1, p. 359).
  • The Thomas Industrial Memorial Institute opened on South 2nd Street in DeFuniak Springs. It closed in 1924.

1914

  • Newton Hall, the boys dormitory at Palmer College, was completed at a cost of $20,000.
  • W. B. Harbeson moved his large sawmill from Mississippi to Baldwin Avenue in DeFuniak Springs.
  • A fire destroyed Freeport’s first hotel, the San Gala Hotel.

1915

  • The Palmer College administration building was destroyed by fire and other buildings were damaged on January 30th.
  • The DeFuniak Springs Woman’s Club was organized.
  • A portion of Walton County was taken to form Okaloosa County on September 7, 1915 (Fla. Laws 1915, 15th sess., gen., ch. 6937, secs. 1, 24-25, pp. 303, 310; HRS Fla., Okaloosa, 6).
  • McCaskill residence in Freeport was turned into a hotel.

1916

  • The Walton High School building was converted to the Maude Saunders Elementary School.
  • Palmer College closed.
  • Jefferson Ballou Cawthon was appointed interim sheriff after the death of James Murdock Bell. Cawthon served the remainder of the year.
  • The Florida Education Association met in DeFuniak Springs with 700 teachers and superintendents attending.

1917

Sidney J. Catts of DeFuniak Springs was inaugurated as Governor of the State of Florida.

1918

  • Thaddeus Bell became Sheriff of Walton County on January 2 and remained in office until January 33, 1933.
  • The United States entered World War I.
  • The flu epidemic devastated the country
  • The first water tower was built in DeFuniak Springs. It was replaced in 1991.

1920

The population of DeFuniak Springs was 2,097.

1921

Murray’s Theater, the first movie theater, was built by Charles Murray on Baldwin Avenue.

1924

  • The Thomas Industrial Memorial Institute closed at the end of the school year.
  • The First National Bank clock was installed at the corner of Baldwin Avenue and 7th Street.
  • Former Governor Sidney J. Catts purchased Sunbright Manor on Live Oak Avenue.

1925

  • The Walton County Chamber of Commerce was organized.
  • The population of DeFuniak Springs was 2,359, an increase of 262 people since 1920.
  • The population of Walton County was 13,664.

1926

  • Fire destroyed the First Baptist Church building at the corner of 11th Street and Live Oak Avenue.
  • The current courthouse was built in DeFuniak Springs, and the Confederate monument was placed nearby.
  • The city-owned utility company was sold to Gulf Power Company.

1927

  • The Chautauqua Assembly of the early 1900s was dissolved.
  • A new brick building and educational center for the First Baptist Church opened on Christmas Day.

1928

  • On January 26, plans were made to pave Circle Drive, which was originally called Wright Avenue.
  • The Grayton Beach Hotel opened in June.

1930

  • The P. W. Miles Lumber Company bought the Beach-Rogers mill.
  • The Bethel Presbyterian Church was established on Roosevelt Avenue in DeFuniak Springs.

1931

  • Allison’s Grocery was started by Fennie Allison and her husband.
  • St. Margaret of Scotland Roman Catholic Church constructed its first building in DeFuniak Springs.

1933

  • Monroe H. Prescott became Sheriff on January 3 and served until 1937. He was appointed to the office again from 1939 until 1941.
  • Walton County operated a poor farm about half of a mile southeast of the East Baptist Church that was operated and managed by a Mr. McCollough.
  • The Beach and Rogers sawmill had a tram to Glendale.
  • The first operator of the commissary at Glendale was Bill Jones.
  • Local attorney S.K. Gillis had his business office on the corner of Baldwin Avenue and 6th Street.
  • DeFuniak Springs had a rehabilitation center called the County Road Camp located near where the DeFuniak Springs Shopping Center was later built.

1934

The Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood was sold to the City of DeFuniak Springs.

1935

  • Palmer College closed.
  • 10th grade students were added to Tivoli School.
  • Henry Koerber started his chicken and feed business east of DeFuniak Springs.

1936

  • 11th grade students were added to Tivoli School.
  • The Kiwanis Club was organized.

1937

  • 12th grade students were added to Tivoli School.
  • The first Florida Music Festival was organized by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

1938

  • The Franklin Roosevelt administration invested money into digging the inland waterway and paving U.S. Highway 98. Before Highway 98 was paved, the only way to reach a doctor or attend to matters in town was to cross the Choctawhatchee Bay on the Jolly Bay ferry. The Lark, as it was called, was owned and run by W. H. Wesley’s sons, Willie, Edgar, and Arthur. The Lark was built of timber from the steamer Charles E. Cessna, which carried passengers from the north to Santa Rosa Plantation, which is now the Hogtown Bayou area of Santa Rosa Beach. It cost a dollar to make the trip and took over an hour. The Lark ran at least twice a day but had no real schedule.
  • Eglin Field was activated.

1940

  • The Pilot Club was organized.
  • A free ferry was put in by the state and made several trips between Point Washington and Freeport per day on schedule.

1941

  • Robert E. Gatlin became Sheriff on January 7. He served until he was killed by a bootlegger on November 12, 1942.
  • The United States entered World War II.
  • Hygeia Coca-Cola Bottling Works built a bottling plant on North 9th Street in DeFuniak Springs.
  • Electricity came to Freeport.
  • A draw bridge replaced the ferry, and Captain Joe Shelly of the free ferry was transferred to be the caretaker of the draw bridge.

1942

Theron Aubrey McDonald was appointed as Sheriff on November 16 and served until 1945. He held another term as Sheriff from 1953 until 1957.

1943

  • The W. B. Harbeson sawmill had already closed after a fire, and most of the equipment was sold in 1943.
  • The first Freeport school burned down.

1944

  • The U.S. government procured land for the Eglin Reservation, forcing houses and churches to be abandoned.
  • Members of the Cosson family were killed by the error of an Eglin Reservation pilot.

1945

  • Curtis Ralph Miller began his term as Sheriff on January 2 and continued in that role until 1953. He began a second term in 1957 and continued until 1961.
  • Southwide Baptist Church was established to replace the Alice Creek and New Home Baptist Churches.

1946

  • The building that was built for the Sanitarium and later housed the state welfare office burned down.
  • The bridge connecting Freeport to South Walton was built.

1948

The DeFuniak Springs Garden Club was formed.

1949

Smith’s Dairy ceased operation. It is said to have been the oldest continuously operated dairy farm in Florida.

1953

Eugene Doudna was appointed postmaster of Santa Rosa on March 19, 1953, a position he held throughout the 1960s. He and his wife Lucille owned the Popular Grill on Highway 98 where Ace Hardware was located.

1954

The poultry plant opened. It closed in 2004.

1955

  • Ina Simmons Thompson was the first woman appointed to the Governor’s “Little Cabinet.” She served as head of Motor Vehicle Licensing.
  • Maude Saunders Elementary School ceased using the 1909 building that was built for Walton High School.
  • The name of the post office was changed to Santa Rosa Beach on April 1, 1955. It was previously known as Santa Rosa.

1956

The Breeze newspaper was purchased by the DeFuniak Springs Herald.

1961

1970

L. S. Campbell was appointed Sheriff on December 10. He was elected to that office in 1972 and remained in it until 1976.

1963

  • Lakeside Hospital opened.
  • The New Walton Hotel building was demolished.

1964

  • The Walton County Hospital on College Avenue was built.
  • Residential Camp Harold Baird opened in Santa Rosa Beach for youth to enjoy summer activities.

1966

Retired Maj. Gen. Alvin Gorby of Santa Rosa Beach was appointed to the Walton Development Authority by Gov. Haydon Burns. Hurbert Bell of DeFuniak Springs was also appointed to the Authority, and R. M. Sayer of DeFuniak Springs was reappointed to it.

1971

  • The first nine holes and the clubhouse opened at the Santa Rosa Beach Golf and Beach Club.
  • The Green Thumb Garden Club met at the Santa Rosa Beach Golf and Beach Club.
  • The last passenger train stopped at the DeFuniak Springs depot on April 21.
  • William M. Holmes was appointed postmaster of Santa Rosa Beach on April 22, 1971.

1972

The Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

1973

Henry Koerber sold his poultry business to Showell Farms.

1974

The project known as Sandestin filed a Notice of Commencement with the State of Florida and Walton County on January 28, 1974, marking the beginning of construction.

1975

Hurricane Eloise passed through DeFuniak Springs, destroying the Chautauqua Building’s auditorium.

1977

The new Walton High School was built on Walton Road.

1979

Hygeia Coca-Cola Bottling Works closed its DeFuniak Springs bottling plant.

1981

  • Quinn A. McMillian became Sheriff on January 6, and he continued to serve in that role continuously until 2000, making him the longest-serving Sheriff.
  • A new building was completed for St. Margaret of Scotland Roman Catholic Church in DeFuniak Springs.

1982

The City’s Centennial Celebration brought descendants of Frederick DeFuniak from Birmingham to DeFuniak Springs.

1983

The Walton County Heritage Association was formed from the group called STOP (Save This Old Place) which had been restoring the Chautauqua Theater.

1985

On January 21, the temperature got down to -2 degrees.

1986

The South Walton Tourist Development Council was established.

1987

The Charles E. Cessna Landing was dedicated on Hogtown Bayou on December 2, 1987.

1988

  • Santa Rosa Golf and Beach Club opened its nine new holes for play.
  • Winter visitors to South Walton became so numerous they set up their own Snowbird Roost.
  • The state Department of Transportation agreed to install caution lights at the intersection of U.
    S. 331 and U.S. 98.
  • Christ the King Episcopal Church in South Walton had its first service on Christmas Eve.

1989

  • The ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival began, celebrating local artists.
  • A new Crosspoint Baptist Church sanctuary was dedicated in Santa Rosa Beach on October 22, 1989, with Rev. Bob Cupstid as Pastor.

1991

The first water tower in DeFuniak Springs was replaced.

1992

  • Allison’s Grocery closed.
  • Chautauqua Winery opened.
  • Hometown Christmas, an arts and crafts show, was first held at the Walton County Fairgrounds.

1993

  • Freeport Elementary School and several homes sustained significant damage after two tornadoes ripped through Walton County.
  • A 50-year lease for one acre of property on the corner of U.S. 331 and U.S. 98 was signed with the Department of Environmental Protection by the South Walton TDC to build a new information center and office.

1994

  • Showell Farms sold its poultry business to Perdue.
  • The Flutterby Festival was established to celebrate monarch butterflies migrating through the area.

1995

South Walton Turtle Watch began monitoring loggerhead turtles and their nesting places.

1996

The Florida Chautauqua Assembly was resurrected as a four-day event in DeFuniak Springs.

1997

The Walton Sun newspaper began publication on Memorial Weekend.

1998

  • King Hardware in DeFuniak Springs closed after almost 100 years in business.
  • The South Walton Tourist Development Council opened its new building at the corner of CR-331 and US-98 in March.

2000

2001

  • Ralph L. Johnson served as Sheriff from 2001 until his retirement at the end of 2008.
  • The 30A Antique and Vintage Car Show at Rosemary Beach was held for the first time.
  • Grit & Grace began producing theatrical performances by local talent that highlight local history.
  • Okaloosa-Walton College began its Collegiate High School with the fall term.

2002

  • The Walton County Heritage Museum opened on July 4th in the train depot building.
  • The South Walton High School opened in August.
  • The Good Samaritan Institute was founded by Doug Liles in Santa Rosa Beach as a destination for educators and cancer researchers from across the country.
  • The Walton County Coastal Annex on 331 South in Santa Rosa Beach opened on October 19.

2003

  • The piers on Lake DeFuniak were replaced.
  • The women who operated the H & M Hot Dog stand retired, and a new owner reopened it.
  • A new hospital was built on Freeport Road (Hwy. 331).
  • The Walton County Health Department opened a new facility in South Walton in September.
  • South Walton landowner Doodle Harris and his family presented Melinda Mayton with two lots in his Seacrest development for her to establish a permanent home for Lighthouse Family Retreat.

2004

  • Perdue closed its poultry processing plant in DeFuniak Springs on April 21.
  • Hurricane Ivan made landfall on September 16, causing severe erosion and damage to the beaches.
  • On October 20, an AirHeart helicopter crashed into Choctawhatchee Bay, killing the three crewmen aboard who were attempting to return to their south Walton station during a storm.
  • Cindy Meadows was the first woman elected to a seat on the Walton County Commission.
  • A tornado was recorded in Walton County on November 24.

2005

  • The Seaside Repertory Theatre held its annual Emerald Ball, “The Gatsby Lawn Party,” on April 2.
  • The South Walton Fire District dedicated a new station in Seagrove Beach on CR395.
  • Hurricane Dennis caused extensive beach erosion and structural damage in July.
  • Kim Carnes performed at a Katrina fundraiser, “Tunes by the Dunes” at Rosemary Beach in November.

2006

  • The first county-wide lifeguard program staffed six public beach access points from March through September.
  • The Walton County Heritage Museum sponsored the first Neal McCormick Day with an all-day concert of bluegrass music by many artists.
  • Habitat for Humanity opened its first Walton County “ReStore” on 331 South in Freeport.
  • The county’s “Bark Park” opened on J. E. Miller Road in Santa Rosa Beach in September.
  • Service Drugs in DeFuniak Springs closed its business after almost 80 years.

2007

  • The Purple Heart Memorial at the South Walton Courthouse Annex was unveiled.
  • The Seabreeze Jazz Festival was held at Gulf Place for 11,000 ticket holders on April 13-15.
  • The Inlet Beach fire station was reopened in June after being renovated.
  • The Alaqua Animal Refuge opened near Freeport in September.
  • Mamie’s Restaurant in DeFuniak Springs closed after 47 years.
  • A modern addition to the Walton County Courthouse in DeFuniak Springs opened on October 1.

2008

  • The 331 bypass in Freeport opened in January, making it a straight shot from Hwy. 90 to Hwy. 98.
  • CR-30A was named a Florida Scenic Highway in February.
  • The first Walton County History Fair was held at the fairgrounds.
  • The first public park in Mossy Head was completed.
  • The Board of Trustees of Okaloosa-Walton College voted to change the name of the college to Northwest Florida State College.
  • The Richard and Mariam Ludlam Butterfly Garden was dedicated at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.
  • The Seagrove Village Market was sold on July 1, and the new owner, George Hartley, opened a new restaurant, George’s at Alys Beach, on July 21.
  • The Ogden Museum at Water Color opened in July.

2009

Michael A. Adkinson, Jr. became Sheriff, a role he continues to hold.

2010

  • An oil rig exploded in the Gulf on April 20. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill affected tourism for two years.
  • Santa Rosa Beach celebrated its 100th anniversary.

2011

  • The first time capsule on county property was buried at the Government and Education Center on U.S. Highway 331 South in April.
  • The Wheelhouse Restaurant in Seagrove Beach was demolished in April after being destroyed by a fire. The restaurant had been in business since 1954.
  • Live Oak Landing opened in Freeport, offering 12 cottages and multiple RV sites.

2012

2013

  • Point Washington United Methodist Church celebrated its 125th anniversary in July.
  • Gulf Cemetery was designated as an historic site by the state in October.

2020

The federal census reported the Walton County population at 75,305.

2024

  • Three people were attacked by sharks in one day in WaterSound and Inlet Beach in June.
  • The county celebrated its 200th anniversary on December 29.