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Bay County History and Information

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Bay County

Bay County was created in 24 Apr 1913 and was formed from Calhoun and Washington Counties. The County was named for the nearby Saint Andrews Bay and the abundance of Bays / Bayous within the county line. The County Seat is Panama City.

On February 12, 1913, representatives from five towns on the bay, met at Panama City for the purpose of selecting a name for the proposed new County. After discussion the name BAY was selected as one which would be satisfactory to the majority of the citizens, and as being distinctive of the territory that would be included. On July 1, 1913, Bay County was created by the Legislature from portions of Washington, Calhoun and Walton counties. The Nativity of Bay County was fittingly honored by a celebration in the City Park, now known as McKenzie Park. Picnic baskets were brought by the attendees while barbecued meats furnished by the City were served to all. Additional attractions were music, boat races, baseball and swimming matches.

The newly selected legislators held their first meeting on Monday, July 10, 1913, in rooms secured over the Bank of Panama City. The session was informal, but later in the day the commissioners met in the Owl's Nest on the dock at the end of Harrison Avenue and began strenuous work. Immediate plans were made for construction of a Courthouse, the corner stone was laid in December, 1914 and the building dedicated in December, 1915. On December 20, 1920, the Courthouse was severely damaged by fire and lost the beautiful dome that supported four clocks. However, the outer walls survived, the building was reconstructed and continues to serve as the Bay County Courthouse to this date. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Bay County are Washington County (north), Jackson County (northeast), Calhoun County (east), Gulf County (southeast), Walton County (west).

Bay County Cities and Towns include Callaway, Lynn Haven, Mexico Beach, Panama City, Panama City Beach, Parker, Springfield Cedar Grove. CDPs Include Hiland Park, Laguna Beach, Lower Grand Lagoon, Pretty Bayou, Tyndall Air Force Base, Upper Grand Lagoon. Communities Include Bayou George, Fountain, Millville, Santa Monica, Southport, Sunnyside, Vicksburg, Youngstown

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Records at the Bay County Courthouse

Bay County Vital Records

Bay County Census Records

Bay County Maps & Atlases

Bay County Military Records

Bay County Tax Records

Bay County Genealogical Addresses

Bay County Church & Cemeteries

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

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Bay County, Florida Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

Long before the "white man" came to Florida, this land was occupied by several tribes of Native Americans. In our area of Florida, the two main tribes were first the Choctaw, later followed by the Creek.

Choctaw Indians are a tribe that originally lived in what is now Alabama, Mississippi, and Northwest Florida. They hunted and raised corn and other crops. One of their chief religious ceremonies was a harvest celebration called the Green Corn Dance.

In the 1500's, Spanish explorers, including Juan Ponce de Leon, led European expeditions through Choctaw territory.

In 1830, the U. S. Government passed the Indian Removal Act which called for eastern Indians to be moved west to make room for more white settlers. The "Trail of Tears" followed as the Choctaw were resettled in Oklahoma. Many Indians died along the trail. A few Choctaw, refusing resettlement, remained behind in hiding.

Creek Indians belong to any of 19 tribes that once occupied much of what are now Alabama, Georgia, and Northwest Florida. The largest Creek tribes were the Alabama, Muskogee, and Seminole.

The Creeks were given the "Creek" name by the European settlers because of the tribe's custom of establishing their villages by a creek.

By the 1500's, several Creek tribes had joined together to form the Creek Confederacy. Most Creeks were farmers.

During the early 1800's, the Creeks fought a series of wars with white settlers who wanted their lands. In the 1830's, the U.S. Government forced the Creek to move to the Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma. Many Creek hid to escape resettlement. The North Bay Clan, Lower Muskogee Creeks still in our area are descendants of those who refused to resettle in Oklahoma. A parcel of land along Deer Point Lake is now home to the North Bay Clan, Lower Muskogee Indians. Pow Wows are regularly held at this sight.

Mr. Lonzo Woods, 1996 Chief of the North Bay Clan, Lower Muskogee Tribe wears a "ribbon shirt". Made of calico and decorated with colorful ribbons, the "ribbon shirt" is the traditional attire of the Creeks.

Medicine men remain an important part of Creek culture. Their prayers and flute melodies sooth ailing tribesmen.

Seminole Indians belong to the Creek Confederation and moved into Florida in the 1700's. They spoke the Muskogee language. Seminole, meaning "runaways", were a tribe established from members of several different tribes plus black slaves who had escaped their owners.

In 1821, the U.S. Government bought Florida from Spain for five million dollars and began urging Indians to move west. A series of three Seminole wars were fought between 1832 and 1858 between the Seminoles who loved their land and the U.S. government who wanted this land for settlement.

Osceola led the Seminoles until he was tricked into discussing peace terms under a flag of truce. General Thomas Jesup ordered U.S. troops to seize and imprison Osceola. In 1838 Osceola died in prison. The wars ended in 1858 when the Seminole agreed to move. Many of the Seminole led by Osceola remained hidden in the Everglades, refusing to resettle.

There was never a peace treaty signed and the Seminole have always been an independent nation.

In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer who sailed with Columbus on his second voyage in 1493, set out in search of a land called "Bimini". Legend has it that he was attracted by rumor that here was to be found a fountain whose waters would restore the youth of all who drank from it.

On Easter Sunday, 1513, Ponce de Leon sighted the east coast of Florida and named it Pascua Florida for the Easter feast of flowers.

In 1514, Ponce de Leon was appointed governor and given the sole right to conquer and colonize Florida. He was wounded and died in an Indian attack in 1521.

Panfilo de Narvaez, a Spanish soldier and explorer, was given the right to conquer and govern Florida and the unexplored land of the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. He landed in Tampa Bay in 1528 and marched north in search of gold. The expedition lost contact with its ships and had to build new boats at the shore of Apalachee Bay in northwestern Florida. While here Narvaez did much exploring in what is now Bay County.

In 1538, Hernando De Soto, another Spanish explorer, was named governor of Cuba and Florida and began a three year expedition throughout much of the southeastern United States in search of the gold he never found.

The entire Florida peninsula, during the years after the close of the American Revolution and up until the War of 1812, was populated by a small scattered number of whites. In the 400 mile stretch from Pensacola to the east coast, there were practically no roads of any kind and no rivers running east to west to make water transportation possible. Old Spanish Trail passing through our area was the first east-west road along this route.

At the end of the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain, and the defeat of the Creek Indian Nation at Horseshoe Bend in Tennessee, General Andrew Jackson retired to his home in Tennessee. Since Spain did nothing to control the Florida Indians who were raiding into South Alabama and Southwest Georgia stealing the cattle and raiding the plantations, Andrew Jackson was recalled from retirement to lead a force of volunteers and friendly Indians into West Florida in 1818. Jackson captured the fort at Wakulla then marched across North Florida to capture Pensacola, seeking contact with the Indian chiefs along the route. This area included the land that would become Bay County. The Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819 allowed the U.S. to purchase Florida from Spain for five million dollars. Florida formally came under U.S. control in 1821. Andrew Jackson was appointed by President James Monroe to become the first Military Governor of the Florida Territory.

In 1827, Andrew Jackson appointed his good friend, ex-governor of Georgia, John Clark to be "Keeper of the Trees". John Clark and his family settled in St. Andrew. This area was called Old Town, St. Andrew. The trees were about 300 feet tall, both pine and oak. The U.S. Navy needed this timber for ship building.

This was a new territory and had much to offer: fertile land, timber, and fishing. It was through Governor Clark's selection of St. Andrew as a home that other prominent and influential settlers came to the area.

A family would come to settle in St. Andrew. They would write letters to family and friends to tell of the good land, fishing, and timber. Their friends would then move here and thus a community would form.

These were religious families so, of course, a church was built first. School was held in the church until a school could be built. Soon a general store, post office, fish houses, turpentine stills and sawmills were built.

People built mostly along the water as that was the main means of transportation. There were no bridges and if you needed to see a doctor you would have to go by boat to Pensacola. Mail also came by boat along with other shipping goods.

Many early settlers were fishermen but due to our many large trees, especially yellow pines, sawmills were built. Before the Civil War, the largest sawmill town in the U.S. in the manufacture of yellow pines was Point Washington. After the lumber was manufactured, it was loaded on large sailing ships for export.

Bay County and St. Andrew Bay areas owe much of their progress to sawmill and lumber pioneers. Ben Steele, who built the Bay Line Railroad was a sawmill man. Later came Walter Sherman with his sawmill located in Millville near Mr. Steele's railroad.

When the lumber business was fading, Mr. Sherman was concerned about the future of his employees and the economics of our area. He contacted the International Paper Company who built our papermill in 1928. Stone Container purchased our papermill in 1979.

A community of Blacks was established at Red Fish Point on what is now Tyndall Air Force Base. Jose Massalina was a free black Spanish merchant marine. He jumped ship at St. Joseph in 1836 and made his way to Red Fish Point to homestead. Massalina went to Georgia and bought a slave wife and invited about 40 Black families to join him. They constructed a school and church as well as individual homes.

Jose Massalina lived to be 112 years old and his son, Hawk, lived to be 108.

There was little settlement of the area we now call Bay County except during the Civil War (1861-1865). This area was, however, a major source of salt. There were hundreds of salt works along the bay where salt was removed by evaporation from the salt water of the bay. Salt was valuable because it was the only way to preserve food.

The St. Andrew Saltworks employed several thousand men. After the war, most people left leaving just a few fishing families. They would catch fish, salt them down, put them in barrels, and take them to the plantations in Alabama and Georgia to sell. Salt was produced by putting sea water in large pots. A fire was built under the pots causing the water to boil until all the water evaporated leaving only the salt in the pot. A replica of the salt works is now located at Lake Caroline and Beach Drive.

During the Civil War (1861-1865), Confederate and Union soldiers had a skirmish on Beach Drive near Frankford Avenue over spring water. A Historical Marker was located on Beach Drive near the Episcopal Church until it was removed by Hurricane Opal in October, 1995.

With the passage of the Homestead Act (1885), land was homesteaded for $1 per acre and a great deal of land was open for settlement. The St. Andrew Railroad, Land, and Mining Company from Cincinnati, Ohio bought a lot of property near St. Andrew. In 1887, the St. Andrew Railroad, Land, and Mining Company put out a map showing the lands belonging to the company.

The land was cut into lots 25 feet square and sold for $2 each. There were more than 300,000 sold. The phrase, "Beautiful St. Andrew's Bay" was first used in ads to sell this property. The "Cincinnati Boom", as this was called, brought thousands of people to settle. Traveling by bicycle was one form of entertainment. Traveling by horse and carriage was the custom of the day.

Panama City began with three homesteads in this area. One was secured by S.L. Slade and was located around the present courthouse site and was platted as Floropolis. J.R. Irwin's homestead included the Harrison Avenue land. It was sold to George Jenks and platted in 1888 as Park Resort.

The town name was later changed to Harrison after our 9th president, President William H. Harrison. The third homestead was west of Harrison Avenue around the Bay Line Depot. It belonged to G. B. Thompson. The unsold land in each of the homesteads was purchased by G. M. West of Chicago, Illinois in 1905. Since a line between Chicago, Illinois and the Panama Canal passes through Panama City, Harrison was renamed Panama City. The main street of Panama City remained Harrison and is still called Harrison Avenue. In 1914 Harrison Avenue was a dirt road. Note the horse hoof prints left in the dirt. Parking on Harrison Avenue was not supervised when few cars used the road. By 1925 Harrison Avenue had grown into a busy business district with much traffic. Harrison Avenue hasn't changed much since the 1950's.

Settlers celebrated the arrival of the first train to arrive in Panama City in 1908. The Bay Line Railroad carried timber to the sawmill, goods to residents, and passengers. This train arrived daily from Dothan, Alabama. Spur lines were constructed to Millville, St. Andrew and Lynn Haven in 1909-1915.

The Birmingham, Columbus and St. Andrew Bay Railroad ran from Chipley to its southern most port, Southport, beginning in 1912. The passenger rate for railroad was four cents per mile. From the Southport train station, passengers took a boat across the bay into Lynn Haven.

In 1908. St. Andrew was incorporated. The first mayor of St. Andrew was J.H. Drummond.

In 1909, Panama City was incorporated. R.L.(Bob) McKenzie served as the first mayor. McKenzie Park was named in honor of our first mayor and the contributions of his family to the development of Panama City. His home, The McKenzie House, has been restored as a historical landmark.

In 1913, Millville was incorporated with W.I. Singletary serving as the first mayor. Bay County was established as a county in 1913 with Lewis Henry Howell serving as State Legislator.

W.H. Lynn, who published a national veterans magazine in Washington D.C., decided to settle two towns in Florida as homes for Northern Civil War veterans. Lynn Haven was one of these towns. The other was St. Cloud.

Lynn Haven was incorporated on June 10, 1913 with J.H. Hughey serving as the first mayor.

A memorial statue to the union soldier still stands in Lynn Haven near Lynn Haven Elementary School. The statue of a union soldier facing north is the only memorial to the union army located in the south.

The city pier was later remodeled as the wooden bridge which crossed North Bay from Lynn Haven to Southport. The D.J. Bailey Bridge was built in 1946 to replace the old wooden bridge.

In 1935, Springfield was incorporated.

In 1952, Cedar Grove was incorporated.

In 1963, Callaway was incorporated.

In 1967, Parker and Mexico Beach were incorporated.

In 1971, Panama City Beach was incorporated combining the cities of West Panama City Beach (1959), Panama City Beach (1948), Long Beach (1948), and Edgewater (1948).

Courthouse History

Bay County was carved from Washington County in 1913 and named for St.Andrews Bay, its most notable natural feature. The county seat is Panama City, now the informal capital of the so-called "Redneck Riviera" or "South Georgiabama." The developer chose this name because the site is on a direct line between Chicago and the Panama Canal.

The current Bay County Courthouse was built in 1915. The structure burned in 1920 and was rebuilt, but without its original domed clock cupola. Among other distinctions, it is the site where Clarence Earl Gideon twice faced a jury of his peers. Anthony Lewis, in his memorable profile Gideon's Trumpet, describes it thus: "The courthouse in Panama City is a large brick building, painted yellow, with peeling white columns ... The courtroom is a simple, good-looking room with pale green walls and seats for about one hundred and fifty."

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Bay County History and Information

Records at the Bay County Courthouse

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Bay County Vital Records

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Bay County Census Records

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Bay County Maps & Atlases

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Bay County Military Records

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Bay County Tax Records

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Bay County Genealogical Addresses

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Bay County Church & Cemeteries

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Extended History