History

Learn about SoWal history and enjoy the outdoors on a SoWal Adventure the first Saturday of every month through October, beginning on January 7, 2012. Find out about the early history of the park and local area while wandering on a guided tour around Camp Helen's restored historical buildings. Free with park admission. (850) 233-5059.

Directions: Camp Helen State Park is located west of Panama City Beach on U.S. 98 at the west end of the Phillips Inlet bridge, just east of Inlet Beach. The entrance is South of U.S. Hwy 98 just before Lake Powell.

We love the snow-white quartz sands of SoWal beaches that squeak when we walk on them with bare feet, the emerald green and turquoise waters of the Gulf; a bay pregnant with fish and oysters; the delta of the Choctawhatchee River; our 18,000 acres of forest, parks and preserves; plus our unique coastal dune lakes that make South Walton one of the most desirable places on earth to live and visit.

But last June, my wife Karen and I promised to take our thirteen-year-old grandson, Nathan, 80 miles east to the old river town of Apalachicola for a day of fishing.

Recording South Walton’s history is thankfully performed by a handful of dedicated people. The few remaining members of the Coastal Heritage Preservation Foundation love history and love keeping it alive.

The preservation effort began in the 1970s by Martha Cory, a resident of Grayton Beach. Cory wanted to renovate and preserve the unique character and architect of the SoWal quirky community. When she died, leadership was passed on to Colonel Bob Fleet, who later recruited Dick McCrite as president.

Monster or myth? Tales of ‘Creature of Powell Lake’ persist - Animal some say was otter or blacktip shark remains a mystery

You’ve just re-connected with a high school classmate on Facebook. Unfortunately, your newly found former acquaintance has just invited herself and the entire family to the beach for the long holiday weekend.  What to do? 

First, thank your lucky stars the old Seagrove Villa Motel survived the real estate bubble. Next - tell the friend in Atlanta or Nashville or wherever she currently calls home to make better use of her time online and surf over to and get a room at the Seagrove Villas Motel. 

Walton County and The Beaches of South Walton along with its history and highlands are THE Best. I’ve never held back from that opinion even though I’ve traveled to some very beautiful and historic places. Your opinion or favorite place may differ, but that is okay. Whether I was standing in front of Mt. McKinley (Denali) in Alaska, the Grand Canyon in Arizona or Napoleon’s grave in Paris, my heart and mind always yearned for the view, culture and history of Walton County, Florida.

Notes from Anna and Tuff’s younger sister “Billie” about the technique and methods used to catch worms for fishing. Tuff Smith of Grayton Beach and the historic “Smith House” is well known for his fishing prowess. Anna (Smith) Reardon was known for her writing, but little sister Billie also liked to share stories.

Sonny Hollingsworth was taught how to catch worms and fish by his Uncle Tuff. They fished throughout Walton County, Florida. Sonny is at Grayton Beach around 1940 in this photograph.

The Spanish began naming towns, rivers and bays, usually after Saints, as they explored and colonized Florida in the 16th Century. In the 17th Century, following Saint Rose’s death and Sainthood, the Spanish name a major bay in what is now the Walton County, Florida area “Santa Rosa Bay” and publish the name on maps of Florida.

The name was changed by the British around 1778 to Choctawhatchee Bay. Thus, the longtime Spanish name of Santa Rosa Bay became unknown to many contemporary residents and visitors to South Walton and Florida.