|
Florida State...
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Florida Counties
|
|
Click Image to Enlarge
Florida Counties
In 1821, there were only two counties in Florida: Escambia to the west and St. Johns to the
east. From these two counties were formed 67 today. In 1968, the electors
of Florida granted local voters the power to adopt charters to govern their counties. Charters are formal
written documents that confer powers, duties, or privileges on the county.
To date, there are 19 charter counties in Florida. Collectively these
counties are home to more than 75 percent of Florida's residents.
|
|
| |
|
|
Calhoun County, Florida
Calhoun County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Blountstown
Year Organized: 1838
Square Miles: 567 |
Court House: 20859 Central Avenue East
County Courthouse
Blountstown, FL 32424-0000
|
Etymology - Origin of County Name
Calhoun County was named for John C. Calhoun, member of the United States Senate from South Carolina and the
seventh U.S. vice president, serving under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
Calhoun County was created in 1838. It was named for John C. Calhoun, member of the United States Senate from
South Carolina. As is universal in the Florida Panhandle, a majority of Calhoun County's residents remain much more
attached to Southern culture and lifestyle habits than is common in the Central and Southern regions of the state
influenced by large amounts of migration, and the area holds much more in common with states such as Alabama,
Georgia, or Mississippi than with much of Florida.
Present Calhoun County has been a part of Escambia, Gadsden, Jackson, Washington and Layfette (the lost county).
Calhoun County was created in 1838 and named for the South Carolina United States Senator, John C. Calhoun. The county
was created in order to establish St. Joseph as a commercial competitor to Apalachicola. St. Joseph flourished for only
a few years. During this time the city served as the county seat for Calhoun County. St. Joseph grew rapidly as a
seaport. A railroad was constructed from St. Joseph to lola on the west bank of the Apalachicola River. Thousands of
bales of cotton were diverted from the seaport of Apalachicola over the railroad to St. Joseph to be shipped to England.
The first constitution for the territory of Florida was written and adopted in the city of St. Joseph. Yellow fever and
hurricanes wiped out St. Joseph.
More at
History of Calhoun County
By Mr. George Atkins
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Calhoun County has a total area of 574 square miles (1,488 kmē), of
which, 567 square miles (1,469 kmē) of it is land and 7 square miles (18 kmē) of it (1.22%) is water. The county is
bounded on the east by the Apalachicola River and is bisected by the Chipola River, site of Look and Tremble.
Neighboring Counties:
- North: Jackson County
- Northeast: Gadsden County
- Southeast: Liberty County
- South: Gulf County
- Southwest: Bay County
Cities and Towns:
|
- Altha |
town |
Incorporated Area |
|
- Blountstown
(County
Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
|
- Wewahitchka |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
|
|
County Resource Guide
|
|
|
The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.
Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally,
act locally." |
|
|
| |
|
