|
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.
|
|
| |
|
|
Washington County, Florida
Washington County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Chipley
Year Organized: 1825
Square Miles: 580 |
Court House: 1331 South Blvd.
County Courthouse
Chipley, FL 32428-2220
|
Etymology - Origin of County Name
George Washington, President, US, 1789-1797.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
Washington County, Florida was created in 1825, and was nearly twice the size of the State of Delaware, stretching
all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. After a century of boundary shifts, the county, with over 382,000 acres (1,546 km2)
of rolling hills covered in thick, stately pines and mixed hardwood forests, now covers a large portion of the central
Florida Panhandle.
Over a span of more than 150 years, Washington County has seen Native American, Spanish and English cultural influences.
The County's historical lore is rich with stories of the exploits of Andrew Jackson. There are numerous Native American
Mounds and evidence of strong settlements still being discovered.
Named after George Washington, first President of the United States of America, the area was first settled by those
seeking both economic and political freedoms in this frontier land of vast timber and mineral resources. Inland waterway
transportation brought about heavy river settlements. The arrival of railroads in the late 1800s boosted economic,
social and political developments.
Vernon, the geographical center of the county derives is named for George Washington's Virginia home, Mt. Vernon. The
pioneer town was also the site of a major Indian settlement.
The county courthouse was located in Vernon during the early part of this century until a railroad town in northeastern
Washington County, Chipley, became the new and present county seat in 1927.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 616 square miles (1,595 kmē), of which, 580
square miles (1,502 kmē) of it is land and 36 square miles (93 kmē) of it (5.82%) is water.
Neighboring Counties:
- Northeast: Jackson County
- South: Bay County
- West: Walton County
- Northwest: Holmes County
Cities and Towns:
|
- Caryville |
town |
Incorporated Area |
|
- Chipley
(County Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
|
- Ebro |
town |
Incorporated Area |
|
- Vernon |
city |
Incorporated Area |
|
- Wausau |
town |
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." |
|
|
| |
|
