Place:Washington, Florida, United States

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Washington County is a county located in the northwestern part of the state of Florida, in the Panhandle. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,318. Its county seat is Chipley.

The County is served by The Tri-County Airport, a public use general aviation airport 5.3 miles northwest of Chipley, which has a 5400 foot runway, passenger terminal and two instrument approaches. (Washington County appoints 3 of the 9 member Board of Directors who govern the airport.)

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

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 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, the first President of the United States of America, the area was first settled by those seeking both economic and political freedom 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.

Washington County was once a dry county, meaning that the sale of alcoholic beverages was banned in the county. In January 2022, this restriction was removed following a voter referendum in which about two-thirds of voters supported the removal.

Timeline

Population History

source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990

Note: Jackson's 1830 population excludes the portion west of Holmes Creek, which was reported with Washington, and includes the portion of Washington on the Chipola and Apalachicola Rivers.. Walton's 1830 population is for the territory between the Choctowatchee and Yellow Rivers, including the isthmus south of the Choctowatchee; part of this area was in Washington County.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Washington County, Florida, United States

Research Tips

External links

www.rootsweb.com/~flwashin/