History

On the east side of South Walton just east of Inlet Beach, turn off Highway 98 and through the gate of Camp Helen State Park and be amazed how fast you go from freeway frenzy to total tranquility.

In the grand scheme of things, Destin is a young city - both physically and at heart. In fact, Destin didn’t officially become a municipality until 1984. Just prior to that, the first condominiums began to rise from Destin's sandy shores. Today, it’s hard to imagine the intimate piece of paradise unadorned by its prestigious tourism industry.

For most of its life, our western neighbor Destin was known simply for fabulous fishing and amazing beaches. Before the renown, Destin was a simple place, and traces of its heritage can still be experienced first hand.

I love this photo and have a big copy of it on my wall. It's our old friend Maunsel White and two of his friends on the docks in Destin back in the sixties sometime.

- Payson Comer Howard

Photo from the family archive of Payson Comer Howard Payson and crew are based in Seagrove Beach, offering vacaiton rentals and services every day all along SoWal Beaches to help you make your own vacation memories at Sunburst Beach Vacations - It's Time To Vacation!

In 1958 there was only one house resting on the south side of Scenic 30A on Dune Allen Beach - only one. Bo Rentrop and her late husband Billy Rentrop were there, and Bo remembers that single house very well.

The South Walton Community Council (SWCC) is pleased to host author Hardy Jackson and Sundog Books at its next public forum. Hardy will trace the development of the Florida-Alabama coast, or the “Redneck Riviera” as a tourist destination from the late 1920s when 30A was sparsely populated with small villages through the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. Jackson will discuss his book, The Rise and Fall of the Redneck Riviera, and focus on the history of C. R.

This pic was taken in about 1970. We're sitting in my uncle’s boat on the beach in Seagrove in front of my Great Aunt Sue and John’s "Yellow House", which is still in the family, owned by Leonard Isacks (2nd from left in photo).  It's located just east of where the Seagrove Villas were before they tore those down.
 
Me and many of my cousins, from left:
Lillian Isacks, Ithaca, NY – 54, works at Cornell University
Leonard Isacks, New Orleans, LA – 51, owns Isacks Construction
Fletcher Isacks, Seagrove Beach, FL - 47, owns Isacks Imagery

Old Seagrove is a wonderfully shady place with large oaks and dusty roads. We feel lucky that our home and office are on these well-worn roads where we enjoy filtered sunshine and Gulf breezes every day.

1941
 

1949
 

Grit & Grace, the Official Folk Life Production of Walton County, will present A Dreaming Place at two different venues in July. Seaside Rep’s Executive Director Brook Stetler will bring Walton County’s rich oral history to life during the onstage production.