Shaping Florida-Brenda Rees-Ancient People: Native People in Florida, Walton County

Who’s on First? That is hard to say when it comes to the native peoples migration to Florida. Various state displays say they showed up about 12,000 years ago. As mentioned in my 2006 South Walton Real Estate Paper posted earlier here on SoWal, there is new evidence of people being in the area over 20,000 ybp. In my presentations over the past years, I mentioned that the migration to this area might have been from the south, not north. The stories of native people in West Florida and Walton County may also have new twists you haven't heard before.

Migration of native peoples in the Americas also has new research being reported. Texas A&M University North Star Archaeological Research Program, with the help of atomic accelerator radiocarbon technology, is rethinking the Clovis people theory.

With the high elevation of Walton County and Northwest Florida in relation to other parts of Florida, it will not be surprising to see some of the earliest people in North America being discovered and documented in and near Walton County. While Miami and Tampa were underwater, South Walton was probably high and dry. See other blogs about sea level, etc.

I lived in Alaska for 11 years and have often thought about that trek from the Arctic North to the Beaches of South Walton. After visiting San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, even driving back with a friend once, in my opinion, the southern route to South Walton is certainly easier.

All pictures by Brenda Rees (c) All Rights Reserved

McGillivray monument and historic marker at Panton Miniature House in Pensacola, Florida. Alexander McGillivray was buried here until his sister moved him to Alabama per Dr. Randall Broxton, Pensacola Junior College history professor. According to the plaque erected in 1935 by the Pensacola Historical Society, McGillivray was made Chief of the Creek Nation in 1776, commissioned British colonel 1778, Spanish agent 1784, U.S. Brigadier General 1790 and died in Pensacola, Florida in 1798. McGillivray's influence over land development is worthy of further study.


Panton Miniature House with McGillivray Marker in Pensacola. Early Florida land developers and traders are remembered by a reconstructed miniature house and Indian Trading Post built by William Panton of Panton, Leslie and Company. Later, during the early days of the Florida territory, Indians would come to Pensacola and meet with George Walton, Jr., secretary , acting governor of Territorial Florida, and namesake of Walton County, Florida. His daughter, fluent in over five languages, would often interpret. It was said that Octavia Walton was called the White Dove of Peace by some Indians for her kind treatment. Neamathla was a known Indian leader during this time. Reports say Octavia named Tallahassee. It was probably her relationship with Indians of West Florida, her father's position, and her command of the language, that could have enabled this to happen.



Tomo Chi Chi's Grave in Savannah, Georgia. His land deals with Oglethorpe have been questioned. McGillivray of West Florida and Pensacola disputed some early land claims by certain Creek tribes. Understanding the border disputes between Florida and Georgia, gives insight into land development in the area. Florida was a multicultural, multiethnic entity at the epicenter of Atlantic Zone colonization and exploration.
notes from my John Wesley in Spanish Florida Paper (will post later):
Tomochichi “was chief of a small party of Creek Indians settled four miles from Savannah and four hundred miles from the main body of the Creek Tribes.” Yamacraw chief Tomochichi admitted he had been banished and had just moved into the area. Tomochichi’s ability to cede anything might be questioned. Oglethorpe continued “… to increase his power surreptitiously….” There is evidence of a later cession by native peoples to Georgia concerning the Altamaha, but well after Wesley left. “In 1782 at Augusta and 1785 at Galphinton, certain Creek tribes ceded lands between the Altamaha River and the Florida boundary to the Georgians. These treaties were disputed by other Indians, led by Alexander McGillivray.” (will later post John Wesley in Spanish Florida paper which details the Florida-Georgia border dispute)(Jones, Arnade,Lane)

Alaqua, Walton Co, FL 1836 Tanner Map, B. Rees Collection. This map illustrates early Walton County, Florida and South Walton. Native people in this area had several deadly skirmishes with Florida and Walton County area settlers. There was no "happy getting along" in a story in Florida's Territorial papers in 1842. (Some time after Walton's 1824 founding) It was about massacre of settlers and hunting down of natives by the military and others for bounty money. The Perkins family had been attacked by about 50 Creek Indians according to a report by a R. Jones, Adjutant General's Office. He authorized a reward of $100 for every Warrior taken and of $50 for every other Indian. This was in the then Holmes Valley area, once part of Walton County. The area the Indians said to have hidden in could have been the swamp areas of South Walton, the Choctawhatchee Bay and around the Coastal Dune Lakes of South Walton.

Deer Lake, a coastal dune lake in South Walton. This might have been a place for early native peoples to live and perhaps hide from territorial Florida officers. Arrowheads are still being found. My brother found one in his front yard on the beach in South Walton.


The high dunes of Deer Lake to Eastern Lake Beach would have provided a commanding view to native peoples as they watched for invading European explorers and territorial Floridians. These high dunes and coastal dune lakes may hold more secrets about our earliest inhabitants.

From earlier Shaping Florida PowerPoint presentation:
Some earlier accounts say Indians reached the Florida Peninsula around 12,000 BC. New evidence extends back 25,000 years. There is evidence of numerous Indian tribes being here. One of the earlier tribes here was the Chocata or Chatots as well as the Choctaw. Choctawhatchee River & Bay was probably misnamed due to confusion by earlier writers and cartographers. British soldiers were marching from Pensacola to St. Augustine. The cartographer mistook the name of Chocatahatchie or River of the Chatos as Choctawhatchee. The name stuck. Even though some maps for years after still referred to the bay by its Spanish name of many years “Santa Rosa Bay” or Bay of St. Rose.
Note: West and East Florida were the 14th and 15th British colonies between 1763 and 1783. Spain got the Floridas back for the last time after the American Revolution. The United States finally wrested Florida from Spain.


A Chimica native of the San Miguel de Allende area. Connections abound today between this eclectic city near Leon, Mexico and South Walton, Florida. Perhaps there are other ancient connections between the native peoples from this region and Florida. Photograph by Brenda Rees of Portrait in San Miguel artist's home.


View from a South Walton, Florida resident's hillside home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Today, this city is far inland and in the low mountains. However, I purchased a fossil shell from the local market down in the city below. The migration of these ancient peoples and others from nearby coastal cities to Florida is certainly something to consider.

West Florida and East Florida were worlds apart during early territorial days, are different in many ways today, and perhaps literally started out that way. At the recent Chautauqua in DeFuniak Springs "Journey to Africa" the connections of Florida to other continents were discussed. The peninsula was likely connected to Africa. When I asked about our area being connected elsewhere, the speaker said that Northwest Florida in West Florida could have ancient ties to South America.

Check out Wakulla Springs in West Florida near the Emerald Coast and sometimes referred to as The Forgotten Coast these days. National Geographic has published some papers and a video on their work in that area. Of particular interest was a knife blade, sort of shaped like a straight, palm sized plantain. It seems their dating for these articles is somewhat hedged to cover until their official papers are presented.