A full moon is ready to set over Eastern Lake in South Walton, Florida. It was a full moon like this that captivated Bob Swinford on his first trip to South Walton in the 1930s. A beautiful moonset over Eastern Lake and the Gulf provided the perfect backdrop for his date with his future wife, Mickey Wesley. His story,as sent to me a few years ago, follows. Early travel roads and secrets are a bonus. Enjoy "Moon-dreaming." Picture (c) Brenda Rees, All Rights Reserved













Bob’s article has many special remembrances of his and Mickey Wesley’s lives. Mickey was the youngest of the nine children of William and Katie Wesley, builders of the Wesley House now known as Eden State Gardens in Pt. Washington, Florida. “Moon-dreaming” is a story about Bob and Mickey’s first date in South Walton at Eastern Lake. It wasn’t their “first” date as you’ll see by the story, but perhaps you can capture some of the romance one full moon night as you relax along the beach in South Walton. – Brenda...

Here's a paper I wrote and presented at the Gulf South History and Humanities Conference in 2006 on the Florida - Georgia border dispute. I mentioned this paper in another blog on ancient people and natives of Florida and Walton County. I've added some pictures and maps at the end that are quick and easy to review. I'll add more later. But, if you are caught inside for the day, you might want to take a look at this academic paper. This is an original paper and concept. Footnotes are included if you want to do your own research. Another short title I use for presentations is "John Wesley in Spanish Florida." Brenda Rees, Shaping Florida, (c) all pictures by Brenda Rees (LOG OR SIGN IN TO SEE PICTURES & MAPS)


Ship on the St. Marys River, the current border between Florida and Georgia, looking out from Fort Clinch across to Cumberland Island. This photograph, and others on the blog, by Brenda Rees.
















...

Here's how the beach at Eastern Lake looked in 1977. The Goodyear Blimp was going from the Orange Bowl to the Sugar Bowl. One picture shows the dunes of Tresca Lake. They were removed and covered over with asphalt by a small, local developer. Some call this area Seagrove, but I try not to (long story). That is down the road. William and Katie Wesley platted probably the first subdivision in the Eastern Lake area as Eastern Lake Estates from 1903 land grant. That section is the west side of the lake. Our earlier mailing address was Pt. Washington, which was where John Wesley homesteaded and got a land grant in 1895. This was the first land grant in South Walton, I believe. Pt. Washington was a community before that, of course. I have an 1882 map with Pt. Washington on it. I still have a letter from my dad with the Pt. Washington address. More on this later and probably in another blog.

Be sure to explore my other blogs on SoWal. I've posted about 30 on different historical / environmental topics such as Pensacola, West Florida, Octavia, Alaqua, Camp Walton, Grayton Beach Smith House, Eastern Lake Trail and Historic Bridge, Florida Borders, Land Grants, and Native Peoples. Be sure to log in to view pictures and maps. They really make an impact.

All pictures by Brenda Rees, Shaping Florida (c) All Rights Reserved
\
...

Octavia Walton Le Vert, also known as Madame Octavia Walton Le Vert, had a number of poems written for and about her. Octavia was the daughter of Walton County, Florida's namesake, George Walton, Jr. Walton County, Florida, founded December 29, 1824, is home to SoWal and is one of the older counties in Florida. Alaqua was a key community in Walton County in 1827 when Octavia was traveling to Baltimore and other resort cities. See map that shows roads converging in Alaqua during this time.

The first poem probably published about her was by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe's first published poem was Tamerlane in 1827. It was this same year that Poe met Octavia in Baltimore and wrote "Octavia." Octavia was living in Pensacola, Florida and was on a trip with her mother. They could have traveled through South Walton and Walton County. Many relatives and friends lived in Alabama and Georgia. They would have stopped by to see them and refresh themselves on their travels. Alaqua was an early county seat of Walton County, Florida. In addition, Alaqua was the location of an early land grant of their friend Judge Henry M. Brackenridge. This historic Alaqua site is located in North Walton near DeFuniak Springs. Turn on Coy Burgess Loop Road (once known as Steele Church Road) off 331.

...

Please help me find the gravesite for George Walton, Jr., namesake of Walton County, Florida. Through my Shaping Florida research I've located the graves of his mother, father and daughter. The exact location of George Walton, Jr.'s grave has been lost. George Walton, Jr., secretary of West Florida, Territory of Florida and Territorial Acting Governor of Florida, died January 3, 1863 during the Civil War and is likely buried in the Blanford Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia. Writer Frances Gibson Satterfield wrote that the Blanford Cemetery had a record of George Walton, Jr., being interred in the N.E. corner of Mrs. M.B. Willison square. Records for the cemetery were destroyed and the exact location of this square is unknown. If you can get by this cemetery and find updated records, please advise. If you know George (Walton) Lucas, please contact him to make a movie about George Walton, Jr. Then, we might indeed find the lost grave of George Walton, Jr.

The following pictures are of the graves and homes of some of his family members. All pictures (c) Brenda Rees, All Rights Reserved.

George Walton, signer of the Declaration of Independence from Georgia, is buried in Augusta, Georgia. Gravesite for his son, George Walton, Jr., namesake of Walton County, Florida,...