As one of the earliest land grant holders in Walton County, an early judge for West Florida which included Walton County, and perhaps one of the earliest environmentalists in the State of Florida as well as Florida’s first federal forester, it is important you know Henry Marie Brackenridge.


Here are some pictures I've taken and documents I've collected that relate to his time here in Walton County and West Florida. Be sure to Log In to see all pictures and illustrations.


Henry M. Brackenridge’s 1829 grant in Walton County, Florida. This influential judge had one of the earliest land grants in Walton County. He was friends with George Walton, Jr., Walton County, Florida’s namesake. Brackenridge tutored Octavia Walton and would also know her as Madame Octavia Walton Le Vert. Their correspondence reveals a deep and enduring friendship. Octavia wrote many letters. One to Ellen Call Long may be accessed at http://www.floridamemory.com/Collect...pers/index.cfm Octavia is responding to Ellen about Pensacola...

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,...

Premier Blog event and presentation of early Walton County Land Grants from the research files of Brenda Rees - Shaping Florida. Early land grants for Walton County include the 1828 grants of Hardy Wood, in the Alaqua area, and Catherine McLennon, in the Big Branch area. The following year, 1829, there were a number of land grants issued for Walton County. The 1828 land grants are signed by President John Quincy Adams and the 1829 land grants are signed by President Andrew Jackson.

This list was presented at the Walton County Heritage Association's History Fair in 2008, but the event was virtually rained out. Very few saw the presentation and fewer still realized the significance of the information presented. Besides Wood and McLennon in 1828, the Henry Brackenridge grant in 1829 in Alaqua is also significant as he was a prominent judge in early Florida Territorial days. Later, Territorial Governor Andrew Jackson and Brackenridge had serious political differences. Brackenridge and George Walton, Jr, Walton County 's namesake, didn't hit it off at first, but Brackenridge later eased his feelings about George Walton, Jr. Judge Brackenridge was also Octavia Walton's tutor and later dear friend and correspondent. Pictures and some grants to be posted.

All pictures (c) Brenda Rees All Rights Reserved

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All Pictures/Historic Picture Scans by Brenda Rees (c) All Rights Reserved LOG IN TO SEE ALL PICTURES & MAPS

Pensacola to Apalachicola is considered the Emerald Coast and America's Riviera. The brilliant white beaches and the significant Florida history make this area the most magical and authentic section of Florida. This map is in the Museum of Industry in West Florida's Historic Pensacola Village. Many of the artifacts are from the T.T. Wentworth Jr. collection. SoWal's connections to Pensacola are numerous. The first two counties in Florida were Escambia and St. Johns. South Walton, Walton County was part of Escambia and Pensacola was the government headquarters.


Andrew Jackson was the governor of...