Grayton Beach, Florida
Encyclopedia
Grayton Beach is a small, historic beach village on the Florida Panhandle Gulf coast
halfway between Destin
and Panama City
in Walton County
and adjacent to Grayton Beach State Park
. Collectively, the area is known as the “Beaches of South Walton,” with South Walton referring to the southern portion of Walton County below the Choctawhatchee Bay
.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Grayton Beach attempted to become a popular vacation retreat for families from the inland towns of Northwest Florida and Alabama, but reaching Grayton Beach from the north was not easy. There were no bridges over the southern parts of the Choctawhatchee River, and what roads existed were merely sand trails crossing miles of low-lying forests.
In the 1930s, the area became easier to reach, with the construction of Highway 98, the Highway 331 bridge, and the Intracoastal Waterway. In the 1940s, the Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative brought electricity to the village. In 1942, the U. S. Coast Guard established a 40-man station here, with the federal government renting many of the homes for barracks and offices.
In 1967, the state used its land east of the town to create the Grayton Beach State Recreation Area. In 1985, after years of lobbying by residents, Florida bought the village's beach front and the dunes and forest land to the west and north. When the state tried to trade away parts of the 1985 purchase for land at Topsail Hill, many Grayton Beach residents and neighbors howled in protest. The land swap fell through when the state and Topsail's owners could not come to terms.
The most recent hurricane to bring the Gulf of Mexico
over dunes and into Grayton Beach was Opal
in 1995. Western Lake overflowed, leaving water knee deep in many houses, and had residents washing loads of sand and mud out of their homes. The only original building in the village is a two-story home, known today as the Wash-A-Way, at the end of County Road 283. The building got its name when the hurricane of 1926 swept away its foundation.
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
halfway between Destin
Destin, Florida
Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
and Panama City
Panama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
in Walton County
Walton County, Florida
Walton County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 40,601. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 50,324. Its county seat is DeFuniak Springs, Florida. The county is home to the highest natural point in Florida: Britton Hill, at .- History...
and adjacent to Grayton Beach State Park
Grayton Beach State Park
.Grayton Beach State Park is a Florida State Park located between Panama City Beach and Destin, near the unincorporated area of Grayton Beach, on CR 30A, in northwestern Florida. Its sister park is Deer Lake State Park....
. Collectively, the area is known as the “Beaches of South Walton,” with South Walton referring to the southern portion of Walton County below the Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
.
Geography
The village is in the center of a 20-mile long stretch of coastal dune lakes that are so rare they are only found in Walton County and remote portions of Africa. Grayton Beach has a broad natural beach and is one of the few beaches in the Panhandle that permit the driving of vehicles on the pure white sand for about $250 a season.History
When Army Major Charles T. Gray built his homestead in 1885, the federal government owned much of the land and few people had reason to settle here; the soil was too sandy to farm and there were better timberlands inland. The closest settlement was about five miles to the north at Point Washington on Choctawhatchee Bay. The town of Grayton Beach was founed in 1890 when Army Generals William Miller and William Wilson moved in and mapped out the village; they named their new community in honor of Gray.At the beginning of the 20th century, Grayton Beach attempted to become a popular vacation retreat for families from the inland towns of Northwest Florida and Alabama, but reaching Grayton Beach from the north was not easy. There were no bridges over the southern parts of the Choctawhatchee River, and what roads existed were merely sand trails crossing miles of low-lying forests.
In the 1930s, the area became easier to reach, with the construction of Highway 98, the Highway 331 bridge, and the Intracoastal Waterway. In the 1940s, the Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative brought electricity to the village. In 1942, the U. S. Coast Guard established a 40-man station here, with the federal government renting many of the homes for barracks and offices.
In 1967, the state used its land east of the town to create the Grayton Beach State Recreation Area. In 1985, after years of lobbying by residents, Florida bought the village's beach front and the dunes and forest land to the west and north. When the state tried to trade away parts of the 1985 purchase for land at Topsail Hill, many Grayton Beach residents and neighbors howled in protest. The land swap fell through when the state and Topsail's owners could not come to terms.
The most recent hurricane to bring the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
over dunes and into Grayton Beach was Opal
Hurricane Opal
Hurricane Opal was a Category 4 hurricane that formed in the Gulf of Mexico in September 1995.Opal was the ninth hurricane and the strongest of the abnormally active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season...
in 1995. Western Lake overflowed, leaving water knee deep in many houses, and had residents washing loads of sand and mud out of their homes. The only original building in the village is a two-story home, known today as the Wash-A-Way, at the end of County Road 283. The building got its name when the hurricane of 1926 swept away its foundation.