Destin pioneer settlers : A land history of Destin, Florida from 1818-1940.
(Book)

If you have ever visited Destin, Florida, and have seen the emerald-green waters shimmering, with sugar-white sands glistening below, you have probably dreamed of owning waterfront property. But a quick check into the price of waterfront land may slow your enthusiasm, as there is a one-million-dollar-plus price tag for a single acre of waterfront property in Destin today. Well, it wasn't always that way. In fact, Hank discovered that the pioneer settlers purchased their waterfront property for a mere $50 per acre. Sound too good to be true? It was true in Destin, Florida, just 80 years ago. The federal government sold land to the pioneer settlers of Destin in the 1930s for just $50 an acre-and it was all waterfront property. No, it wasn't a Florida land scam - it was for real and it happened right here in Destin before it was known as the "Luckiest Fishing Village in the World." You'll find out that back in the early days most newcomers remained in the interior of the county because land along the coast was sandy and not considered suitable for grazing cattle and farming. The coastal land was considered worthless. My, how times have changed! The early pioneers who settled permanently in what is today Destin have often been considered squatters. They weren't technically homesteaders because the area where Destin is today was once a military reservation and therefore not available for homesteading. So, were they really squatters? In this book, Hank discusses the early history of the area known today as Destin, Florida and hopes to prove that these pioneer settlers were neither homesteaders, nor squatters.