Historic markers celebrate the rich history of Niceville

NICEVILLE, Fla. — The City of Niceville is celebrating the community’s rich history with the unveiling of three Florida historical heritage markers this week.

The markers, “Old Maritime City,” “Boggy Mill Company Site,” and “Niceville Fire 1934,” will be located at three locations on historic Bayshore Drive, said Elisa Mitchiner, Niceville Historian.

The markers are attractive, informative signs mounted on poles that tell the stories of the places and people who created the Niceville community. The project has been years in the making.

According to Mitchiner, the Old Maritime City marker depicts that all commerce in the area was by water until the advent of the automobile. Products from local sawmills, shingle mills and turpentine stills were transported across Choctawhatchee Bay to Pensacola.

The Boggy Mill Company Site marker highlights the timber and lumber industry during the early 1900s. The mill consisted of 40 acres on the east side of Boggy Bayou.

The Niceville Fire 1934 marker tells of the fire that destroyed three grocery stores, a dry goods store, creamery, post office building, hotel, drug store and fish warehouses.

Mitchiner said the Old Maritime City marker will be located at the Niceville Landing (old fish company site), the Boggy Mill marker will be at Lions Park (part of the old mill site), and the Niceville Fire 1934 marker will be near Katie’s House of Flowers (site of fire).

The text for the markers is based on warranty deeds and period newspaper accounts, Mitchiner said.

The historic markers are part of the state’s historical markers program. Currently, there are seven markers in Okaloosa County, according to the Florida Department of State.

The Niceville historic markers are the result of Mitchiner’s personal interest, determination, and efforts.

“I have been working on this project for many years,” she said.

Mitchiner, who operates the Niceville history website boggyflorida.com, said after documenting the early history of Niceville on her website, she believed the three historical markers were important and needed in the community.

She wrote the text for the markers, got the Niceville City Council to approve and fund them, and went through a lengthy process with the Florida Division of Historical Resources for its approval, she said.

“The State of Florida ordered the historical markers in November 2021 from an arts studio in Ohio,” said Mitchiner.

“With the backlog due to the pandemic, the markers were delivered here about one month ago.”

A dedication and unveiling of the markers will take place on Thursday, October 6, 10 a.m., at Lions Park, 940 Bayshore Drive. The public is invited to attend.

State Representative Patt Maney is an honored guest.

Here is the text of Niceville’s historical heritage markers:

Old Maritime City

Niceville was the center of the commercial fishing industry of the Choctawhatchee Bay region, the basis of the community’s prosperity. Mail service here was established in 1868. The schooner Bera Attious was built at the shipyard here in 1888. Niceville in Walton County was known as Boggy until 1910, when the name changed. In 1915 Okaloosa County was formed. Products from local sawmills, shingle mills and turpentine stills were transported across Choctawhatchee Bay to Pensacola. In 1911, the steamer Belle, loaded with naval stores, sank with the loss of four lives including local Noah Edward Burlison. Fishing was a lucrative industry, and fish wagons from as far away as Alabama and other parts of north Florida came to this area to buy fish. Some of the launches servicing this area were the Swan, Donna, Ruth, Fritz, and the Belle. They provided passenger, freight and mail services with scheduled stops between here and Pensacola. In 1934, an ice factory made it possible to produce large quantities of ice, which increased fish sales. The Niceville Fish Company operated by Claude Meigs and the Spence Brothers Fish Company were the leading commercial fishing industries maintaining fish warehouses and fleets of boats.

The Boggy Mill Co.

The Boggy Mill Company incorporated in August 1908. The mill consisted of 40 acres on the east side of Boggy Bayou. With access to the forest and waterways, it was in an ideal location. The company drew settlers for lumber industry jobs like logging, turpentine, and shingle-getting. It was rough, difficult, and dangerous work. In November 1908, the flywheel of the sawmill’s largest engine gave way. A piece of it struck engineer George Bostick, resulting in his death. The Pensacola News Journal reported in November 1908: “The Boggy Mill Company is now running its plant on full time, cutting about 21,000 board feet per day. The mill of the Consolidated Land and Lumber Company will be ready to start up within a short time. Boggy is becoming one of the best towns in this section. The name Boggy signifies that it is bogged up with business. There are about ten buildings in the course of construction and everyone is busy. New families are locating rapidly, and at the present time the town has four stores, two mills and two turpentine stills.” In 1912, J. P. Rawls bought the mill site at public auction, plus 6,000 additional acres. He later sold it to the Mutual Land and Lumber Co., owned by developer R. E. L. McCaskill.

The Niceville Fire of 1934

Niceville Fire of 1934, as reported in local newspapers: “The 200 CCC men formed bucket brigades and in cooperation with the fire crews of the Choctawhatchee National Forest did yeomen service in saving buildings and stocks of merchandise after three grocery stores, a dry goods store, creamery, post office building, hotel, drug store and fish warehouses were destroyed. The loss is estimated at $100,000 (worth $2,000,000 in 2021) with little insurance. There was no running water with which to combat the flames and it appeared for a time that the town would be completely destroyed until the forest firefighters and CCC workers took charge.” (Gadsden County Times, January 25, 1934) “While the ruins were still smoldering, space was being made in Finck’s for the post office. During the day the Niceville Fish Company set up offices there. Within a little while a grocery had been added. And now Adolph’s establishment represents the bay country’s first and only complete arcade. In it is found a post office, a wholesale and retail fish house, a grocery, a restaurant, a bakery and the bay country’s only draft beer dispensary, while the Niceville Masonic Lodge occupies the floor above.” (The Valparaiso Star, February 1, 1934)