1936 Map of Point Washington

About this map

Choctawhatchee Bay dominates this coastal landscape, where the northern shore is defined by a complex network of inlets such as La Grange Bayou and Alaqua Bayou. In the mid-1930s, the southern strip of Walton County shows the early development of coastal communities like Grayton Beach and Seagrove Beach along the Gulf of Mexico. Further inland, the settlement of Point Washington sits at the junction of the bay and the Intracoastal Waterway, which cuts through the dense wetlands of Devils Swamp. The map details a transition from the commercial fishing and logging environments of Freeport and Liberty in the north to the emerging beachfront character in the south. Notable features of this era include the Lookout Tower 44 and a series of coastal dune lakes, including Western Lake and Lake Powell, which remain rare geographical features of the Florida Panhandle.