Valparaiso’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 4 old photos of Valparaiso. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Valparaiso was named after Valparaiso, Indiana (which in turn, was named after Valparaiso, Chile) and is a twin city also with its neighboring city, Niceville. The name of the city is Spanish, and translates to "paradise vale" or "paradise valley".
Chicago businessman James E. Plew, who relocated to the Florida Panhandle of Northwest Florida in 1922, became "one of Northwest Florida's pioneer developers," and settled on Valparaiso "as the most likely spot for development.
In 1924, he founded the Bank of Valparaiso, constructed the Valparaiso Inn, organized the Chicago Country Club which constructed the Valparaiso Country Club golf course, and was instrumental in many other development activities in the community."
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Start Valparaiso’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Valparaiso’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🗓️Date a photo4 archive items have no date+2 🔁Retake an old viewEglin Air Force Base, Building 88…: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people close to Valparaiso
See all 26 →
Valparaiso, decade by decade
2000
2 historic places in Valparaiso
Valparaiso has 2 listings on the National Register, and they protect 23 historic buildings, because Eglin Field Historic District alone counts 20.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Eglin Air Force Base, Building 888, 201 Cherokee Avenue and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom the Library of Congress (4) and the National Register (2). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.