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History of Bay County
Creation of County
On February 12, 1913, representatives from five towns on the bay, met at Panama City for the purpose of selecting a name for the proposed new County. After discussion the name Bay was selected as one which would be satisfactory to the majority of the citizens, and as being distinctive of the territory that would be included. On July 1, 1913, Bay County was created by the Legislature from portions of Washington, Calhoun and Walton counties. The Nativity of Bay County was fittingly honored by a celebration in the City Park, now known as McKenzie Park. Picnic baskets were brought by the attendees while barbecued meats furnished by the City were served to all. Additional attractions were music, boat races, baseball and swimming matches.
First Legislators
The newly selected legislators held their first meeting on Monday, July 10, 1913, in rooms secured over the Bank of Panama City. The session was informal, but later in the day the commissioners met in the Owl's Nest on the dock at the end of Harrison Avenue and began strenuous work. Immediate plans were made for construction of a Courthouse, the corner stone was laid in December, 1914 and the building dedicated in December, 1915. On December 20, 1920, the Courthouse was severely damaged by fire and lost the beautiful dome that supported four clocks. However, the outer walls survived, the building was reconstructed and continues to serve as the Bay County Courthouse to this date.
Margaret Savage
Mrs. Margaret Savage relates stories of her childhood of growing up in "Loch Lomond" lodge in the now State Park of Camp Helen. During her 1997 visit after the State had acquired the property Margaret, now 77, sat in what was once her mother's private patio and shared her memories of life in early Bay County.
Past Commissioners
The following are the Honorable Commissioners that have served Bay County since its inauguration on July 1, 1913:
1913-1915
- R.L. McKenzie
- T.E Crawford
- T.B. Young
- L.G. Gay
- A.F. Gainer
1915-1917
- T.B. Young
- J.M. Barrow
- H.P. Roush
- T.E Crawford
- Preston Warren
1917-1919
- J.M. Barrow
- B.A. Rhodes
- John McLaughlin
- J.B. McCall
- A.F. Driskell
- J.N Faile
1919-1921
- J. McLaughlin
- B.A. Rhodes
- J.B. McCall
- A.J. Gainer
- J.N Faile
- F.C. McGill
- WB. Gainer
1921-1923
- J.N Faile
- M.B. Pierce
- L.C. Gay
- WB. Gainer
- J.H. Laird
1923-1925
- A.J. Pelham
- J.N Faile
- D.R. McBride
- J.H. Laird
- J.M. Porter
- C.R. Russ
1925-1927
- L.E Vickery
- M.B. Davis
- J.M. Porter
- J.C. Gainer
- WC. Holley
- C.R. Russ
1927-1929
- L.E Vickery
- J.M. Porter
- J.C. Gainer
- C.P. Russ
- WC. Holley
1929-1931
- H.W Johnson
- M. Porter
- C.P. Russ
- WB. Gainer
- WH. Laird
1931-1933
- H.W Johnson
- C.P. Russ
- Roy Van Kleeck
- J.C. Gainer
- WH. Laird
1933-1935
- Douglas B. Sale
- Joe D. Holmes
- Roy Van Kleeck
- J.C. Gainer
- WH. Laird
1935-1937
- SJ. Gainer
- Joe D. Holmes
- Roy Van Kleeck
- J.C. Gainer
- Harry W Peterson
1937-1939
- R.D. Newberry
- Dee Williams
- Roy Van Kleeck
- J.C. Gainer
- Bruce Vickers
1939-1941
- Dee Williams
- A.L. Barber
- J.C. Gainer
- WW Nichols
- Randall Newberry
1941-1943
- J.A. Gilbert
- A.L. Barber
- WP. Worthington
- C.N Muterspaugh
- Bruce Vickers
1943-1945
- Dee Williams
- A.L. Barber
- WP. Worthington
- C.N Muterspaugh
- Bruce Vickers
1945-1947
- A.J. Childs
- Ira L. Hill
- B.V. Buchanan
- C.N Muterspaugh
1947-1949
- Ira L. Hill
- A.J. Childs
- Bruce Vickers
- C. N Muterspaugh
- WP. Worthington
1949-1951
- A.J. Childs
- Ira L. Hill
- B.V. Buchanan
- WP. Worthington
- C.N Muterspaugh
1951-1953
- Ira Hill
- J.R. Miller
- J.H. Davis
- John Pitts
- B.V. Buchanan
1953-1955
- J.R. Miller
- Ira L. Hill
- M.B. Miller
- B.V. Buchanan
1955-1957
- M.B. Miller
- John Pitts
- B.V. Buchanan
- Burton Clark
- J.R. Miller
1957-1959
- Burton H. Clark
- J.R. Miller
- B.V. Buchanan
- M.B. Miller
- John Pitts
1959-1960
- J.R. Miller
- B.V. Buchanan
- Donald D. Mowat
- Burton H. Clark
- M.B. Miller
1961
- Donald Mowat
- I.S. Morris
- Wilmont Edwards
- A.J. Barnes
- Burton Clark
- Burford Freeman
1962
- I.S. Morris
- A.J. Barnes
- Wilmont Edwards
- Burford Freeman
- Burton Clark
1963
- Ira Hill
- John Pitts
- I.S. Morris
- Isaac Byrd
- Wilmont Edwards
1964
- Ira Hill
- John Pitts
- I.S. Morris
- Isaac Byrd
- Wilmont Edwards
1965
- Wilmont Edwards
- Isaac Byrd
- Ira Hill
- I.S. Morris
- John Pitts
1966
- Isaac Byrd
- I.S. Morris
- De Delaney
- Ira Hill
- Wilmont Edwards
1967
- Isaac Byrd
- De Delaney
- Ira Hill
- I.S. Morris
- Wilmont Edwards
1968
- De Delaney
- Ira Hill
- I.S. Morris
- Isaac Byrd
- Wilmont Edwards
1969
- De Delaney
- Ira Hill
- Isaac Byrd
- Wilmont Edwards
- George Gainer
1970
- Isaac Byrd
- Wilmont Edwards
- De Delaney
- Ira Hill
- George Gainer
1971
- George Gainer
- Wilmont Edwards
- De Delaney
- Ira Hill
- Isaac Byrd
1972
- Zollie Young
- William Peeke
- George Gainer
- Isaac Byrd
- Wilmont Edwards
1973
- Isaac Byrd
- Jim Faircloth
- Zollie Young
- John Mullins
- William Peeke
- G.W. Hobbs
1974
- Isaac Byrd
- Jim Faircloth
- G.W. Hobbs
- John Mullins
- William Peeke
1975
- Jim Faircloth
- John Mullins
- G.W. Hobbs
- Ray Wagner
- Isaac Byrd
1976
- Jim Faircloth
- John Mullins
- Isaac Byrd
- G.W. Hobbs
- Ray Wagner
1977
- John Mullins
- Isaac Byrd
- Ray Wagner
- Jim Faircloth
- G.W. Hobbs
1978
- G.W. Hobbs
- Isaac Byrd
- John Mullins
- Jim Faircloth
- Ray Wagner
1979
- Ray Wagner
- Isaac Byrd
- Bill Tolar
- John Mullins
- Jim Faircloth
1980
- John Mullins
- Bill Tolar
- Jim Faircloth
- Ray Wagner
- Isaac Byrd
1981
- Bill Tolar
- Isaac Byrd
- Wilmont Edwards
- Ray Wagner
- John Hutt, Jr.
1982
- Isaac Byrd
- Ray Wagner
- Wilmont Edwards
- Bill Tolar
- John Hutt, Jr.
1983
- John Hutt, Jr
- Wilmont Edwards
- Isaac Byrd
- Helen Ingram
- M.B. Miller
1984
- Isaac Byrd
- Helen Ingram
- Wilmont Edwards
- John Hutt, Jr.
- M.B. Miller
1985
- Helen Ingram
- M.B. Miller
- Isaac Byrd
- John Hutt, Jr.
- Tommy Loftin
1986
- Isaac Byrd
- Helen Ingram
- M.B. Miller
- John Hutt, Jr.
- Tommy Loftin
1987
- Isaac W. Byrd
- Tommy Loftin
- John Hutt, Jr.
- Ralph Burgess
- Harold Phillips
- S. Richard Seltzer
1988
- Ralph Burgess
- Harold Phillips
- John Hutt, Jr.
- S. Richard Seltzer
- Tommy Loftin
1989
- S. Richard Seltzer
- Tommy Cooley
- Mike Nelson
- Ralph Burgess
- Harold Phillips
- Cliff Fleming, Jr.
1990-1989
- Tommy Cooley
- Mike Nelson
- Ralph Burgess
- Cliff Fleming
- S. Richard Seltzer
1990-1991
- Mike Nelson
- Jack Hamm
- Tommy Cooley
- Danny Sparks
- S. Richard Seltzer
1991-1992
- Jack Hamm
- Danny Sparks
- Mike Nelson
- Tommy Cooley
- S. Richard Seltzer
1992-1993
- Danny Sparks
- Carol Atkinson
- Jack Hamm
- John Robbins
- Rick Hurst
1993-1994
- Carol Atkinson
- John Robbins
- Jack Hamm
- Danny Sparks
- Rick Hurst
1994-1995
- John Robbins
- Rick Hurst
- Carol Atkinson
- Danny Sparks
- Richard Stewart
1995-1996
- Rick Hurst
- Carol Atkinson
- John Robbins
- Richard Stewart
- Danny Sparks
1996-1997
- Richard Stewart
- Marc Nolen
- Robert Wright
- Carol Atkinson
- Danny Sparks
1997-1998
- Danny Sparks
- Marc Nolen
- Robert Wright
- Richard Stewart
- Carol Atkinson
1998-1999
- Carol Atkinson
- Marc Nolen
- Robert Wright
- Richard Stewart
- Danny Sparks
1999-2000
- Marc Nolen
- Robert Wright
- Carol Atkinson
- Richard Stewart
- Danny Sparks
2000-2001
- Micheal J. Ropa
- Cornel Brock
- John G. Newberry, Jr.
- Danny Sparks
- Richard Stewart
2001-2002
- Cornel Brock
- John G. Newberry, Jr.
- Danny Sparks
- Richard Stewart
- Michael J. Ropa
2002-2003
- Jerry L. Girvin
- John G. Newberry, Jr.
- George B. Gainer
- Cornel Brock
- Michael J. Ropa
2003-2004
- George B. Gainer
- Cornel Brock
- Jerry L. Girvin
- John G. Newberry, Jr.
- Michael J. Ropa
2004-2005
- George B. Gainer
- Mike Nelson
- Jerry L. Girvin
- William T. Dozier
- Mike Thomas
2005-2006
- Mike Nelson
- Jerry L. Girvin
- George B. Gainer
- William T. Dozier
- Mike Thomas
2006-2007
- Mike Nelson
- Jerry L. Girvin
- George B. Gainer
- William T. Dozier
- Mike Thomas
2007-2008
- Mike Nelson
- Jerry L. Girvin
- George B. Gainer
- William T. Dozier
- Mike Thomas
2008-2009
- George B. Gainer
- Mike Nelson
- Jerry L. Girvin
- William T. Dozier
- Mike Thomas
2009-2010
- Mike Nelson
- Jerry L. Girvin
- George B. Gainer
- William T. Dozier
- Mike Thomas
2010-2012
- Mike Nelson
- George B. Gainer
- William T. Dozier
- Guy M. Tunnell
- Mike Thomas
2013-2014
- Mike Nelson
- George B. Gainer
- William T. Dozier
- Guy M. Tunnell
- Mike Thomas