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	1915-1917	1917-1919	1919-1921	1921-1923
• R.L. McKenzie • T.E Crawford • T.B. Young • L.G. Gay • A.F. Gainer	• R.L. McKenzie • T.E Crawford • T.B. Young • L.G. Gay • A.F. Gainer	• R.L. McKenzie • T.E Crawford • T.B. Young • L.G. Gay • A.F. Gainer	• J. McLaughlin • B.A. Rhodes • J.B. McCall • A.J. Gainer • J.N Faile • F.C. McGill • WB. Gainer	• J.N Faile • M.B. Pierce • L.C. Gay • WB. Gainer • J.H. Laird
1923-1925	1925-1927	1927-1929	1929-1931	1931-1933
• A.J. Pelham • J.N Faile • D.R. McBride • J.H. Laird • J.M. Porter • C.R. Russ	• L.E Vickery • M.B. Davis • J.M. Porter • J.C. Gainer • WC. Holley • C.R. Russ	• L.E Vickery • J.M. Porter • J.C. Gainer • C.P. Russ • WC. Holley	• H.W Johnson • M. Porter • C.P. Russ\| • WB. Gainer • WH. Laird	• H.W Johnson • C.P. Russ • Roy Van Kleeck • J.C. Gainer • WH. Laird
1933-1935	1935-1937	1937-1939	1939-1941	1941-1943

• Douglas B. Sale • Joe D. Holmes • Roy Van Kleeck • J.C. Gainer • WH. Laird	• SJ. Gainer • Joe D. Holmes • Roy Van Kleeck • J.C. Gainer • Harry W Peterson	• R.D. Newberry • Dee Williams • Roy Van Kleeck • J.C. Gainer • Bruce Vickers	• Dee Williams\| • A.L. Barber • J.C. Gainer • W.W. Nichols • Randall Newberry	• J.A. Gilbert • A.L. Barber • WP. Worthington • C.N Muterspaugh • Bruce Vickers
1943-1945	1945-1947	1947-1949	1949-1951	1951-1953
• Dee Williams • A.L. Barber • WP. Worthington • C.N Muterspaugh • Bruce Vickers	• A.J. Childs • Ira L. Hill • B.V. Buchanan • C.N Muterspaugh	• Ira L. Hill • A.J. Childs • Bruce Vickers • C. N Muterspaugh • WP. Worthington	• A.J. Childs • Ira L. Hill • B.V. Buchanan • WP. Worthington • C.N Muterspaugh	• Ira Hill • J.R. Miller • J.H. Davis • John Pitts • B.V. Buchanan
1953-1955	1955-1957	1957-1959	1959-1960	1961
• J.R. Miller • Ira L. Hill • M.B. Miller • B.V. Buchanan	• M.B. Miller • John Pitts • B.V. Buchanan • Burton Clark • J.R. Miller	• Burton H. Clark • J.R. Miller • B.V. Buchanan • M.B. Miller • John Pitts	• J.R. Miller\| • B.V. Buchanan • Donald D. Mowat • Burton H. Clark • M.B. Miller	• Donald Mowat • I.S. Morris • Wilmont Edwards • A.J. Barnes • Burton Clark • Burford Freeman
1962	1963	1964	1965	1966
• I.S. Morris • A.J. Barnes • Wilmont Edwards • Burford Freeman • Burton Clark	• Ira Hill • John Pitts • I.S. Morris • Isaac Byrd • Wilmont Edwards	• Ira Hill • John Pitts • I.S. Morris • Isaac Byrd • Wilmont Edwards	• Wilmont Edwards\|• Isaac Byrd • Ira Hill • I.S. Morris • John Pitts	• Isaac Byrd • I.S. Morris • De Delaney • Ira Hill • Wilmont Edwards
1967	1968	1969	1970	1971
• Isaac Byrd • De Delaney • Ira Hill • I.S. Morris • Wilmont Edwards	• De Delaney • Ira Hill • I.S. Morris • Isaac Byrd • Wilmont Edwards	• De Delaney • Ira Hill • Isaac Byrd • Wilmont Edwards • George Gainer	• Isaac Byrd • Wilmont Edwards • De Delaney • Ira Hill • George Gainer	• George Gainer • Wilmont Edwards • De Delaney • Ira Hill • Isaac Byrd
1972	1973	1974	1975	1976
• Zollie Young • William Peeke • George Gainer • Isaac Byrd • Wilmont Edwards	• Isaac Byrd • Jim Faircloth • Zollie Young • John Mullins • William Peeke • G.W. Hobbs	• Isaac Byrd • Jim Faircloth • G.W. Hobbs • John Mullins • William Peeke	• Jim Faircloth • John Mullins • G.W. Hobbs • Ray Wagner • Isaac Byrd	• Jim Faircloth • John Mullins • Isaac Byrd • G.W. Hobbs • Ray Wagner
1977	1978	1979	1980	1981
• John Mullins • Isaac Byrd • Ray Wagner • Jim Faircloth • G.W. Hobbs	• G.W. Hobbs • Isaac Byrd • John Mullins • Jim Faircloth • Ray Wagner	• Ray Wagner • Isaac Byrd • Bill Tolar • John Mullins • Jim Faircloth	• John Mullins • Bill Tolar • Jim Faircloth • Ray Wagner • Isaac Byrd
1982	1983	1984	1985	1986
• Isaac Byrd • Ray Wagner • Wilmont Edwards • Bill Tolar • John Hutt, Jr.	• John Hutt, Jr • Wilmont Edwards • Isaac Byrd • Helen Ingram • M.B. Miller	• Isaac Byrd • Helen Ingram • Wilmont Edwards • John Hutt, Jr • M.B. Miller	• Helen Ingram • M.B. Miller • Isaac Byrd • John Hutt, Jr. • Tommy Loftin	• Isaac Byrd • Helen Ingram • M.B. Miller • John Hutt, Jr. • Tommy Loftin
1987	1988	1989	1989-1990	1990-1991
• Isaac W. Byrd • Tommy Loftin • John Hutt, Jr. • Ralph Burgess • Harold Phillips • S. Richard Seltzer	• Ralph Burgess • Harold Phillips • John Hutt, Jr. • S. Richard Seltzer • Tommy Loftin	• S. Richard Seltzer • Tommy Cooley • Mike Nelson • Ralph Burgess • Harold Phillips • Cliff Fleming, Jr	• Tommy Cooley • Mike Nelson • Ralph Burgess • Cliff Fleming • S. Richard Seltzer	• Mike Nelson • Jack Hamm • Tommy Cooley • Danny Sparks • S. Richard Seltzer
1991-1992	1992-1993	1993-1994	1994-1995	1995-1996
• Jack Hamm • Danny Sparks • Mike Nelson • Tommy Cooley • S. Richard Seltzer	• Danny Sparks • Carol Atkinson • Jack Hamm • John Robbins • Rick Hurst	• Carol Atkinson • John Robbins • Jack Hamm • Danny Sparks • Rick Hurst	• John Robbins • Rick Hurst • Carol Atkinson • Danny Sparks • Richard Stewart	• Rick Hurst • Carol Atkinson • John Robbins • Richard Stewart • Danny Sparks
1996-1997	1997-1998	1998-1999	1999-2000	2000-2001
• Richard Stewart • Marc Nolen • Robert Wright • Carol Atkinson • Danny Sparks	• Danny Sparks • Marc Nolen • Robert Wright • Richard Stewart • Carol Atkinson	• Carol Atkinson • Marc Nolen • Robert Wright • Richard Stewart • Danny Sparks	• Marc Nolen • Robert Wright • Carol Atkinson • Richard Stewart • Danny Sparks	• Micheal J. Ropa • Cornel Brock • John G.Newberry, Jr. • Danny Sparks • Richard Stewart
2001-2002	2002-2003	2003-2004	2004-2005	2005-2006
• Cornel Brock • John G. Newberry, Jr. • Danny Sparks • Richard Stewart • Michael J. Ropa	• Jerry L. Girvin • John G.Newberry, Jr. • George B. Gainer • Cornel Brock • Michael J. Ropa	• George B. Gainer • Cornel Brock • Jerry L. Girvin • John G.Newberry, Jr. • Michael J. Ropa	• George B. Gainer • Mike Nelson • Jerry L. Girvin • William T. Dozier • Mike Thomas	• Mike Nelson • Jerry L. Girvin • George B. Gainer • William T. Dozier • Mike Thomas
2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009	2009-2010	2010-2012
• Mike Nelson • Jerry L. Girvin • George B. Gainer • William T. Dozier • Mike Thomas	• Mike Nelson • Jerry L. Girvin • George B. Gainer • William T. Dozier • Mike Thomas	• George B. Gainer • Mike Nelson • Jerry L. Girvin • William T. Dozier • Mike Thomas	• Mike Nelson • Jerry L. Girvin • George B. Gainer • William T. Dozier • Mike Thomas	• Mike Nelson • George B. Gainer • William T. Dozier • Guy M. Tunnell • Mike Thomas
2013-2014	2014-2015	2015-2016	2016-2017	2017-2018
• Mike Nelson • George B. Gainer • William T. Dozier • Guy M. Tunnell • Mike Thomas	• Mike Nelson • George B. Gainer • William T. Dozier • Guy M. Tunnell • Mike Thomas	• Mike Nelson • George B. Gainer • William T. Dozier • Guy M. Tunnell • Philip Griffits	• Tommy Hamm • Robert Carroll • William T. Dozier • Guy M. Tunnell • Philip Griffits	• Tommy Hamm • Robert Carroll • William T. Dozier • Guy Tunnell • Philip Griffits
2018-2019	2019-2020
• Tommy Hamm • Robert Carroll • William T. Dozier • Guy Tunnell • Philip Griffits	• Tommy Hamm • Robert Carroll • William T. Dozier • Keith Baker • Philip Griffits

History of Bay County

Creation of County

First Legislators

Margaret Savage

Past Commissioners

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