[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 27188]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF WILLIAM JOHN NATHEY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 15, 2007

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States 
Congress, it is an honor for me to rise today in recognition of William 
John Nathey for his contributions to the settlement of Niceville, a 
City in my district in Northwest Florida.
  William Nathey, born in England in 1820, traveled to the United 
States on a timber ship. After settling in the community of Boggy, he 
built a large gristmill in 1857. He traveled as far as Mobile, AL, to 
retrieve gristmill stones, which he brought back by oxen. The stones 
from the Nathey Gristmill have been preserved and are now located at 
the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida.
  The Nathey legacy extends much further than the gristmill stones. 
When he settled in Northwest Florida, he met and married a woman from 
North Carolina. Their first child, William John, born in 1846, carried 
on the Nathey family legacy and went on to be a key figure in the 
establishment of the City of Niceville.
  William John followed in his father's footsteps and set up his 
homestead in Northwest Florida. While his father had worked the land to 
support his family, William John sold carpentry shingles and often 
traveled to neighboring cities to support his family.
  Strong family values and a solid Christian foundation also carried on 
from generation to generation in the Nathey family. William John and 
his wife, Mary Jane, were 2 of the founding members of the First United 
Methodist Church in Niceville. The Nathey family tree continued to grow 
with their children and grandchildren and carries on today. Many of 
William Nathey's descendents still reside in Northwest Florida.
  To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Nathey Gristmill, 
Governor Charlie Crist recently approved the designation of the William 
Nathey Bridge, which is to be celebrated with a dedication ceremony on 
November 12, 2007. Appropriately, the William Nathey Bridge crosses 
Boggy Bayou, which was the southern border to William John's original 
homestead.
  I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to a man and a family who 
have served as an inspiration to us all. Such a unique family history 
stretching back so many years is something to truly be admired and 
honored.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am proud to 
honor the life and legacy of William Nathey, and as we celebrate the 
150th anniversary of the construction of the Nathey Gristmill, our 
community reflects upon how this family has helped to create a home for 
so many. May God continue to bless them.

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