[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25856]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE CITY OF DESTIN'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY

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                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 27, 2009

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the City of 
Destin, Florida upon the occasion of its 25th anniversary.
  The City of Destin has a rich historical heritage dating back to the 
American Indian tribes who lived along the Emerald Coast of Florida. In 
1528, Panfilo de Narvaez first came ashore in the Destin area. In 1693, 
another Spanish explorer, Don Francisco Tapia surveyed the Florida 
coast and first entered Destin's East Pass into what is now known as 
Choctawhatchee Bay.
  The first lasting settlement came in the mid-1800's when Captain 
Leonard Destin and his family moved from New England to build a 
colonial home at the location of the Monroe Point military reservation. 
While living on the East Pass peninsula, he met and married Martha 
McCullom. Their descendants formed the backbone of the Destin 
community. Captain Destin and his family established a large fishing 
town that lives on to this day and is known as the ``World's Luckiest 
Fishing Village.''
  The residents of the South Okaloosa County area voted to incorporate 
the City of Destin on November 6, 1984. The first municipal election 
was held on January 8, 1985, and less than a week later the Mayor and 
City Council were sworn in. Twenty-five years later, Destin has grown 
from a sleepy fishing village into one of the Emerald Coast's premier 
tourist destinations with over 12,000 residents.
  Madam Speaker, my wife Vicki and I wish to congratulate the City of 
Destin on its 25th anniversary. We wish them all the best for continued 
success as a community.

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