CRESTVIEW — On April 11, 1916, the city of Crestview was officially established. This Saturday, the city marks the event with a giant birthday cake and groundbreaking for Main Street’s newest landmark.
Held in conjunction with the Spanish Trail Cruisers Club’s annual Average Joe Car Show, the Centennial Birthday Party marks the end of the city’s first century.
During the festivities, a groundbreaking is planned for the new Crestview courthouse, which, if the current projected schedule holds true, will open 100 years after the original brick courthouse.
The new building honors the original with such elements as a grandly columned entry portico, a Main Street entrance, and side wings with hipped roofs. It was designed with input from the Crestview Historic Preservation Board.
Thousands of motorists daily pass the site of Crestview’s establishment as they head north on State Road 85 and descend the railroad overpass near downtown.
An oak tree on the right side of the down slope sheltered the gathering of community leaders and voters on what was originally the grounds of the Congregational Church and is today Casey Electric.
Following a notice published in the Okaloosa News, citizens of Crestview gathered at the Congregational Church—which served as City Hall after the city’s establishment—“for the purpose of voting on the question of and incorporating the Town of Crestview.”
The town’s first meeting was held a week later with W.R. White as the first mayor, Dr. DeLacy as town clerk, and aldermen C.H. Griffith, L.E. Bowers, W.G. Wallace, Dr. E.R. Marshburn and J.W. Bowers. W.A. Douglas was town marshal.
The new council didn’t waste any time looking for ways to tax its new citizens and asserting its authority.
Discussion topics at the first meeting included securing a list of taxable property. The council appointed both the Bowers and Marshburn “to get up ordinances.”
Cleaning up the streets and beautifying the town were also suggested, according to a record of the proceedings filed with the clerk of Circuit Court of Okaloosa County and quoted in “Crestview: The Forkland.”
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What: Crestview Centennial Birthday Party; new courthouse ground-breaking
When: 11 a.m., April 16
Where: Okaloosa County Veterans Memorial Plaza, Main Street at Courthouse Terrace
Notes: Free birthday cake for all marks Crestview’s official birthday party Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview's 100th birthday celebration includes courthouse groundbreaking, cake