Editing DeFuniak Springs, Florida (section)

==History==
=== Founding ===
The town was founded during the late 19th century as a resort development by the officers of the [[Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad]], a subsidiary of the [[Louisville and Nashville Railroad]]. The P&A was organized to connect the terminus of the L&N at [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]] to the western terminus of a predecessor of the [[Seaboard Air Line Railroad]] at River Junction—now [[Chattahoochee, Florida|Chattahoochee]]—in the 1880s. The town was named after [[Frederick R. DeFuniak]],<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KZdPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6gUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4593%2C5984338 | title=The early railroad made West Florida | work=Ocala Star-Banner | date=Jun 27, 1982 | access-date=7 June 2015 | author=Washington, Ray | pages=7F}}</ref> a vice-president of the L&N. Like much of [[Florida Panhandle|Northwest Florida]], DeFuniak Springs was settled mainly by [[Scottish People|Scots]] from [[Virginia]] and [[the Carolinas]].

=== Chautauqua ===
DeFuniak Springs was established as a final-destination resort. The developers enlisted the cooperation and aid of the [[Chautauqua]] Movement. The [[Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood]], an auditorium seating 4,000, was constructed on [[Lake DeFuniak]] in the center of town. Seminars, classes, and the like were held in the Hall of Brotherhood building for people on vacation.

The auditorium of the building was severely damaged by [[Hurricane Eloise]] in 1975 and razed. In 2003, the Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood Foundation, Inc., a charitable foundation, started a capital campaign to restore the historic building.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chobf.org/ |title=Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood Foundation Inc. |access-date=2019-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051201032528/http://www.chobf.org/ |archive-date=2005-12-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The westerly portion of the building facing Circle Drive was still in use at that time.

=== Education ===
As part of the intellectual atmosphere of the town, a college and a private high school (named [[Palmer College (DeFuniak Springs, Florida)|Palmer College]] and [[Palmer Academy (DeFuniak Springs, Florida)|Palmer Academy]], respectively), as well as a technical school ([[Thomas Industrial Institute]]) and a teacher training school ([[Florida Normal College]]) were established in the late 19th century. Florida Normal College was later incorporated into [[Florida State University]]. The other schools closed during the [[Great Depression]], which created financial strains. There remains a College Avenue that once led to Palmer College.

In 1886, the town held an important meeting that changed the course of public education in Florida. At this meeting, teachers from around the state formed the [[Florida Education Association]]. This teachers' union remains the state's predominant voice for educators and is affiliated with the [[National Education Association]] and the [[American Federation of Teachers]].

=== Farming ===
A chicken processing plant operated by [[Perdue Farms]] at DeFuniak Springs was closed in April 2004.<ref>Fort Walton Beach, Florida, "Today in Local History", ''Northwest Florida Daily News'',Friday 17 April 2015, Volume 69, page A5.</ref>