Editing Valparaiso, Florida (section)

==History==
[[File:Florida - Valparaison through West Palm Beach - NARA - 23936853 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view, 1935]]
Valparaiso was named after [[Valparaiso, Indiana]] (which in turn, was named after [[Valparaiso, Chile]])<ref>{{cite web|url=  http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=8978|title= Profile for Valparaiso, Florida, FL|publisher= ePodunk |access-date= September 19, 2012}}</ref> and is a twin city also with its neighboring city, [[Niceville, Florida|Niceville]]. The name of the city is [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and translates to "paradise [[Valley#Vale|vale]]" or "paradise valley".

[[Chicago]] businessman [[James E. Plew]], who relocated to the [[Florida Panhandle]] of [[Northwest Florida]] in 1922, became "one of Northwest Florida's pioneer developers,"<ref name="Okaloosa News-Journal 1938, page 1">''Okaloosa News-Journal'', Crestview, Florida, "Jas. Plew, Business Man, Dies", Friday, April 22, 1938, Volume 24, Number 17, page 1.</ref> and settled on Valparaiso "as the most likely spot for development.

In 1924, he founded the Bank of Valparaiso, constructed the [[Valparaiso Inn]], organized the Chicago Country Club which constructed the Valparaiso Country Club golf course, and was instrumental in many other development activities in the community."<ref name="Okaloosa News-Journal 1938, page 1"/>

"Other interests of Mr. Plew included the founding of the Shalimar Winery, which was established to use the surplus grape crop of the county. He also founded the Valparaiso Novelty Company, helped to establish a knitting mill in the community and was interested in a number of other enterprises to which he made investments to help their development."<ref name="Okaloosa News-Journal 1938, page 1"/>

Plew thought that a military payroll would boost the depression-stricken economy of the region. He leased from the city of Valparaiso the Valparaiso Airport, an arrowhead-shaped parcel of {{convert|137|acre|km2}} cleared in 1933 as an [[Aerodrome|airdrome]].<ref>Angell, Joseph W., "History of the Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command – Part One – Historical Outline 1933–1944", The Historical Branch, Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command, Eglin Field, Florida, 1944, reprint by Office of History, Munitions Systems Division, Eglin AFB, Florida, 1989, page 46D.</ref>

In 1934, Plew offered the U.S. government {{convert|1460|acre|km2|0}} contiguous land for a bombing and gunnery base. This leasehold became the headquarters for the Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base activated on June 14, 1935, under the command of Captain Arnold H. Rich. This was the founding of [[Eglin Air Force Base]]. The field was assigned the [[International Civil Aviation Organization airport code|ICAO airport code]] VPS for Valparaiso, which [[Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport]] retains to this day. In Niceville, there is an elementary school named in his honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.okaloosaschools.com/plew/home|title=Home {{!}} Plew Elementary School|website=www.okaloosaschools.com|language=en|access-date=2018-10-01}}</ref>