Editing Washington County, Florida (section)

==History==
[[File:FLA Washington Cty Crths01.jpg|thumb|left|[[Washington County Courthouse (Florida)|Washington County Courthouse]] in [[Chipley, Florida|Chipley]]]]

Washington County was created in 1825, and was nearly twice the size of the State of Delaware, stretching all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. After a century of boundary shifts, the county, with over {{convert|382000|acre|km2|0}} of rolling hills covered in thick, stately pines and mixed hardwood forests, now covers a large portion of the central Florida Panhandle.

Over a span of more than 150 years, Washington County has seen Native American, Spanish and English cultural influences. The county's historical lore is rich with stories of the exploits of Andrew Jackson. There are numerous Native American mounds and evidence of strong settlements still being discovered.

Named after [[George Washington]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Publications of the Florida Historical Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WZQ-AAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA35|year=1908|publisher=Florida Historical Society|page=35}}</ref> the first [[President of the United States of America|US president]], the area was first settled by those seeking both economic and political freedom in this frontier land of vast timber and mineral resources. Inland waterway transportation brought about heavy river settlements. The arrival of railroads in the late 1800s boosted economic, social and political developments.

Vernon, the geographical center of the county, is named for George Washington's Virginia home, Mt. Vernon. The pioneer town was also the site of a major Indian settlement.

The county courthouse was located in Vernon during the early part of this century, until a railroad town in northeastern Washington County, Chipley, became the new and present county seat in 1927.

Washington County was once a [[dry county]], meaning that the sale of [[alcoholic beverages]] was banned in the county. In January 2022, this restriction was removed following a voter referendum in which about two-thirds of voters supported the removal.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wood |first1=Tristan |title=Washington County residents vote to end 'dry' law, allow hard liquor |url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/489037-washington-county-residents-vote-to-end-dry-law-allow-hard-liquor/ |website=Florida Politics |publisher=Extensive-Enterprises |access-date=May 31, 2022 |date=January 23, 2022}}</ref>