Area Information
Mary Esther is a city in Okaloosa County. It is part of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History: The first settler of Mary Esther came in 1842 when Jesse Rogers and his family drove a large cattle herd from Louisiana to the shores of Santa Rosa Sound and settled here.
During the mid-1850's John Newton, a minister and teacher, settled in the area west of Fort Walton Beach known as the Narrows, today known as Mary Esther. Reverend Newton founded the first school, which also doubled as a church during the Civil War.
John Newton established the first post office in the Mary Esther community October 10, 1871.
Tthe city was named after Mr. Newton's daughters, Esther and Mary Christine Newton. Interestingly, Mary is the younger daughter.
The opening of Santa Rosa Mall in 1976 sparked a commercial building boom along Mary Esther Cutoff (later renamed Mary Esther Blvd. within the City limits) that no one had ever envisioned. The 2 1/2 square mile city now boasts an estimated population of 4,400 residents.
Resources: City of Mary Esther
Other sites you may be interested in:
Thumbnail Collection of USA Water Towers
Canadian Water Towers and Standpipes
Magnetic Hills in the United States of America
The History of the Christian Fish Symbol
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