History of the City of Destin

Most visitors in Destin do not know that there is rich archaeological history here. The Destin that we know was very different in the 1700's and even under a different name, Moreno Point.

Of course, the geography would almost be unrecognizable if you pulled up a map from the 1800's and looked for Moreno Point, FL. Noreigo point was not the island it is today. In fact, all the lane area in front of the Harborwalk Village was all connected, no harbor in between, how crazy is that??

Destin did not get its new name until 1896 by Willaim Marler in memory one of the most notable settlers Leonard Destin. Leonard Destin was a fishing Captain who learned all he could about the East pass. Captain Destin pioneered the fishing industry and set this area up for success even to this day.

Between the Marler, Destin, and other fisherman families "Moreno Point" became Destin, FL

"The luckiest fishing village in the world."

Fun Fact:

In 2019 the U.S. Census showed a full-time population of 14,247 living in Destin, FL. You were probably thinking a lot more people live here, but in reality alot of people that work in Destin, live in Fort Walton Beach, the next town over. However, If you think about the number of vacationers that come here each year that number starts to make a lot more sense!

Published on Tuesday, December 14, 2021