Chipley is a small city in Washington County, Florida. It is the county seat of Washington County. Originally called Orange, the community was renamed Chipley in 1882 after railroad tycoon and Florida state senator William Dudley Chipley. The city's motto is "Proud Heritage, Bright Future."
In 1882, the community of Orange was founded and renamed Chipley. It was the year the Pensacola & Atlantic (later L & N) Railroad was completed beyond the town site. Ironically, since Washington is still a dry county today, the first business enterprise was a wine shop that had been established on the site in 1881 by B. W. Berry, who also operated a pre-Prohibition Era whiskey distillery on land that nearly a century later would become Falling Waters State Park Recreation Center, just south of Chipley on Hwy 77. Berry's business however came to an end in 1899, when the Washington County electors voted by a narrow margin to prohibit the manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages within its boundaries.
Construction of a railway siding was completed in 1882 beside what was to become known as Tank Pond, near today's Agricultural Center and City Hall. Water was pumped from the pond into an elevated tank, where the steam-driven locomotives stopped to re-supply.
The locomotives also obtained supplies of wood for fuel. Title to 80 acres of land was acquired in Washington County for the town to be built. The promoters of the town named the town Chipley in honor of the railroad builder, Col. W.D. Chipley.
Chipley's railway station and post office were originally located in railway box cars. Chipley's first school was called Limestone, named for Limestone Church about half a mile from town. The school's name was changed to Chipley just after the town was established in 1886. It was located near the site of today's county jail and about the same time, the Methodist Church that now stands at the top of the hill on Jackson Street, was built around the same time.
A fire, believed to be of incendiary origin, leveled most of Chipley's business district on May 14, 1898. The great fire destroyed and gutted thirty-five buildings that were reduced to ashes while Chipley was less than 20 years old. It was the community's first "baptism of fire." A second fire leveled a portion of the business district 28 months later. The year 1898 was locally labeled "year of the big fire."
Dekle & Company, private bankers, brought Chipley its first banking services in 1899. The First National Bank was organized in 1905, and the Chipley State Bank was formed a year later.
When Chipley was reincorporated in 1901, the city authorized the issuance of $10,000 in bonds to finance the construction of a municipal water system and a school building. In 1902, the Presbyterian Church was built.
As the town developed, however, its northern and eastern sections spread into Jackson County. That created problems, particularly for law enforcement and school officials, and that led to a border adjustment in 1915 that gave Chipley more Washington County "elbow room."
Chipley was the scene in 1916 of a phenomenal religious revival, which attracted wide attention. It was directed by Evangelist George C. Cates, with the assistance of pastor of Chipley's Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. Seven hundred persons were "converted" during the Cates Union Revival, described as the most successful ever held here.
Chipley became the Washington County seat of government in 1927, then a courthouse and jail were built within a few years.
In 1882, the community of Orange was founded and renamed Chipley. It was the year the Pensacola & Atlantic (later L & N) Railroad was completed beyond the town site. Ironically, since Washington is still a dry county today, the first business enterprise was a wine shop that had been established on the site in 1881 by B. W. Berry, who also operated a pre-Prohibition Era whiskey distillery on land that nearly a century later would become Falling Waters State Park Recreation Center, just south of Chipley on Hwy 77. Berry's business however came to an end in 1899, when the Washington County electors voted by a narrow margin to prohibit the manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages within its boundaries.
Construction of a railway siding was completed in 1882 beside what was to become known as Tank Pond, near today's Agricultural Center and City Hall. Water was pumped from the pond into an elevated tank, where the steam-driven locomotives stopped to re-supply.
The locomotives also obtained supplies of wood for fuel. Title to 80 acres of land was acquired in Washington County for the town to be built. The promoters of the town named the town Chipley in honor of the railroad builder, Col. W.D. Chipley.Chipley's railway station and post office were originally located in railway box cars. Chipley's first school was called Limestone, named for Limestone Church about half a mile from town. The school's name was changed to Chipley just after the town was established in 1886. It was located near the site of today's county jail and about the same time, the Methodist Church that now stands at the top of the hill on Jackson Street, was built around the same time.
A fire, believed to be of incendiary origin, leveled most of Chipley's business district on May 14, 1898. The great fire destroyed and gutted thirty-five buildings that were reduced to ashes while Chipley was less than 20 years old. It was the community's first "baptism of fire." A second fire leveled a portion of the business district 28 months later. The year 1898 was locally labeled "year of the big fire."
Dekle & Company, private bankers, brought Chipley its first banking services in 1899. The First National Bank was organized in 1905, and the Chipley State Bank was formed a year later.
When Chipley was reincorporated in 1901, the city authorized the issuance of $10,000 in bonds to finance the construction of a municipal water system and a school building. In 1902, the Presbyterian Church was built.
As the town developed, however, its northern and eastern sections spread into Jackson County. That created problems, particularly for law enforcement and school officials, and that led to a border adjustment in 1915 that gave Chipley more Washington County "elbow room."
Chipley was the scene in 1916 of a phenomenal religious revival, which attracted wide attention. It was directed by Evangelist George C. Cates, with the assistance of pastor of Chipley's Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. Seven hundred persons were "converted" during the Cates Union Revival, described as the most successful ever held here.
Chipley became the Washington County seat of government in 1927, then a courthouse and jail were built within a few years.
