City of Lynn Haven Water System

City of Lynn Haven Water System Municipal Water Report Info

Lynn Haven was established in 1911 as the third Union Veterans Colony in the South, following Fitzgerald, Georgia (1896) and St. Cloud, Florida (1909). Each colony was carefully selected for its climate, health benefits, and soil fertility, with recruitment through The National Tribune, the newspaper of the Grand Army of the Republic veterans' organization.

The St. Andrews Bay Development Company, led by W.H. Lynn, A.J. Gay, and R.L. McKenzie, purchased extensive land tracts east and north of Panama City. When their initial development plans faced resistance, they shifted focus to the "cut over timberlands" along the northern arm of St. Andrews Bay, where a small community called "Gay, Florida" (now Panama Country Club) already existed.

Though not officially announced until December 1910, Union Veterans had already begun relocating to North Florida. Land sales began on January 11, 1911, offering packages of one town lot and a five-acre plot outside the colony for $150. The original city layout featured avenues named for states running north-south and numbered streets running east-west.

The community grew rapidly from 200 residents in June 1911 to over 1,200 by year's end. Despite the development company offering free lots for churches and schools, residents needed to fund construction themselves. The town incorporated its first city council in 1913.

Economic challenges emerged as most GAR veterans relied solely on pension checks. The Lynn Haven Bank & Trust Company, established in 1912, closed in 1915 due to financial irregularities, and the development company failed to pay taxes, leaving infrastructure responsibilities to residents.

The town charter underwent revisions in 1915 and 1917 as the aging veteran population declined. By 1917, the development company entered receivership, with assets acquired by Minor C. Keith, President of United Fruit Company and W.H. Lynn's brother-in-law.

After weathering the 1920s economic fluctuations and experiencing a "second colonization" by Spanish-American War veterans, Lynn Haven struggled through the Depression. The city rebounded during World War II and has since grown to become Bay County's second-largest city.

Today's Lynn Haven residents, while originally predominantly Northern, have established deep Florida roots, with many current citizens descended from these "Old Settlers" who maintained Lynn Haven's reputation as "A Great Place to Live!"