Niceville/Valparaiso

Valparaiso, Florida

Niceville, Florida

Welcome to Niceville, Florida. Take your boat out into the bay or tow it to Destin and enjoy the water waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

There are 210 residential real estate listings for sale in Niceville.
There are 31 commercial real estate listings for sale in Niceville.
There are 27 vacant land real estate listings for sale in Niceville.
There are 268 total real estate listings for sale in Niceville.

27 Vacant Land Real Estate Listings Found

Displaying 1 to 10

1. 963758 150 Grandview Avenue, Valparaiso $149,000.00	2. 962825 219 Hillside Drive, Niceville $95,000.00
3. 962292 25 Hidden Cove Circle, Valparaiso $99,500.00	4. 960630 716 Cypress Drive, Niceville $110,000.00
5. 959466 2439 Duncan Drive, Niceville $500,000.00	6. 958684 305 Edrehi Avenue, Niceville $639,000.00
7. 958666 919 Choctawhatchee Drive E, Niceville $850,000.00	8. 957565 416 Sorrel Way, Niceville $147,000.00
9. 957234 219 Foxglove Run, Niceville $124,000.00	10. 957225 413 Sorrel Way, Niceville $100,000.00

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History of Niceville/Valparaiso

Archaeological evidence suggests that American Indians lived on the land where Niceville currently resides as far back as ten thousand years ago. Many arrowheads and burial mounds have been located around the area silently telling the story of years past. The native peoples clashed with European settlers who arrived on these shores in the 16th century, a time of Spanish conquistadors, proud Indians, and devious pirates.

The early 19th century saw the rise of America's government and its systems of religion, trade, and politics, mirroring the rise of Native Americans centuries before. In this era the early fishing business depended on mullet, who made their homes in the sandy floors of local bays. One of these bays came to be called Boggy Bayou because of a large peat deposit at Juniper Creek's mouth. A small fishing town arose on the shores of Boggy Bayou. Named Boggy, this village would become Niceville years later.

Jessie Rogers, a Louisiana cattleman, herded his cattle to the top of Boggy Bayou and built a home there in 1842. A settlement sprang up the in the area while the Civil War drew to a close and the war-ravaged populace left the shattered remains of their old lives behind. Boggy afforded the new settlers plentiful sunshine, inexpensive land, and transportation via waterway. Around the same time, the state Legislature created two new counties: Walton County and Santa Rosa County. Okaloosa County would be formed from parts of these two counties in 1915. Niceville is presently located in Okaloosa County.

To help support Boggy's ever-growing population of farms, John Nathey constructed a gristmill with his father for grinding wheat and corn; this spurred local growth even more. Parts of the mill still stand today on the grounds of the present-day Eglin Air Force Base golf course. A sawmill and general store followed soon after, further improving local commerce. Many turpentine distilleries also commenced operation at this time. Local commerce began expanding beyond Boggy, necessitating postal service, and on August 17, 1893 the U.S. Postal Service begain serving the area with Dr. James C. White appointed as local postmaster. Not long after, Boggy residents agreed that the name "Boggy" no longer represented the growing and prosperous town very well, and decided on "Niceville" in November 1910. A majority, however, found this name unsuitable as well, and so in May 1919 "Niceville" became "Valparaiso," or "Vale of Paradise" in Spanish. The name "New Valparaiso" was given to a small flourishing town one mile away, and this both confused the residents of both towns and wreaked havoc with the delivery of mail. Finally, in November 1925, Valparaiso became Niceville once more, and has kept the name since then.

Niceville continued to grow over the next ten years, and the residents decided a local government was necessary to represent their interests. All qualified voters met July 7, 1938 to set up a local government and vote for its officers. They also decided on the borders of the city. The city was officially incorporated as Niceville, its borders set via metes and bounds, and seal approved by a vote of 325-4. The voters selected J. M. Reynolds as Niceville's first mayor and J. W. Windham as Niceville's first clerk. The first city councilmen were C. G. Meigs, Herman Anderson, Wallace Spence, G. B. Anchors, and Thomas Powell. Niceville's first Marshall was Hughey Holmes.

Niceville's first school was built in 1922. Another school was erected near present-day Edge Elementary but burned down in the late 1920s; it was rebuilt only to be leveled by a hurricane in 1936. School classes continued in various places for two years, like the Valparaiso Community Center and the Howell Hill Dance Hall, until the new school's construction was completed by the Administration of Works Progress. Several wings and an auditorium were later added, and the school is now known as Edge Elementary.

Spring of 1963 saw the construction of Niceville's first high school; high schoolers previously attended Choctawhatchee High. Three years later, Niceville's first senior high class graduated. The next year, Niceville Senior High was officially accredited. As the years passed, Niceville Senior High expanded with the additions of an auditorium, a gym, a band room, more classrooms, and the industrial sciences building. The school now also includes home economics classrooms, science laboratories, and more offices for administration.

Today, the city of Niceville is still a close-knit community with a population just below twenty thousand, with public services ever on the rise. A community college, high school, middle school, two elementary schools, and a private education center serve Niceville today.

Information provided by the City of Niceville. You can contact the Niceville - Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce at:

Niceville - Valparaiso - Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
1055 E John Sims Parkway
Niceville, FL 32578
(850) 678-2323