In Your Own Backyard: Heritage Museum of NWFL

In the early 1800s, hardy homesteaders established farms scattered across the northern part of the area now known as Okaloosa and Walton Counties. The region retained its primitive pioneer character for over 100 years. Not until the 1940s did the small farming and fishing communities enjoy such modern conveniences as electricity, telephones and paved roads. Located in the historic district of Valparaiso, Florida, The Heritage Museum illuminates the everyday life of a by-gone era. It features replicas of a one-room schoolhouse, railroad depot, a pioneer home and displays ranging from mullet fishing to the timber industry. Tours of the museum are brought to life by guides in period costumes who interpret pioneer life in Okaloosa and Walton Counties and also provide insights into early Native American life in the region, local military history, the founding of Valparaiso and much more. The program is hosted by Sherri Hemminghaus Weeks.

Episode #: 103
Original Broadcast: 10/20/11; 7pm-7:30pm