Guy Wyman (1878-1953) was a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He served as a

quartermaster sergeant Quartermaster sergeant (QMS) is a class of rank or appointment in some armed forces, especially those of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and formerly also in the United States. Ireland Quartermaster sergeant () appointments in the Irish ...

in K Troop, 11th Cavalry Regiment, and later served as a second lieutenant of the 11th Cavalry Regiment. Though he was not the first settler to the area, he did have relatives in the area who had been present since at least 1827, and he is credited as being the founder of the community of

Navarre, Florida Navarre is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County, Florida, Santa Rosa County in the northwest Florida Panhandle. It is a major commuter town, bedroom community for mostly United States Armed Forces, U.S. m ...

. He first surveyed the land in 1905. While serving as a surveyor in the US Army, he then later came back to Navarre, platting and naming the community in 1925. In 1930 and 1931, he served as an engineer in the construction of the original

Pensacola Bay Bridge The Pensacola Bay Bridge, also known locally as the Three-Mile Bridge, runs between downtown Pensacola, Florida, and Gulf Breeze, Florida. It carries two to four lanes of U.S. Highway 98 across Pensacola Bay. History The bridge, which is dedic ...

. After later moving to

Valparaiso, Florida Valparaiso is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census, the city population was 5,036. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2018 estimates, the city had a popul ...

, he served as an engineer at

Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The ...

. According to

Santa Rosa County Santa Rosa County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2020, the population is 188,000. The county seat is Milton, which lies in the geographic center of the county. Other major communities within ...

, he also

donated A donation is a gift for charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, services, or goods such as clothing, toys, food, or vehicles. A donation may satisfy medical needs such as blo ...

and sold most of the land that is now Navarre Park.

Navarre

Wyman first visited the area that Navarre would eventually be located on in 1905, while surveying the land during his service with the U.S. Army. His parents would move there shortly after. In 1915, six months after the death of his parents, he returned to the area from a deployment to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. After serving in

, he retired with the rank of

, and once again returned to the area. In 1925, he would plat and name the town,

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

, most likely after the province in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

with the same name. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, he was forced to sell some of this land to

. This land eventually became Navarre Park.

References

1878 births 1953 deaths United States Army colonels Military personnel from Ohio Navarre, Florida People from Perry, Ohio {{US-mil-bio-stub

Navarre

See also

References