Founding families made their mark in Destin

Since the first time Leonard Destin tied his boat up in what would one day become a city bearing his name, many people have helped make Destin what it is today.

Below are accounts of how some influential families first came to Destin and how they helped transform a village into a city.

The Destins

Leonard Destin left the Atlantic Coast in the 1850s and eventually docked in the East Pass peninsula, which was sparsely populated at the time, according to an essay in “... And the Roots Run Deep,” a book on Destin’s history.

The area was mapped as the Village of Destin and established as a fishing industry, according to the essay.

Leonard Destin was a seine fisherman, who fished inshore using a large fishing net, called a seine, to catch hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds of fish at a time. The fish would be transported to Pensacola where they were sold at a fish market, according to the essay.
While living in Florida, Marler married Martha McCullom of South Carolina. Many of their descendants still live in the area.

The Marlers

William Elisha Marler moved to Destin from Boggy Bayou shortly after the Destins arrived from New England more than 100 years ago.
According to “... And the Roots Run Deep,” his son, William T. Marler, moved to East Pass in 1879. William T. Marler, who was known in Destin as Uncle Billy, moved when he was 13 to fish with Capt. Leonard Destin Sr.

By moving to Destin, Uncle Billy was just across the bay from his parents. Months before his father’s death on April 4, 1884, his brothers and sisters joined him in Destin, according to the history book.

In addition to working on fishing boats, Uncle Billy became the village undertaker and coffin maker and he performed the services free of charge, according to “... And the Roots Run Deep.”

In 1899, Uncle Billy created the first post office in his home and became Destin’s first postmaster. He eventually named the village Destin after the captain he had worked for.

The Maltezos

John Maltezo came to the Gulf Coast in the 1880s as a Greek stowaway and became one of the most important people in Destin, according to “Early St. Andrew’s History,” written by Lt. Col. Norm Fleming.

According to Fleming’s pamphlet, Maltezo initially settled in the Milton area and established his business as a boat builder.

He eventually married Isabel Weekly and the two had nine children. The Maltezo family moved to Destin and John Maltezo continued working as a boat builder and captain. One of the boats Maltezo built while in Destin is the Primrose, a seine fishing boat that has been restored by Destin resident Reddin Brunson and is on display in front of the Destin Community Center.

Maltezo was also instrumental in starting St. Andrew’s Church, according to Fleming. Maltezo died in 1932, five years before the first church building was created.

The Melvins

The first members of the Melvin family arrived in Destin to fish in 1900.

Brothers O.T., John and Pete were so successful they were able to bring the rest of the family to Destin six years later, said Jean Melvin, who was married to Royal Melvin before his death.

With no roads, Jean Melvin said the rest of the Melvin family walked to Destin from Philip’s Inlet, near Panama City.

Among the Melvins to come to Destin in 1906 were Jewel and his wife, Ruby. Ruby Melvin opened the first fish market in Destin, the Melvin Seafood Co., near the location of the current Sexton’s Seafood on U.S. 98.

Jean Melvin said the family name is still recognized for its fishing heritage in Louisiana where the early family members had to go to sell their fish.

The Kellys

Mattie Kelly first saw Destin as she was riding from Milton back to Washington County with her husband, Coleman Kelly, according an essay Mattie wrote for “... And the Roots Run Deep.”

The essay says the Kellys moved to Destin two years later where Coleman was going to run a turpentine business. Mattie began teaching public school in Destin when she was 15, making $11 a month per student, the essay says.

The Kelly family got involved in fishing in 1939 when Coleman’s company, the Destin Turpentine Co., licensed the fishing vessel Martha-Gene. Coleman Kelly eventually started the Kelly Fleet of fishing boats.