History of Daytona Beach

History books tell us that the Daytona area saw visitors as far back as the 16th century and these included French, Spanish and British explorers. Native Americans had established settlements on the land for a long time already however, so it’s unfair to say that these explorers in any way discovered the area.

The founding of the settlement

As was the story for much of Florida, the lands of Daytona Beach were eventually relinquished by the Native Americans following the Seminole Indian War of 1835 and the white man established the area’s first permanent settlement in the period following. The founder of the settlement was Mr Mathias Day from Mansfield, Ohio and it’s from his surname that the name Daytona was created.

The town of Daytona saw its first official meeting on the 26 July, 1876 and it was during these proceedings that the electing of the first Mayor, Marshall and Clerk plus a Common Council of seven were witnessed. The town was also officially named at this meeting.

Merging three settlements

The neighbouring areas were also experiencing the arrival of settlers during this period. On the other side of the Halifax River, settlements named Seabreeze and Daytona Beach respectively were being established. For some 50 years the three areas existed independently of one another until deciding to unite under the common name of Daytona Beach on January 4, 1926.

Modern day

Today, Daytona is one of the world’s most famous beaches and is a popular year-round holiday destination. The city and its beaches are lines with plush hotels, condos and houses as well as some fine restaurants and bars. The city has often been regarded as a party town and was always a destination for people who wanted to get drunk and party. In recent years though, the government has made successful efforts to clean up Daytona’s somewhat rough image and turn it into a family-orientated destination.