Parks+Rec

Okaloosa commissioners honor Charles “Bull” Rigdon at Destin-Fort Walton Beach fairgrounds

The Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners voted to rename the county fairgrounds after Charles "Bull" Rigdon, recognizing his decades of public service.

Jared Williams

The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution Tuesday to designate the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Fairgrounds as the “Rigdon Center” in honor of Charles Hutton “Bull” Rigdon, Jr., who passed away in December 2014.

The resolution, which passed on the consent agenda, recognizes Rigdon’s extensive contributions to the county, state and nation throughout his lifetime of public service.

Rigdon served in World War II and the Korean War before beginning a 43-year civil engineering career at Eglin Air Force Base. His civic involvement included serving on the Fort Walton Beach City Council from 1964 to 1981, where he held the position of Mayor Pro-Tem multiple times.

After retiring from Eglin, Rigdon took over operations of the Okaloosa County Fair. He also served three decades on the Okaloosa County Gas Board and was the first Chairman of the West Florida Regional Planning Council, now known as the Emerald Coast Regional Council.

The resolution notes that Rigdon “played an integral role helping to attract businesses and promote economic development in Northwest Florida” and served as CEO of the Northwest Florida Fair Association until his passing.

The initiative was spearheaded by Chairman Paul Mixon, who requested the Board consider the resolution honoring Rigdon. County Administrator John Hofstad supported the naming request in the agenda materials, stating that “Mr. Rigdon’s character and contributions to Okaloosa County merit the naming of the Okaloosa County Fairgrounds in honor of Mr. Rigdon.”

Charles Rigdon, Bull Rigdon’s son, attended the meeting and offered emotional remarks about his father.

“My dad came from humble upbringing. I think he told me he was born 1929, so he was raised during the depression. My grandfather was on a bridge building crew and he moved 17 times in 12 years and never really had a place that he called home,” the younger Rigdon said. “When him and my mother moved to Fort Walton Beach in 1956, he found his home and he never moved again.”

“He thought of Okaloosa County and the people of it like his family, and I think he left it a little better than he found it,” he added. “We’re eternally grateful.”

This is not the first public recognition of Rigdon’s service. In 2009, the Fort Walton Beach City Council named their fairgrounds in his honor as C.H. “Bull” Rigdon Fairgrounds.

According to the resolution, the name change takes effect immediately.

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