Liberty County named in honor of one of the three virtues that America is based upon, Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness, was established in 1855. Half of the county is made up of the Apalachicola National Forest. The first village in Liberty County was constructed on the Apalachicola River and was named Riddlesville in honor of Mr. Riddleys, the first man to set up a distillery in the area. In 1859 the City of Bristol, also located along the Apalachicola, was established and named the county seat. Farming in Bristol was made easy as access to the river provided simple transportation of produce throughout the state. The boundaries of Liberty County consist of the Ochlocknee River in the east, the Apalachicola River in the west and the beautiful Gulf of Mexico in the south, providing ample opportunities for water recreation. Swimming, boating, fishing, paddling, diving and nature watching are just a way of life in Liberty County. Providing 864 square miles of land, Liberty County is one of the state's largest counties, however, as far as the population goes; Liberty is county is one of the smallest. 60,000 acres of land is taken up by the Torreya State Park, loaded with Torreya trees and yurt camping, this park offers an extremely unique camping experience. In addition to the land set aside for the Torreya State Park, the Northwest Florida Water Management District owns 52,000 acres and the Nature conservancy owns 6,297 acres. Although, many acres of land throughout the county are protected, there are plenty of land lot options available for potential real estate buyers. Residents in cities such as Bristol, Hosford, Sumatra and Telogia are proud to call Liberty County home, as it is the perfect place to reside, start a business or raise a family!