Capt. Royal Melvin Heritage Park is officially open
Tina HarbuckIt has been a long time coming, but the Capt. Royal Melvin Heritage Park, tagged the “gateway to the harbor,” is officially opened.
On July 18, over 50 people gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the park at 206 Harbor Blvd. And the park is truly a gateway to the harbor, with wide steps leading down to the harbor front where Capt. Melvin once docked his boat.
“I think this is awesome,” said Royal Bo Melvin Jr., as he looked around the park with his brother Scott while waiting for the ceremony to begin.
“It’s been a long time coming and we’re so glad to be a part of it, my brother and I,” Bo said.
Bo reminisced some.
“We had a two-story house right here, that our mother and father built,” Bo said as he pointed next to one of the big trees.
“The kitchen was on the top floor … they wanted to look out over the harbor. His (Royal’s) boat was tied up down here,” Bo said pointing down at the harbor. Capt. Royal Melvin had the charter boat Venture, Venture II and Venture III. And their grandfather had the original Blue Runner, Scott said.
“This place was founded by our grandparents Millard and Sarah Melvin. They started this … and five generations of Melvins have lived or played on this land right here,” Bo said.
“My dad would be totally honored and humbled, so very blessed. It is a blessing for Scott and me to know that it is going to continue,” Bo said.
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Destin Mayor Bobby Wagner gave a few opening remarks.
“We could have never done this without the partnership of the private entities, the city council, the citizens, and the family members that this is in honor of. This is really what community is about … bringing people together for a common cause,” Wagner said.
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Capt. Harold Staples, who just celebrated his 50th year as a captain in Destin, gave the invocation.
Staples, who moved to the area from Louisiana five decades ago, fished alongside Royal for many years.
“Royal, Chubby (Destin), Dewey Sr. (Destin) and Bruce Marler … they kind of took me in,” Staples said as he teared up.
City Manager Lance Johnson said seeing the park open was “one of the best days of my whole tenure with the city of Destin.”
“I didn’t know if we were going to get here, but we are finally done,” Johnson said.
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He then went on to thank past and present council members for “sticking with the project. I also want to thank all the staff members for pitching in and always keeping the faith. The residents, you guys stayed behind this project, and I cannot express my appreciation enough.”
Okaloosa County Undersheriff Charlie Nix spoke on behalf of his agency.
He thanked the Melvin family for their contributions over the years and helping to establish a legacy of fishing and bringing boats to the area.
“May God continue to bless this park and Destin and the Melvin family,” Nix said.
Bo spoke on behalf of the family, and after thanking the city, mayor, parks and recreation committee and others, he welcomed everyone to the “gateway to the harbor” Capt. Royal Melvin Park.
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But before the ribbon was cut, Destin Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Shane Moody talked of how the park is transformational and generational.
“It’s transformational in that it took the history of this property and preserved it forever and it will now be the gateway to the harbor,” Moody said.
“And it is generational. You hear the Melvin brothers say, five generations and those generations will continue in the future,” Moody added.
Who was Capt. Royal Melvin?
Royal, who died in 1995, was born in 1940 to Destin pioneers Capt. Millard (Pete) and Sarah Melvin at their residence at 206 Harbor Blvd., where the park now stands. Millard was one of four sons who came to Destin in 1900 to fish with Capt. Leonard Destin, according to the Destin History and Fishing Museum archives.
Royal began fishing at an early age, seine net fishing alongside his father and uncles O.T., John and Jewel Melvin.
At the age of 18, Royal became Destin’s youngest U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain, a feat unheard of at the time, and joined the world-renowned Destin Charter Fishing Fleet.
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He purchased his first charter boat in 1963, the Venture. In 1965, Royal caught his and Destin’s first Grand Slam: a blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish in a single day on a single fishing trip. He caught his second Grand Slam in 1967 and his third in 1977. His record of three Grand Slams still holds today, according to the archives.
Royal was also very much involved with the annual Destin Fishing Rodeo held in October each year. He served as Rodeo chairman for two years, but always fished the event. During one Rodeo, Royal brought in 14 billfish within 11 days of fishing.
Melvin was also involved in the community and city government. He served as a director of the Chamber of Commerce and was a founding member of the Destin Fisherman’s Co-Op.
According to the archives, Royal also allowed his property to be incorporated into the overall plan for the Fishing Fleet Dock. He was a member of the original Harbor Board, held many offices in the Destin Charter Boat Association, and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the DCBA.
The land was purchased by the city with funding from the Florida Communities Trust in late 2006 to build the park.
What's in the park?
Today the park includes a public observation platform overlooking the harbor, restrooms, a small playground area, signage sharing history, water fountains, picnic pavilion, benches, and has wide steps and a ramp leading down to the harbor.