Have you ever wondered what stories made headlines in Jacksonville 50 years ago? It may have been a different era of history, culture and politics, but there are often parallels between the kind of stories that made then and today. As interesting as the similarities may be, so are the differences. These are some of the top stories from the week of June 22-28, 1959. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce Vice President for Civic Affairs Angus Rosborough labeled the City’s pension plan as an “unfair and impractical program fostered by shortsighted politicians.” He further charged that “the source of the trouble” could be traced to “politicians who will promise anything to be elected.”
In a speech to the Northside Businessmen’s Club at Moore’s Restaurant on Pearl Street, Rosborough said since the inception of the General City Employees Pension Fund in 1937 the program had worsened through politics. Since then, he added, City politicians in order to gain their own ends had promised City employees additional benefits under the pension plan without looking to the future. Rosborough also told the group that consequently the City was in a position that it “could not pay off accrued liability to date.”
Moreover, he said, the City was not paying the accruing cost on a yearly basis.
Rosborough also presented the current financial data: $1.9 million in the pension fund with $1.6 million paid out yearly to 1,063 retired persons and 496 persons eligible for retirement with 3,817 persons on active service. Rosborough also said $94.9 million was needed to keep the fund solvent and the fund was $93 million short of that amount.
• The City Council introduced and immediately enacted a bill without referral to a committee giving City employees a holiday on every Monday following a legal holiday that falls on a Saturday.
Prior City law, enacted when Saturday was a regular work day for City employees, provided only that employees could take Monday off following a legal holiday falling on Sunday.
• On the other side of pre-consolidation local government, the County Commission declared there would be no Independence Day holiday for County workers on Monday, July 6. A 1951 law designating six legal holidays for Courthouse workers was cited. It provided that the Courthouse could not be closed on any day except Saturday and Sunday and the specific holidays included in the legislation.
Because July 4 fell on Saturday in 1959 the commission could not legally close the Courthouse on Monday to make up for the missed holiday even though other workers in City and federal jobs would get the delayed holiday Monday.
• The County Commission also heard a “new approach” to selling the old Courthouse at Market and Forsyth streets. A plan was put forth that would allow real estate agents to receive a commission for bringing about a successful sale.
The fact that real estate brokers had not been offered the opportunity to earn a commission was cited as a stumbling block to sale of the property.
The real estate firm of Nussbaum & Sons had written a letter to the commission indicating it had a prospective client and asked for information regarding a possible sale. County Attorney J. Henry Blount pointed out that the sale would have to be a public one with two weeks advertised notice before the commission could accept an offer.
“I’m inclined to believe the County will never sell it unless we get someone in the real estate business interested,” he added.
Commissioner Joe Hammond expressed opposition to giving a commission but said he would go along with the plan but reserve the right to vote against a sale if the best bid was below the County’s appraised price. The commission had the Courthouse appraised in 1958 and while the figure was never made public it was believed to be close to $300,000.
During the discussion, Hammond said it was his understanding that “certain interests wanted the Courthouse property to build a multistory motel.”
• Following a $125,000 construction project the “Pirate’s Room” formally opened at the Florida Yacht Club. With picture windows affording a panoramic view of the river, original decor included red cushioned captain’s chairs at the tables, a ship’s wheel over the mantel and eight brass lanterns, a gift of Kenneth Merrill Jr.
It was noted that, “Members and their guests may enjoy a snack in informal attire. Shorts are allowed, bathing suits are barred but may be worn on the outside terrace or at tables on the lawn.”
Downing Nightingale was chair of the building committee, assisted by A.W. Bryan, Henry Elarbee Jr. and Francis P. L’Engle Jr. Officers were Stuart A. Richardson, commodore; J. Edwin Gay, vice commodore; Harry G. Kinkaid, rear commodore; Buford L. Bowen, secretary; Caldwell Haynes Jr., treasurer; and T.S. Roberts, fleet captain.
• The Mathews Bridge was being repainted for the first time since it opened in 1953. The painting crew’s superintendent, Jack Ubankes from Miami, was asked why anyone would want to have such a job. He replied, “There’s more money in it than house painting and the boss isn’t always breathing down their necks.”
He said the local union scale for non-hazardous painting was $3 to $3.72 an hour while his painters made $3.72 and a half-cent an hour.
It was pointed out that considering the danger involved in painting the bridge, the difference in pay wasn’t much. It’s 255 feet from the highest point on the span to the St. Johns River at high tide.
The cost of the project was $77,000. It would require 3,000 gallons of paint and 10 months to complete with a crew of 16-20 painters.
• The police department held its quarterly auction and about 250 people showed up to bid on items that had been stolen and recovered but not claimed.
A fistful of ball-point pens brought $4. A cigar box full of old costume jewelry went for $4.75. Ten pocket watches in a cardboard box were purchased for $10 by a man who didn’t know if any of them would run.
A double-barreled shotgun, rusty and partly held together by adhesive tape, sold for $7 and a suitcase filled with hunting and butcher knives was carted off for $10.
Bicycles were the most popular items bid on and about 50 were sold for $4.50 to almost $20.
• Judge Burton Barrs, 69, who had presided over the Duval County Civil Court of Record for 36 years, died at a local hospital. He was to retire from the bench Aug. 15, his 70th birthday. Barrs lived at 2258 Riverside Ave. and had lived in Jacksonville all his life.
He was past president of the Civitan Club of Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Historical Society, the Little Theatre, the Jacksonville University Club, the Jacksonville Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Florida Society of SAR. He was a director of the Citizens Service Corps of the County-City Defense Council from 1942-45 and was a member of the Jacksonville Bar Association and an honorary member of Ye Mystic Revellers.
Barrs’ death brought an end to the Duval County Civil Court of Record. The 1959 Legislature abolished the court upon vacancy of the judgeship. The new law specified that any pending cases involving claims of less than $500 would be transferred to Small Claims Court and suits involving amounts in excess of $500 would be transferred to Circuit Court.
• As part of a new program to reduce littering, the Jacksonville Beach Parks and Recreation Department began distributing the first of 50,000 litter bags to motorists as they entered the beach. Additional waste cans were put in place and 100 new signs were being installed along the seawall informing the public of laws against littering the beach.
Annual beach cleaning costs had been as much as $50,000 so police began strictly enforcing laws against littering which carried penalties of fines up to $100 or 30 days in jail. The previous weekend 15 people were arrested for violating the law and each posted a $100 bond. A man from Jacksonville was fined $10 for throwing a beer can on the beach.
• Members of the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce took a tour of Duval County’s diverse agricultural commerce. The annual farm tour was arranged by Duval County Agricultural Agent Jim Watson and included a look at the nursery business, poultry raising, dairy farming, ranching, forestry products and turkey farming.
The tour began at Carl Loop’s nursery on West Beaver Street then moved further out Beaver Street to Painter’s poultry farm. The next stop was Baldwin and J.H. Owen’s dairy. The Fred Miller ranch south of Baldwin was also on the itinerary as was an inspection of a forestry project undertaken by the Future Farmers of America. The last stop on the tour was Lloyd’s turkey farm on the Lake City highway, where lunch was served.
• Two City patrolmen captured a three-foot alligator in the 2600 block of Post Street.
Patrolmen W.C. Martin and H.I. MacDonald had the reptile in custody in about 10 minutes after it was reported to police headquarters by an unidentified woman. The officers were unable to determine how the alligator reached the residential area since it was several blocks to the nearest creek.
• Barbara Hartwick, who was crowned Gator Bowl Queen in 1958, was crowned Miss Jacksonville 1959 at Swisher Auditorium at Jacksonville University. In second place was Stella Evans and third place went to Glynda Adams. The five finalists also included Wylene Jones and Marsha Edenfield.
The five contestants were each asked three questions by master of ceremonies Tommy Tucker: Why would you like to be Miss Jacksonville of 1959? What kind of man would you like to marry? And, what have you enjoyed most about the the beauty contest?
In the talent portion of the pageant, Hartwick gave an original reading of “Little Red Riding Hood,” Evans played a selection on the piano and Adams gave a dramatic reading from George Bernard Shaw’s “St. Joan.”
Hartwick, a junior at the University of Florida, received a $500 scholarship, a “stereo hi-fi set” and other prizes worth more than $300.
Dawson McQuaig and Joseph Gercken were the co-chairs of the pageant which was sponsored by the Jaycees.