Have you ever wondered what life was like in Jacksonville half a century ago? It was a different era of history, culture and politics but there are often parallels between the kind of stories that made headlines then and today. As interesting as the differences may be, so are the similarities. These are some of the top stories from this week in 1963. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library's periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• Construction began on a replica of Fort Caroline along the St. Johns River adjacent to the national monument on Fort Caroline Road.
Present to witness the start of the historic project were Harold Martin, Ribault Quadricentennial Celebration Association vice president, who represented Fred Kent, the association president; and H.W. Caraway of Caraway Construction Co., the contractor.
They were joined by Robert DeWeese, superintendent of the memorial. He said the replica was scheduled to open to the public in March 1964.
The replica had been designed to duplicate, as nearly as possible, a drawing made in 1564 by Jacque LeMoyne, DeWeese said.
He said the fort would consist of a 280-foot palisade wall, 9 feet high, facing the river, and two earthen walls, also 9 feet high, to complete the triangle.
The construction contract was for $67,793 and replica artifacts, cannons and other articles would cost $40,000, said DeWeese.
The money already had been appropriated by the federal government.
• No one at the final hearing on the $22.7 million general operation appropriation was happy with the 1963-64 Duval County budget.
The spenders said they needed more money and the taxpayers said the budget provided for too much spending.
The budget commissioners stated they had done the best they could, faced with the expected countywide tax rate increase of nearly $5 per $1,000 on real and personal property.
• The first order of business at the first formal meeting of the new Jacksonville Port Authority was to adopt a resolution prohibiting conflict of interest.
The resolution made business organizations ineligible to do business with the authority if any member, officer, employee (or immediate family) of the authority was "in any manner associated with such business organization."
The resolution did not apply to any publicly held corporation whose stock was listed on a national stock exchange or to any low bidder in response to any public invitation on a sealed bid basis.
The authority voted to retain its general legal counsel, the law firm of Marks, Gray, Yates, Conroy & Gibbs.
The authority also adopted a resolution directing its legal counsel to draft a resolution congratulating President John F. Kennedy for requesting funds for commencing construction of the cross-Florida barge canal.
The action was taken after authority Chairman D.A. Watts read a telegram from James Merrill Jr., a director of the State Canal Authority, urging the authority to voice approval of Kennedy's action.
"Undoubtedly, the Florida cross-state canal will tremendously affect the continued growth of the Port of Jacksonville. Support of this project by your authority will greatly offset opposition by opponents of the canal," said Merrill.
Besides Watts, the other members of the authority were David W. Jackson, Jacksonville Marine Sales Co. president; C.W. Beaufort, Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce president and president of McCall Service Inc.; Frank Peterson, Diversified Products Inc. president; Edwin H. Fletcher, Gibbs Shipyards Inc. president; Bob Harris, Duval County commissioner; and J. Dillon Kennedy, City Utilities commissioner.
• The County Commission ordered water rates in the Lakewood area served by a private utility company to be rolled back to 1951 franchise rates.
A delegation of residents appeared before the commission and complained the Lakewood Utility Co. had made a rate increase for the past quarter, in violation of the rates established in a franchise adjustment authorized by the Commission in 1951.
County Engineer John Crosby said a misunderstanding arose from a letter he sent in 1962 to all water utility companies urging them to adopt similar billing practices as the City in order to standardize billings for water franchise holders.
He said the letter was misinterpreted and the Lakewood company raised its rates to conform to rates charged by the City to water users it served in the unincorporated areas of the county.
When the rate was rolled back, a spokesman for the delegation reported the company had made refunds or credits for the overcharges.
• The Jacksonville Pardon Board didn't appreciate a tangible expression of thanks, especially because it was delivered in advance.
The petitioner for pardon on behalf of a man arrested for intoxication was the man's wife. She could not attend the hearing in person, but sent her mother-in-law to deliver a letter to the board.
The letter, pleading for a pardon, contained a $5 bill, which the writer said was in thanks for the board's consideration.
"This is all the money I got," the letter stated.
The "gift" did not please the board members, who lectured the mother-in-law at length. Emphasizing they considered the money an attempt at bribery.
"If it were within our power, we'd give him more time because of this," said one board member.
The pardon petition was denied and the board sent the mother-in-law home with the $5 bill.
• U.S. Navy Capt. Charles H. Turner was installed as commanding officer at Naval Station Mayport.
A native of Savannah, Ga., he was transferred to Mayport from San Diego, where he was chief of staff to the commander of the U.S. 1st Fleet.
Turner, 51, relieved Cmdr. John G. Osborn, the station's executive officer who had been serving as acting commanding office since the June 29 retirement of Capt. Richard L. Kibbe.
"I requested duty here and feel most fortunate to have been assigned to Mayport. Those who are in a position to know have told me Mayport has the greatest future of any station in the Navy and I want to be part of that future," Turner said.