Ever wonder what stories made headlines in Jacksonville 50 years ago? It might have been a different era of business, law and politics, but there are often parallels between the kinds of stories that made news in 1958 and today. As interesting as the similarities might be, so are the differences.
The follow are some of the top headlines from the Florida Times-Union printed 50 years ago this week. These items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives.
• At the request of the Jacksonville Bar Association, Mayor Haydon Burns proclaimed May 1 as “Law Day U.S.A.” in Jacksonville. JBA President Harold R. Clark said Law Day “Strengthens dedication to the rule of law as the foundation of our free society and freshens every American’s awareness of the rights and privileges they enjoy under the protection of the law and courts.”
• County Budget Commissioner Joseph Kennelly Jr. criticized the amount of “straight-line” phone service that was installed at the then-new County Courthouse. Fourteen of the lines in the building did not have to go through the main switchboard in order to make an outgoing call. The total annual cost of phone service for the Courthouse was reported at $25,180, including the lines used by the Sheriff’s Office.
• Sheriff Dale Carson announced creation of a new Youth Squad and a Junior Deputy League. He said forming the two groups, intended for 8- to 14-year-olds, would be “a positive step to the prevention of juvenile delinquency.”
• Carson was in the headlines again when he was sued for $200,000 in damages by Lewis Long, who alleged he was the victim of assault and battery while incarcerated in the County Jail. Lewis claimed he was beaten with a blackjack and then kicked when he fell to the floor.
• Former State Senate President J. Turner Butler was in Jacksonville to dedicate the Main Street Bridge as the “John T. Alsop Bridge” in honor of the former mayor. Butler was joined by a slate of dignitaries, including Circuit Court Judge William H. Maness.
• The Jacksonville Board of Realtors voted 25-5 in support of a resolution in favor of a survey to determine the effects of expanding the city through annexation of outlying areas.
• At American Health Studios (for men) and Silhouette Figure Form (for women) at 212 W. Forsyth St., for $5 a month you could either lose or gain weight (your choice). The offer included a money back guarantee.
• McDuff Appliances was selling 11-cubic-foot Hotpoint refrigerators for $177.14.
• On the national front, President Dwight Eisenhower told Americans the one thing that could to get the country out of recession was to “buy.”