Ever wonder what stories made headlines in Jacksonville 50 years ago? It might have been a different era of history, culture 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 following 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.
• Even though the drivers were on strike, the Jacksonville Coach Co. kept one bus on the road — but it wasn’t picking up any passengers. It was driven by a supervisor to fulfill a contract with the United States Postal Service to transfer mail from Jacksonville to the communities at the beach.
• Speaking of the coastal communities, Atlantic beach was about to open a jail that would include four doors and metal bunks salvaged when Jacksonville built its new jail. The Duval County Commission sold the entire package to Atlantic beach for $6.
• Two large sisal mats were purchased for the main entrance lobby of the new County Courthouse on Bay Street to prevent accidents from slipping on the terrazzo floor during wet weather. There had already been one slip-and-fall accident.
• A sign had appeared on the pedestrian overpass on Beach Boulevard at Jacksonville Beach warning people there were snakes on the beach. Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce H. M. Shelley assured the public there were in fact no snakes there. City Manager Buford McRae said the sign was painted by young vandals and the defacement would be removed before visitors were to attend Easter sunrise services.
• March 1958 was recorded as the coldest March since 1947. The average temperature in Jacksonville was 50.3 degrees, 3 degrees below normal.
• The California State Chamber of Commerce invited Jacksonville Mayor Haydon Burns to speak to them in San Francisco. He was invited because Jacksonville was considered to be one of the leading cities in the nation in terms of urban redevelopment without using any federal funds.
• A list of 24,277 voters’ names purged from the permanent registration rolls was posted in the lobby of the County Courthouse by Assistant Supervisor of Registration Robert A. Mallard. Those on the list had until Aug. 9 to reregister or lose their vote in the fall election.
• Walgreens Drugs was having a big Easter sale. A bottle of 100 aspirin tables was a nickel, two solid chocolate bunnies set you back 44 cents and a fifth (750 ml) of six-year-old Col. Tyson Kentucky bourbon cost $3.65. Also, for $1.50 you could purchase a 2-ounce bottle of Gold Lace perfume, described as “light but oh so lasting.”
• Here’s one from the “how much progress have we really made?” department: 50 years ago this week, the City Commission deferred taking action on a demand that all benches bearing advertising slogans be removed from City sidewalks and all other municipal property. The Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) was sponsoring an advertising firm from Tampa to place benches around the City. According to W. Henry Blitzer Jr.,vice president of Southland Outdoor Advertising Inc. and the person who lodged the complaint, the benches violated zoning regulations.