Ever wonder 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 the news in 1958 and today. As interesting as the similarities may be, so are the vast 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.
• The final activity report was released and stated that more than 6,650,000 tons of water borne cargo traveled through the Port of Jacksonville in 1957. The volume was more than twice the 3,072,000 that passed through a decade earlier. There were 71 piers and wharves along the Downtown riverfront plus 16 oil company terminals and a U.S. Navy fuel depot at Trout River. “Jacksonville is fast becoming the icebox and warehouse of Florida and the Caribbean area,” said David A. Howard, president of the Foreign Trade Council.
• The south lawn of the new County Courthouse was slipping toward the St. Johns River due to erosion and the lack of a bulkhead. City Engineer John Crosby said there was no immediate danger of a serious cave-in but George B. Hills of Reynolds Smith & Hills was consulted to develop a plan to construct a bulkhead behind the Courthouse and west to the Main Street Bridge.
• In Jacksonville Beach a new amusement ride was under construction at the corner of First Street and Pablo Avenue. Designed in Germany and owned by R.E. Haney, the “Wild Mouse” was similar to a roller coaster and had 1,200 feet of track.
• County Solicitor Lacy Mahon Jr. announced his intention to seek the State Senate seat in the 18th District. He would be running against incumbent Sen. Fletcher Morgan. It was noted that if Mahon won in either the first primary election on Sept. 9 or the second primary election on Sept. 30 he would be able to hold the County Solicitor’s job until Nov. 4, the date of the general election.
• Extra ferry service for the summer months began at the Mayport-Fort George crossing. The 35-car Buccaneer and the 21-car Jean LaFitte were both needed due to the “heavy volume of traffic to the beaches, fishing spots in Nassau and Duval counties and to Fort Clinch State Park in Fernandina Beach.”
• W. Thomas Rice, president of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) announced the ACL would no longer seek to acquire the properties of the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC), which had been in receivership since 1931. The announcement also ended 17 years of litigation between various bondholders over the FEC’s reorganization. Based on a recommendation from the Interstate Commerce Commission, a reorganization plan proposed by the St. Joe Paper Company would be followed, thereby giving control of the FEC to the duPont interests.
• The Hob Nob Restaurant opened at the corner of Bay and Newnan streets. Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Haynie, the eatery had 66 seats and was open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
• Mrs. Ninah May Holden Cummer died in the hospital after a brief illness. She was the widow of Arthur Gerrish Cummer and had been a resident of Duval County for more than 60 years. Prominently identified with cultural and civic progress in Jacksonville, she was also instrumental in the rebuilding effort following the Great Fire of 1901. Her long list of accomplishments also included the organization of the Garden Club of Jacksonville in 1922 and serving as treasurer of the Citizens memorial Company which acquired and planned memorial park in Riverside. Shortly before Cummer died, she had announced a plan to “create an Art Museum for the benefit of citizens of Jacksonville and Duval County.”