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 stories published in the Florida Times-Union 50 years ago this week. These items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives.
• City Highways Commissioner Louis Ritter reported that close to half of the City’s $6 million paving and drainage program was either completed or under contract. The improvements on Atlantic Boulevard between Hendricks Avenue and Time Square would be completed within a month, but Ritter said some of the projects would take as long as two years to complete. The longer schedule was due to using City crews for the work instead of private contractors. “Use of our limited City forces might slow us down a bit, but then we can save money and I’m sure the taxpayers would be more concerned with saving dollars than saving time. We don’t intend to build up an extensive or cumbersome City construction force,” said Ritter.
• Mary Louise Sydenham of Atlantic Beach, a junior at Fletcher High School, won the annual ocean marathon swim at Jacksonville Beach for the second year in a row. She finished the 1-mile course in 34 minutes and 48 seconds. A record number of 14 swimmers participated in the event.
• It was announced that final plans for the city’s first Arts Festival would be made at a meeting of the Jacksonville Arts Council Sept. 11 in the Skyroom at the Independent Life Building. The festival was slated for Oct. 12 in the Prudential Building. Arts Council President C.E. Brumley said 27 member organizations had been working since June on individual exhibits and performance that would be presented.
• Jacksonville had a single traffic fatality over the Labor Day weekend. Passenger Margaret Stickler was killed when a car driven by Oliff Olson collided head-on with a car driven by Rubin Allen of Daytona Beach on Philips Highway near Love Grove Road. Olson, who was in fair condition at Baptist Memorial Hospital, told investigators he was unaware he was driving on the wrong side of a divided highway.
• A thief, in full view of pedestrians and motorists, removed about 200 gallons of gasoline from an underground tank in front of L.S. Royal’s service station at 2550 Main St. The fuel was valued at $53.20. Another thief stowed away in the Arcade Theatre at 32 W. Adams St. and after the last show ended broke into a drink machine and stole $90.
• Plans for “Peyton Island” in the St. Johns River beneath the Mathews Bridge were presented to the County Commission. Sam Millner, representing the Exchange Club, unveiled a diagram showing six multi-berth boat docks, and a playground and picnic area. Commissioner J.B. Mallard Sr., in whose district the project was located, said “Right after October we plan to begin developing the island.”
• In 1958, all drivers had to renew their license by Sept. 30 and clerks in the office of Duval County Judge McKenney J. Davis were busy helping motorists with more than 14,000 new licenses sold in two days. In addition to the County Courthouse, licenses were also sold at Winn-Dixie stores and at Cohens department store.
• A change in the call letters of WMBR-TV and preliminary plans for construction of a new building to house the television station were announced. Effective Sept. 14, the station would be known as WJXT, said Glenn Marshall Jr., president of the Washington Post Broadcast Division. The new building would be located at the site of the station’s transmitter at the corner of Southhampton and Vine streets facing the expressway link which was under construction.
• On the entertainment scene, the Sandbar in Atlantic Beach was offering a floor show with the Rock ‘n Rythmaires starring Windell Griffin, “The Shake and Shiver King.” The Crystal Lounge at Lakewood Shopping Center had booked “Jacksonville’s smoothest combo,” Jimmy Knight at the Hammond organ and piano and Bobby Dopson, who was described as “Jacksonville’s most versatile drummer.” The Florida Theatre was showing “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman while the St. Johns Theatre was screening Bridget Bardot in “The Night Heaven Fell” with a warning that no children’s tickets would be sold. It was also noted that both auditoriums were air-conditioned.