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.
• U.S. Rep. Charles Bennett urged residents of Jacksonville to give greater financial and moral support to Jacksonville University. He made his remarks at the dedication ceremony for the new University Council Building which would house faculty and administrative offices and classrooms. Bennett said there were many great challenges facing the nation and “of them all, the greatest is education.” He also said he believed “Jacksonville University can do a great deal to strengthen the foundations of Americanism” and “The greatest contribution the college can make is the fostering of free thinking.”
• The Inductance, the City’s floating power plant, was moved from its Downtown mooring and towed to the Gibbs Shipyard for a complete overhaul. After the work was complete, the power plant was to be moved to a new location at Jacksonville Naval Air Station (NAS) and returned to service. Utilities Commissioner J. Dillon Kennedy said the move was an effort to “firm up” the supply of electrical power going to NAS and the Cecil Field and Green Cove Springs naval installations. He also said it would improve electrical service to Ortega and it was noted the Inductance was one of only four floating power plants in the world. The others were in New Hampshire, Okinawa and Buenos Aires.
• Duval County taxpayers were about to get their property tax bills for 1959 and would pay $152,947.45 less to run the City government than they did in 1958. The total tax bill for 1959 was $15,954,458.21.
• Roy W. Johnson, national director of the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency, told a group of civic leaders from all over Florida who were meeting in Jacksonville that the biggest single asset in Florida, natural beauty, was slowly wasting away. “Defacement is marching from block to block across your cities, spreading decay faster than any present program can cure it. Your cities need plans to provide for their futures. These plans must be comprehensive and farsighted,” he said.
• At a meeting of the Gator Bowl Association at the Roosevelt Hotel, Vice President Richard “Lefty” Lester told the executive committee that memberships representing 15,134 tickets had been sold for the 14th annual football game set for Dec. 27. Association member Paul Acosta reported the Florida State University student circus had agreed to perform at half-time and a local high school band – probably Landon – would furnish the pre-game and half-time music. Business Manager George Olsen said there would be a parade Downtown the night before the game and Wes Paxson announced all four Gator Bowl basketball tournament teams – Florida, Georgia, Louisiana State and Mississippi – had returned signed contracts.
• The State Road Board approved a request from Duval County to install a traffic light at the corner of Atlantic Boulevard and Mayport Road. It would replace the yellow “blinker light” that was at the intersection. The board also granted a request for an increase in speed limit from 25 mph to 40 mph along a .3-mile stretch of U.S. Route 301 in Baldwin.
• Four youths who abducted and terrorized a business executive were sentenced to prison terms for stealing more than $260 from a safe at the victim’s office. The sentences were handed down by Criminal Court Judge A. Lloyd Layton after all four defendants pleaded guilty to larceny of the money from the safe at the Jacksonville Sash and Door Company on Evergreen Avenue. During the proceedings, Assistant County Solicitor R. Hudson Oliff said the youths had gone on a “small-scale crime spree” that involved kidnapping and auto theft in addition to the robbery.
• Automatic “self-pay” lanes were installed at the toll booths at the Fuller Warren Bridge. The machines accepted nickels, dimes or pennies for the 15-cent toll. They would also accept a quarter or two dimes but would not dispense change. P.M. Huddleston, representing engineers for the Jacksonville Expressway Authority, said the form of automation “will prove an electronic blessing to late-for-work motorists who won’t mind paying an extra nickel or dime for the privilege of avoiding long lines and the boss’ ire.” It was also noted, “Since the machines can’t lose money, it looks as though they may have quite a future.”