Have you ever wondered 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 then and today. As interesting as the similarities may be, so are the differences. These are some of the top stories from the week of Aug. 3-9, 1959. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• Jacksonville was selected as the port of entry and the Southeast distribution center for Saab, described as a “small Swedish automobile.” The first shipment of 250 cars was on its way and J.L. Potter, American sales manager for Saab, said regular shipments of 250 units per month were scheduled.
Jacksonville was picked as a port of entry through the efforts of D.A. Watts, who was vice president of a Jacksonville shipping company and a member of the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100. Potter said Jacksonville was chosen over other southern ports “because of the city’s strategic location for serving the Southeast, its excellent port facilities, the strong and fast growing market in Florida and splendid cooperation from local officials.”
• The State Legislature’s abolishment of the Duval County Civil Court of record was upheld in a Circuit Court test, paving the way for an immediate appeal to the Florida Supreme Court.
After a ruling by Circuit Court Judge Albert W. Graessle Jr. which upheld a 1959 act eliminating the Civil Court, attorneys bringing the test case announced they would petition the higher court for a writ of prohibition. If granted the writ would bar Graessle from having further jurisdiction in a $733.63 claims case and settle the question at least temporarily on whether the Civil Court in Jacksonville still existed with a vacancy in the judgeship or was actually abolished.
None of the attorneys at a hearing before Graessle nor the judge himself expressed any doubt that the Legislature intended to abolish the Duval County lower court. The question was whether it was legally abolished by a proper amendment.
The test of the abolition law came on a motion to dismiss a case filed July 21 by attorney John Paul Howard for Truck Refrigeration Service, Inc. against J.H. Parmenter. The motion contended that Circuit Court did not have jurisdiction in the case because Circuit Court could take only those cases involving claims of more than $3,000. Before its abolishment the Civil Court had jurisdiction in cases ranging from more than $300 to $3,000.
The Civil Court was originally established in 1915 by a population act and in 1921 a new act was passed continuing the court.
• More than 2,500 cases concerning charges ranging from second-degree murder to profanity were disposed of in Criminal Court during April, May and June.
County Solicitor Lacy Mahon Jr., the court’s chief prosecutor, announced the figures in his quarterly report to the state attorney general showing a total of 2,558 cases handled. Mahon also said that during the quarter 1,591 bonds were ordered forfeited by Judges William T. Harvey and A. Lloyd Layton when defendants failed to appear.
A partial breakdown of offenses showed 1,485 cases involving drunkenness and vagrancy, 159 drunk driving charges, 104 worthless check charges, 81 cases of breaking and entering and 36 cases of unlawful damage to telephone equipment.
• A $25,985,396 Board of Public Instruction budget for 1959-60 was announced by the Duval County Budget Commission. Of the total $7,534,624 would come from County taxes and other local sources. The balance would come from state and federal sources.
In fixing the total appropriation the budget commission allowed the school system the legal limit of 20 mills of tax revenue for only the third time in local financial history.
The approved school levy plus previously approved appropriation for the County Hospital Board, the Board of County Commissioners and smaller County agencies had resulted in a total levy for 1959-60 of 45.606 mills of taxation, up from the previous rate of 42.935 mills.
Jacksonville Beach property owners would be taxed at a rate of seven mills, one mill higher than in 1958 under an ordinance enacted by City Council. The ordinance also approved the 1959 tax roll showing property with a total assessed value of $38,624,493, an increase of $2,428,505 over the 1958 tax roll.
The Council’s Financial Committee contended the additional taxes were needed because Jacksonville Beach exceeded its budgetary allotment for resurfacing roads by more than $3,000 and an additional $12,000 had to be provided for parking areas and fencing for recreational facilities.
• The pier at Jacksonville Beach was leased by Curtis Amerson, operator of an amusement machine business at the resort.
The agreement was announced by Mayor Justin C. Montgomery, an attorney. Montgomery represented his uncle, pier owner W.E. Montgomery, in negotiations with Amerson. The mayor said Amerson agreed to an order to make improvements to the pier’s electrical wiring, plumbing and underpinnings. The cost was estimated at $2,000.
The lease ended a move by the Jacksonville Beach Chamber of Commerce to try to get the City to take over the structure and operate it as part of the Municipal Recreation Department’s facilities.
Application from R.L. Williams of Virginia Beach, Va. to build a new pier had already been approved by the City Council and was to come up for vote at an Aug. 11 referendum election.
• A 56-year-old woman drowned while swimming in the Ribault River. Officers attributed the drowning to more than 10 pounds of clams she had stuffed into her bathing suit.
Duval County Patrolmen J.S. Davis and C.D. Turner said Mrs. Ethel Lambreton of 2823 Darrow St. swam about 40 yards across the river from the Harbor View boat landing. On the other shore she dug clams which she stuffed into her bathing suit. About midstream on her return trip she sank beneath the surface. Several witnesses dived in and recovered the body in about 10 minutes.