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 were some of the top stories from the week of May 11-17, 1959. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• The Duval County Commission approved and sent to the Budget Commission a 1959-60 operating budget calling for $1.3 million more in taxes than was required in 1958-59. The proposed new budget asked that $6.1 be levied in ad valorem taxes, up from $4.8 million.
The proposed budget totaled $10.9 million with an estimated $5.1 million coming from sources other than ad valorem taxes. The 1958-59 budget totaled $9.5 million with $4.9 million coming from sources other than ad valorem taxes.
• At the County Commission zoning meeting, plans for a “multimillion dollar showplace professional and business office center” on Beach Boulevard near Carmichael Avenue were unveiled.
Commitments had already been made for $1 million worth of building construction for the 40-acre development and working plans would be started within the next few months, reported Ira M. Koger, president of the O.P. Woodcock construction firm.
One of the first three firms to build in the center would be the Jacksonville architectural firm of Reynolds, Smith and Hills, Koger said. He added the building would house offices of professional firms and executive and administrative offices of commercial plants and there would be no warehouses or manufacturing in the area.
“We are stressing quality offices,” said Koger. “And we are taking advantage of the rolling landscape and the winding creek to beautify the development.”
The tract extended from Carmichael Avenue east along Beach Boulevard to Pottsburg Creek and north from the boulevard to Highland Avenue. It was noted that the Southside Woman’s Club was within the area.
• Jacksonville’s Scottish Rite Masons recognized accomplishments of public schools in a program at the Scottish Rite Temple.
Musical aggregations from every high school in Duval County presented a succession of performances that ranged from an operatic aria to modern jazz. Juvenile Court Judge Marion Gooding gave the evening’s address and emphasized the role the schools play in teaching democracy through living it. He declared that Americans should maintain their public school system as one of the great freedoms of the nation.
Gooding also said the schools stressed such moral teachings as the dignity of the individual, respect for government and devotion to truth. Moreover, he continued, public schools provide the finest opportunity for the expression of initiative.
• A 250-pound hog with an aversion to the slaughterhouse escaped from a truck on the Southside approach to the Acosta Bridge but wound up on his way to the dinner table anyway.
Wialy Toby and Marion Campbell were driving a truckload of hogs from the Roy Lind farm in Palm Valley when they heard a commotion as they crossed Mary Street. Toby looked in the rearview mirror and saw that one of his four-legged passengers had bounced out of the truck. He stopped the vehicle and got out. The hog dropped his head and bore down on Toby, who later said, “I was headin’ up that Prudential Building on the outside.”
Fortunately the hog was distracted by Campbell, cars and a growing group of cautious spectators. Someone called police and Jack Pagonis, who operated a service station at 1959 Kings Ave. was listening to his short-wave radio and heard police cars being sent to capture the hog. Pagonis didn’t pay much attention until the dispatcher amended his order to state the suspect was a big bear. Pagonis grabbed his shotgun and a .38 caliber revolver and headed for the bear-hog hunt.
After he arrived at the scene, a conference between the farm employees, police and spectators put the fate of the pig to a vote and Pagonis was elected to use his shotgun. While police Sgt. F. R. Whitehouse and Patrolman Howard Arnold maneuvered the pig into position, Pagonis took aim and fired, killing the animal, which was then loaded back into the truck and transported to his original destination.
• The suspension of Duval County Peace Justice Steve Targonski was upheld by the State Senate. Gov. LeRoy Collins had removed Targonski from office Feb. 27 after he was convicted of driving while intoxicated and reckless driving.
“In the light of the public good this renders him unfit to further perform the acts required of him as a justice of the peace,” said Collins, who appointed Ernest Hartley of Mandarin to replace Targonski.
The former justice was arrested April 12, 1958 after he was involved in an accident at Phillips Highway and Love Grove Road. A Criminal Court jury found Targonski guilty and Judge A. Lloyd Layton sentenced him to pay a fine of $500 for drunk driving. Sentence was indefinitely deferred on the reckless driving charge.
• Federal, state and county agents raided a large moonshine still in a home on Eastport Road and arrested two men.
Duval County Deputy Claude West identified them as Curtis Vaughn, 54, of 11 Catherine Rd. and Reuben Wilkerson, 31, of 872 Eastport Rd., the site of the raid.
West said the still had a 1,350-gallon capacity.
Agents seized 3,100 gallons of mash, 3,000 pounds of sugar, 27 gallons of moonshine, a truck and an automobile.
West also said the still had been in operation for about three weeks and the premises had been used previously as a “stash house” where ingredients for the manufacture of moonshine were stored.
• Patrolman Eddie Bratburd, assigned to the City police department’s patrol wagon, was on his way to headquarters from the City prison farm when he received a call to “pick up a drunk.”
Bratburd advised dispatcher W. B. Greer he probably shouldn’t take the drunk call because he was “carrying a passenger that might disturb the mental serenity” of the intoxicated citizen. Greer agreed to cancel the call when Bratburd advised him of the identity of his passenger.
It was a deceased coach whip snake being transported for cremation.