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 news 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 May 18-24, 1959. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• What was described as “one of the heaviest rains to hit Jacksonville in the past five years” snarled traffic, flooded stores and homes, interrupted electric power and caused damage to sewer and drainage projects estimated to run into several hundred thousand dollars.
Rainfall at the airport between midnight and 7 a.m. measured 3.72 inches, but meteorologist W. E. Hillig said there were indications that the rainfall Downtown would measure between four and five inches.
The hardest hit were several contractors handling various phases of the City’s $15 million sewer improvement program and drainage projects.
The day after the flood City Engineer Bill Bryan said it was too early for a precise estimate of the damage and the contractors would have to start some of their work “from scratch” as a result of the rain damage.
He also said widespread cave-ins of existing sewers would probably continue for at least a month and could cost $50,000 to repair. Bryant also put a $30,000 price tag on pothole repair on city streets.
• The flooding also caused the cancellation of the racing program at Orange Park Kennel Club, the first time races had been canceled due to inclement weather in the 25-year history of greyhound racing in North Florida.
OPKC General Manager James Patton said, “The terrific rains had made most roads to the Orange Park plant impassable.”
• More than 300 people who attended a fundraiser at Beauclerc Country Club purchased $92,600 in State of Israel bonds to build 26 houses in a village in Israel. Entertainer George Jessel was the guest of honor and presided over the sale.
Mayor Haydon Burns, who visited Israel in 1950 on behalf of the Jacksonville Jewish Community Council, spoke briefly and purchased a $100 bond. Jessel promised Burns a street in the village would be named after him. Sale chair Philip Bork said the sale was completed quicker than any held to date.
• Jacksonville engineer Henry H. Buckman was elected president of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress, the first president in the 52-year history of the group who was not a U.S. congressman.
The group was charged with reviewing waterways projects and passing recommendations to the Congress’ Bureau of Budget for consideration.
• County Commissioner Julian Warren was designated to make a public appeal to the City Commission for an answer on a proposed joint City-County project to construct a bulkhead on the bank of the St. Johns River adjacent to the County Courthouse and new City Hall, which was under construction at the corner of Bay and Newnan streets.
Warren said the County had waited long enough for an answer and added the space between the buildings and the river should be made into a parking lot to accommodate the public that had to come Downtown to do business at the Courthouse.
The County had delayed constructing a bulkhead behind the Courthouse for several months pending a possible agreement with the City of the west and the Gibbs Corporation on the east to join in the project. The County had $470,000 in its Courthouse building fund for bulkheading and County Engineer John H. Crosby said he estimated the cost of a bulkhead for both sites would be $900,000. The City had submitted proposed legislation which would authorize borrowing money to pay for its share of the project, but it was noted that “Prospects of having this request pass the Legislature appear dim.”
• Attorneys for the City Council contended before Circuit Judge A.D. McNeill that alderman have no legal duty to hold a public hearing or take action on an application for a new bus franchise in Jacksonville.
The stand was taken by the Council members through City Attorney William Madison at the initial hearing before McNeill on a mandamus suit filed by Public Transportation Lines, Inc., which had applied for a bus franchise to compete with Jacksonville Coach Company.
After hearing arguments from Madison and PTL attorney Fred Rizk on the Council’s motion to quash the judge’s previously issued alternative writ of mandamus, McNeill called for written briefs from both sides before he made a decision on the motion.
It was noted that if the motion was eventually denied then the council would presumably be required to make an answer to the writ which in effect ordered the Council members to “forthwith” hold a public hearing and take action on PTL’s application or give reasons for refusal to comply.
• State Sen. Wayne Ripley called on Chamber of Commerce officials and City employees to iron out their differences on a proposed plan for City pension studies and make a joint recommendation on legislative action. In a letter to all parties interested in the squabble, Ripley refused to meet with the Employees Pension Advisory Committee in the final days of the legislative session in Tallahassee.
Ripley’s letter was touched off by a telegram in which Thomas Porter, president of the City Employees Local 1048 (AFL-CIO) had asked the senator to grant an audience to the employees advisory group. Porter’s wire suggested that his stand on pension legislation proposed in April by the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce had been misrepresented. The proposed bill sent to Tallahassee by the trade body for consideration by the Duval County Legislative Delegation would have established a pension study commission to probe into pension plans for City and County employees.