Law firm purchases old courthouse, City planning new airport
Have you ever wondered what life was like in Jacksonville half a century 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 headlines then and today. As interesting as the differences may be, so are the similarities. These are some of the top stories from this week in 1960. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• Duval County’s treasury was $236,628 richer when two checks covering the purchase of the old courthouse on Market Street were delivered to County Auditor E.P. Barwald.
County Attorney J. Henry Blount, who closed the transaction with the law firm of Marks, Gray, Yates, Conroy and Gibbs, handed over the checks during the County Commission’s meeting. The building and its annex between Adams and Forsyth streets was sold to the law firm on a bid of $237,500 in 1959. The difference in the bid price and the amount of the checks included the title insurance costs on the property.
The firm planned to remodel the annex for offices and use the site of the old courthouse building for parking.
Also at the meeting, an investigation by County Engineer John Crosby was ordered regarding a complaint about conditions at the County prison farm.
Ruby Noble appeared at the meeting and reported that fresh coffee was being sold to prisoners at 25 cents per pound by cooks at the facility. She also said bread was being sold to prisoners for late-night sandwiches in the barracks.
Another action by the commission granted permission to the Sertoma Club of Jacksonville to remove political signs from County property after the May 24 second primary election. Ralph Jones represented the club at the meeting and said the organization wished to provide the service “for community betterment.”
• Thirty-eight pigeons from 10 lofts of the Jacksonville Racing Pigeon Club participated in a Southern Association of Racing Pigeon Clubs special 300-mile race.
A local pigeon belonging to Julian Frasier was the first to arrive with an average of 964 yards a minute from Atlanta to Jacksonville. Second and third, respectively, were pigeons owned by Keith Young and Bob Bernard.
• A 17-year term in state prison was imposed on a 38-year-old man for manslaughter in a fatal stabbing for which the prosecution could find no motive.
Liddell McGrier entered a guilty plea and was sentenced by Criminal Court Judge William Harvey for the death on Dec. 5 of Charles Finklin, 27.
The grand jury indicted McGrier for second degree murder, which carried a maximum penalty of life in prison. The County Solicitor’s office accepted his plea of guilty to manslaughter, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
All the prosecution witnesses said Finklin, who was unarmed, was minding his business in the El Chico Bar on Dec. 5 when McGrier abruptly stabbed the victim twice in the chest with a knife. Testimony showed McGrier also stabbed at, but missed, a woman before he ran out of the bar.
Under questioning by Assistant County Solicitor R. Hudson Oliff, witnesses said McGrier was cornered a short distance away by several men. They said McGrier stabbed at a passerby before he was knocked unconscious when he was hit in the head by a brick thrown by one of his pursuers.
“I stand alone,” Harvey was told by McGrier, who said he couldn’t understand why all the witnesses were giving their version of the stabbing. McGrier said Finklin and his cohorts had been harassing him for weeks and that he stabbed Finklin in self-defense when Finklin struck him while two other men held him in the bar. He also said the group pursuing him made him the target of sticks, bricks, bottles and stones.
Oliff said Finklin underwent surgery but died of hemorrhaging from lacerations of the heart and right lung.
• Airports Commissioner Lou Ritter said Jacksonville was forging ahead with plans to build a new “jet age airport” despite financial handicaps resulting from a recent federal decision.
Ritter was referring to the Federal Aviation Agency’s rejection of a move by the City Commission to sell City-owned Herlong Field and use the proceeds to build a new jet passenger terminal and field to replace Imeson Airport.
The City had asked the FAA to remove deed restrictions requiring the property to be used for airport purposes. Herlong Field was deeded to the City by the federal government with restrictions as to its use.
“Our investigation discloses that not only is there a need for Herlong Field now, but the need is steadily increasing as evidenced by operations over the past few years,” said David Kelly, the FAA’s district airport engineer in Miami.
“It is also our opinion that general aviation now at Herlong Field cannot be adequately accommodated at Imeson Airport because of its location, and the increase in mixed airline and general aviation traffic constitutes a serious problem.”
• The local production of “Kismet” at the Florida Theatre had the largest advance ticket sales of any show staged by the Jacksonville Opera and Choral Society.
“Traditionally the biggest sale of tickets is on the day of the performance, but we have had an extremely large advance sale for ‘Kismet’,” said C. Carter Nice Jr., the society’s producer and musical director.
He added there were still a few tickets available for each of the two shows, “but they are going rapidly. We think this will be a really exciting performance and one that will startle Jacksonville.”
“New York star Mara” was in charge of stage production and choreography and would also dance the role of Princess Samaris of Bangalore. Paul Canbeihl, also from New York, would sing the lead role of The Poet and Jacksonville’s Edward Doe was cast as the Wizir. Locals Virginia Atter and Jean Kennedy also had lead roles in the production.
• The “Wyatt Earp Spectacular,” a two-hour variety show starring actor Hugh O’Brian, was held over for a second performance at the Gator Bowl. O’Brian announced the encore performance after a large and enthusiastic crowd of youngsters and adults turned out for the first show.
It was reported he “gave ample display of the talents that have made him one of television’s top Western performers.” O’Brian also demonstrated the singing and dancing ability that had landed him the title role in the Broadway production of “Destry Rides Again.”
Alice Lon, a former Lawrence Welk “Champagne Lady,” was a co-star in the production.
• Wildlife native to the Southwest had taken up residence at Mayport Naval Station.
Arthur Bryan, a biology professor at Jacksonville University, identified the unusual creatures as horned toads and said it was rare to find the reptiles any place other than the warm, dry climate found in the American desert.
He also said the horned toad’s metabolism slows down during cold weather, much like a bear’s hibernation, which probably explained why base personnel only reported seeing the toads in the spring and summer months. Sightings had been reported in dry, sandy places near places where old lumber was stored outdoors.
The capture of a few of the toads settled a lot of arguments for Chief Petty Officer Harold Bland, a cook at the base. Few people believed his tales of the toads until he showed them proof.
Bland said his investigation of how the horned toads got there turned up a story about a serviceman who transferred to Mayport from Texas and brought some of the critters as a joke. They were apparently set free and had been procreating.