Have you ever wondered what life was like in Jacksonville half a century ago? It was 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 1962. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• The Duval County Board of Public Instruction issued an appeal to people everywhere to join in protest of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling against prayer in public schools.
The board issued copies of a resolution of protest that was to be sent to key officials in government, including President John F. Kennedy and justices of the high court.
The resolution, castigating the court for its action, was introduced by board member Martinez Baker and seconded by Raymond A. David.
Baker said he was shocked to learn of the Supreme Court action and also was “shocked to hear the president endorses such action.”
“If some of our leaders would spend more time in prayer themselves and less time playing footsie with the Communists, we wouldn’t have to worry about things like this,” said Baker.
• Turtle egg hunters were reminded by St. Johns County Sheriff L.O. Davis that there was a speed limit on beaches in the county.
Davis, an egg hunter himself, said the nightly races among motorists to gather the eggs had created a hazardous condition. Three cars piled up in a single accident, he said.
In 1962, egg hunts began as soon as the tide started to recede. Davis said vehicles were being driven at speeds far beyond the 15-mph limit to prevent other vehicles from passing.
Egg hunters looked for tracks that led them to a sea turtle’s nest. The lead car thus had an advantage that other drivers attempted to overcome.
Davis said another hazard was when a turtle was sighted crawling from the water onto the beach to build a nest.
He said there was a code that all motorists would stop and turn out their lights until the turtle had built its nest, which took about 20 minutes.
Cars gathered during the delay, then raced off again when the turtle completed its task.
Davis said complaints about the racing had been registered by people living along the beaches.
• Despite his announced hopes that the City Council would not “break into fractional groups,” Brad Tredinnick took over presidency of a council clearly divided into two camps.
That didn’t stop Tredinnick, at 31 the youngest of the nine City lawmakers, from winning his first test of leadership with a 5-4 vote on a funds transfer resolution.
Tredinnick had been elected president by a one-vote margin over John F. Lanahan and the ballot on the resolution mirrored the vote for president.
In Tredinnick’s camp were Council members C.F. Lowe, James Y. Marr, James M. Peeler and Lemuel Sharp.
The other group comprised Lanahan, Ralph N. Walter, Clyde C. Cannon and W.O Mattox Jr., the immediate past president of the Council.
The showdown came when the minority group introduced a resolution to transfer $82,500 from a trust fund account for use in improving the Myrtle Avenue drains outfall.
The resolution normally would have gone to the Budget & Finance Committee, but Cannon insisted it be considered and a vote taken at the Council’s regular meeting.
Tredinnick said he and other members had not been informed that the resolution would be introduced. He said since it was for a “considerable sum,” it should be studied by the committee first.
After much parliamentary maneuvering, the resolution was brought to a roll call vote and was defeated 5-4.
Most of the Council members who voted against the transfer said they were in favor of the work, but felt the resolution was being rammed through and wanted it to take its proper course.
After its defeat, the bill was reintroduced by Cannon and sent to the committee.
At Lanahan’s request, Frank Hampton, who said he represented an African-American church near Myrtle Avenue, appealed to the Council for assistance.
Hampton said flooding often made it impossible for members of the congregation to reach the church and its education building.
Tredinnick promised Hampton the Council would give careful consideration to the need for the drainage work.
• The Jacksonville Tourist and Convention Bureau’s work was just starting “when we go out and fight to bring a convention to Jacksonville,” said George Tobi, executive vice president and general manager of the organization.
He made the remark at the monthly meeting of the Advertising Club of Jacksonville in the Seminole Hotel.
Tobi said every aspect of any convention held in Jacksonville was followed closely and that “every possible assistance” was given to ensure the meeting was successful.
“When you inject $9 million into the economy of a city the size of Jacksonville in a single year, everybody benefits,” he said.
Tobi said the 1961 budget for local tourism promotion was almost $50,000.
He said having that much money to spend lifted the city “out of the cracker barrel category and into the big time.”
The bureau had four full-time employees, including Tobi.
One employee did nothing but reply to inquiries from people who had seen City of Jacksonville advertisements in national publications or in their local newspapers, Tobi said.
• Cheetah, a large pet monkey, broke out of his cage and was at large for an hour in a Southside Estates neighborhood before he was apprehended.
Mrs. V.E. Anderson of 2849 Forest Blvd. was a victim of the monkey’s antics and also was his captor.
Cheetah was owned by H.E. Rogers of 2837 Forest Blvd., Anderson’s next-door neighbor.
The monkey escaped his cage and began swinging through the trees in Anderson’s yard. Cheetah also scattered a box of detergent on the porch and sampled some for taste.
Anderson became alarmed when she saw the errant primate on the porch because there were several of her own and neighborhood children playing in the house, she said.
When Anderson tried to capture it by means of the long chain around its neck, the monkey bit and scratched her on her legs, arms and face.
About an hour into the escapade, with the assistance of a police officer and several neighbors, Cheetah was herded back to his cage.
• Urban renewal, 1960s-style, was about to begin along Bay Street in Downtown with wrecking crews set to begin demolishing at least five buildings in as many blocks.
The sites would temporarily become parking lots in anticipation of construction of “brand-new, eye-appealing office buildings.”
It was noted that the new look for Bay Street started in 1954 when the site of the blocklong Duval County Courthouse was cleared.
That development was followed by the “skyscraper City Hall,” the Sears, Roebuck & Co. building, Woolworth’s on the site of the old Everett Hotel and an addition to the Mayflower Hotel.
Scheduled new projects were the Stockton, Whatley, Davin & Co. building πand the new federal building.
In addition, the Independent Life & Accident Insurance Co. planned to construct a central skyscraper office building east of Hogan Street and between Bay and Water streets.
• Five men were fined in federal court on their pleas of guilty to illegally hunting migratory birds.
All admitted to having shot marsh hens and rails from boats being driven by motors. Such shooting was prohibited by federal game laws.
The guilty pleas were entered by David Dunham, 20, of Fernandina Beach; Paul McCombs, 56, of Callahan; Harrison Pickett, 44, of 7898 Denham Road; Ira Ellis of 1923 Dean Road; and Cecil W. Powell Jr., 35, of 245 E. Adams St.
Dunham, the youngest of the hunters, was fined $25 by U.S. Judge Bryan Simpson. All the others drew $50 fines.