January 2023 – Jacksonville Blogger

Daniel Boone Was a Man…He Was a Big Man…

There was a metal monument of Daniel Boone, with his flintlock rifle and his dog placed on a stone at the corner of Bay Street in Jacksonville, Florida. Times Union photographer, Bob Self took a photo of this monument while photographing and profiling the emptying of the 1958- year courthouse. This Boone monument was placed at the corner of that building beneath a group of overgrown trees. I remember it well.

Self, photographer for the Times Union newspaper, wrote that the plaque was placed at the courthouse built in 1902 in November of 1921. Later, it was moved to the 1958 courthouse. I was a kid when I saw the one in Jacksonville, Florida and through the years, I remember seeing it when coming through the back doors with large, open glass at the old courthouse. It was there when I had jury duty back some 10 years ago that we got on and off of the jury bus which took us to lunch.

The marker was placed at the corner of Bay Street by the Courthouse

According to Tommy Townsend who talked with J. Hampton Rich, the organizer of this plaque project, he placed 358 of them from “Virginia Beach to San Francisco”. Jacksonville, Florida got one but why? No one really knows except, Daniel Boone was a folklore character. He was born in 1734 and died in 1820. Being an American pioneer, many still call him one of the “first folk heroes of the United States”. His fame of exploring and settling Kentucky, blazing though the Cumberland Gap and all the while dealing with the Indians. His story went far and wide and exploded for sure when the 1964 Daniel Boone television series came out. Fess Parker played Daniel Boone. Boone was known to be God-fearing and is said to have taken his Bible with him on his excursions.

It is unclear if Boone ever came to Jacksonville, Florida but his marker did and all because of the a campaign to keep the Boone name alive while highlighting and gaining members for the Boone Trail Highway Association. The association would raise money, have monuments made and take them to those who celebrated Boone and his life by their gifts and donations towards the plaques.

The 1958 courthouse was demolished and the new courthouse completed in 2012. The courthouse is gone. The monument is too. I have now walked the current courthouse grounds at 501 West Adams Street to see if it was removed from the old courthouse and placed at the new. I’ll keep you posted if things change but right now… no monument of Daniel.

Each of the markers highlight the fact that the metal is “From Battleship Maine”. The USS Maine (1889) was a Navy ship that sank in the Havana harbor which in simple terms help to bring about the Spanish-American war. The metal was used from that wreckage to make the plaques.

Apparently, Rich started the “Boone Trail Highway Association” to promote highway projects and he said to keep live the name of Daniel Boone. On HMdb. org, there is a “historical data base” that charts the Boone Trail Highway markers. From topics and information, to locations, the list is quite extensive. I did not see Jacksonville on the site though, so there’s that…..When I locate the Jacksonville Boone marker, I’ll up date you and them.

They say, even the great Babe Ruth was a member of his The Daniel Boone Highway Trail Association. While Ruth may have been a member, I feel like the man in Hillsville, Va who wrote: “We had no idea what Maine or Daniel Boone had to do with our town in Hillsville”.

Chester Harding Portrait of Daniel Boone

There are many who feel that same way. We really have no idea what Daniel Boone has to do with Jacksonville except for when we were growing up we would sing his song:

“Daniel Boone was a man Yes, a big man With an eye like an eagle And as tall as a mountain was he Daniel Boone was a man Yes, a big man He was brave, he was fearless And as tough as a mighty oak tree From the coonskin cap on the top of ol’ Dan To the heel of his rawhide shoe The rippin’-est, roarin’-est, fightin’-est man The frontier ever knew Daniel Boone was a man Yes, a big man And he fought for America To make all Americans free.“

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Openplaques, Daniel Boone Trail Highway Association, Bob Self, Florida Times Union, Wikipedia, Theme song sung by the Imperials, personal visit. 1/29/23

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January 28

Jacksonville’s Teacher in the Space Program

Many of us applied for the Teacher in Space program back-in-the-day. Teachers were invited to fill out some paperwork in order to be considered for the NASA space program. The paperwork was done by hand and mailed in. Having been a teacher for only about 9 years I applied anyhow. After a time, a letter was sent from NASA indicating if a person was in the running for a spot with NASA and the Teacher in Space program.

Mike Reynolds was born on March 30, 1954. He was a Jacksonville teacher who had grown up in Duval County and ended up being one of the final five contestants. He had attended Duval County schools and began teaching at Duncan U. Fletcher High School. Later, he left town to attend Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey and in 1982 had returned to receive a Masters at the University of North Florida right here in our city. He later received a Doctorate in science education and astronomy in 1990 from UF.

In 1985 Reynolds had applied for the Teacher in Space program and became one of the top 5 candidates. In 1986, Reynolds was teacher of the year at Fletcher High and from there he traveled to the Kennedy space center to be a part of the teacher in space program events and later would be invited to watch the Challenger space shuttle blast off into space.

On this cold day, January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger with 7 NASA astronauts aboard, lost their lives in a shuttle disaster only 73 seconds after take off. The cause of the explosion was cold weather when the 0-ring seal failed. It was a sad day for all of America and even the world. Jacksonville residents mourned the loss.

Mike Reynolds went on to work at Florida State College, Chabot Space and Science center, Meade Instruments and the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observation. He died October 15, 2019 at the age of 65. He had spent his whole career in the science, astronomy and in the education field.

For me, I probably could not have figured out the math.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

In honor of those who lost their lives, we name them and thank them for their service:

The last Challenger mission, dubbed STS-51L, was commanded by Francis R. “Dick” Scobee and piloted by Michael J. Smith. The other crew members on board were mission specialists Ronald E. McNair; Ellison S. Onizuka, and Judith A. Resnik; payload specialist Gregory B. Jarvis; and teacher S. Christa McAuliffe. (Credit: NASA).

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January 27

Oliver Hardy and The Best Times in Jacksonville

In 1913, the singer/actor-obsessed Oliver Hardy of Georgia moved to Jacksonville in hopes to get a better opportunity in the film industry. At that time, Jacksonville, Florida was a hub for making movies and the Lubin Manufacturing company that produced and distributed films was a part of that success. At night, Hardy was a singer-actor and by day he worked at the Lubin Manufacturing Company, one that produced and distributed films. Jacksonville was a place for the cinematography industry for filming after summer wore off and was called the “winter film capital of the world” at one point.

Oliver Hardy was born in Columbia County; Harlem, Georgia. Today, that little town is growing in leaps and bounds with a population of over 3,000 people. Even as recent as yesterday, I saw logging trucks hauling off huge trees and the railroad tracks still rumbling from the sound of ingoing and outgoing train cars although there is no depot stop for passenger trains. In 1913, it is documented as having 10 passenger trains a day. In 1835, the train tracks were being laid from Augusta to Eatonton. Harlem, Georgia was a stop but the last passenger train came through in 1983. Now it’s only commercial. Interesting to me was that nearby there was a community called “Saw Dust”.

From the account written on the Harlem city website, in 1857, a Medical College of Augusta, just miles away moved to the area and sold land for a dollar an acre. He donated land for the Baptist and Methodist churches and for a school; now Harlem Middle School. Within 10 years, Newnan Hicks was known to quit his job for being asked to work on Sunday and thus wanted to have a town that did not sell liquor, moving down from Andrew J. Sanders, that process began and by 1870 the town was founded and named by a visiting New York relative from New York, thus “Harlem”.

The theatre where Hardy and his counter part, Stan Laurel performed was right there along the train tracks. I can imagine the whistle blew and rails rumbled time after time before, after and yes during performances. It is now a museum.

About the time Hardy moved to Jacksonville, he met and married Madelyn Saloshin, a pianist. A Lubin facility was opened at 750 Riverside Avenue in Jacksonville, Florida. Hardy played a small role in his first movie “Outwitting Dad”. That was only the beginning of his career. He would team with Stan Laurel and make more than 100 comedy films.

The Lubin Manufacturing Company, based out of Philadelphia was active from 1897-1916 with a studio in Jacksonville beginning in 1913. It was in the Lubin film company that Hardy was billed as “Babe Hardy and appeared in “ some fifty short” films. During those years, the company had legal battles with the Thomas Edison motion picture business, a “disastrous fire” at the main Lubin studio, destroying a great many negatives and World War II came causing additional losses. All of these things brought about a bankruptcy in 1916 with the end of the company and the company closing completely.

In terms of the film industry in Jacksonville, the Florida State Archives indicates that “the political atmosphere in Jacksonville turned against the movie industry due to accusations of fraud, ties to political corruption and fear of endangering the public welfare with elaborate stunt sequences.” The movie era in Jacksonville was over and it moved to Hollywood California.Basically, the only thing left of the film industry in Jacksonville is the Norman film building but that’s a story for another day.

According to ta Tampa Bay story Oliver Hardy wrote in a letter to a friend, “”The best times of my life were spent in Jacksonville.” So, those must have been some good days.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Silentera. Com, The Coastal, Wikipedia, Tampa Bay Times, Visit to Harlem 1/26/23.

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January 26

Jacksonville and “The Ship of Gold”

Jacksonville’s involvement with “The Ship of Gold” tells a story of respect, love, fear, betrayal, riches and more. Life magazine called it “the greatest treasure ever found” but did the treasure show the greatest or bring out the poverty in most all connected? After researching the story and finding the boat in Northeast Florida, the real question is, which is the “Ship of Gold?: The SS Central America?, The Arctic Discoverer?, or the man who hauled a great bit of the gold away and then disappeared? I’d say, all three.

Contemporary painting of Central America ship

My grandsons are nine, four and four. Knowing the ship was so near, it was a must-see, so we, their mother and me, did. Our nearby travels took us less than twenty minutes to see the Arctic Discoverer. It’s basically, just down the road. It’s an approximately 65 year old deserted boat along a dock in Green Cove Springs, Florida. We all totally enjoyed the trip. With Gary Kinder’s book in hand, we basically knew the story start to finish except for the details of what Thompson will now do.

Over 30 years ago, the 180 foot ship was called the A.T. Cameron. It was then sold and renamed the Arctic Ranger when an investor seeking to help Thompson’s exploration bought and repurposed it. He brought it to Jacksonville, and Green Cove Springs, had it painted light sky blue and white and for a “nominal” fee, rented it to Thompson for his exploration. Thompson and his crew took it to sea to find gold and lots of it. Along with it, they took a, what many called a “miraculous” 12,000 pound underwater robot named Nemo that could be deployed remotely. The trip was orchestrated by a young Tommy Thompson, an engineer who had a passion and drive to hunt down and find the sunken ship, SS Central America.

September 1857 the Central America ship carrying some 600 passengers was returning from the California Gold Rush when it sunk off of the coast of South Carolina due to a hurricane. Over 20 tons of gold, other treasures and some 400 lives were lost.

In 1985, Tommy Thompson, with his company, Recovery Limited Partnership, set out with a group of 141 investors to discover and find the Central America . The plan was to recover the treasures lost. He and his team used “Nemo”, the underwater vessel along with other recovery equipment to find and explore the bottom of the sea where it sunk. Using special computer equipment and savvy methods for capturing such , including robotics and far-advance oceanography tricks to the trade, the team not only found the Central America but was able to bring up a great amount of items from the wreckage including luggage, documents, the ship’s bell and millions of dollars of gold coins and gold bars.

By 1989, the crew discover the shipwreck bringing great attention to this disaster. After this incredible find, over 35 insurance companies sued Thompson saying their policies gave them rights to the gold. Through years of litigation, and continual protection of the shipwreck site, Thompson and his company were rewarded 92 percent of the recovered gold with the remainder to pay insurance companies. Within two years, Thompson sold his companies’ portion of the gold to California Gold Group for $52 million

Investors cried foul and said that Thompson never returned their investment money thus there were further lawsuits against Thompson. High profiled businessmen sued him including The Dispatch Printing Company, directors of the Columbus Exploration group and Donald Fanta, an investor along with nine technicians who helped with the discovery.

The Arctic Discover in 2023- Photo- Ramey

In March of 2012 Thompson filed for bankruptcy but the filing was dismissed. It was then that Tommy Thompson did not show up in the next court session which prompted an arrest order. Thompson and his girlfriend Alison Anterkeier disappeared and for at least two years their whereabouts were unknown. According to The Columbus Dispatch, the resident going by the name of Susan Owens was actually Alison, the manager of the motor lodge, Virginia said. She moved there after being a no-show for a court date. This information came out in federal papers in June of 2015.

It was in January of 2015 also that, Thompson and Anterkeier were found in a Hilton hotel in Boca Raton. Those involved in the case said they had been paying cash for their living expenses. They were arrested and jailed. Thompson’s girlfriend, Alison spent a month in jail and then released.

In 2018, Thompson said he did not know where the gold was. That same year, the judge ruled that what artifacts were available could be sold and the $19.4 million in damages could go to the plaintiffs.

Thompson has remained in jail since the arrest and being unwilling to tell where the gold is to this day. He is being held in a federal detention center in Milan, Michigan according to news organizations . When searching his name under “inmate”, there is no release date listed.

Did Thompson bury the gold in Boca? Green Cover or even Jacksonville? If you read the court transcripts you might find out. Some say he’s given hints. If you find the gold, it would be yet another “great treasure find” pertaining to the “Ship of Gold”. The Arctic Discoverer is at present docked just outside of Duval County city limits.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Scripture for the day: “Thou Shalt Not Steal”. Also

Exodus 20:16 — “Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor.”

There is probably more to this story that we don’t know.

Sources: Columbus Dispatch, Ship of Gold, Gary Kinder, Coinworld, Odyssey Marine, Recovery Limited, Wikipedia, Personal visit.1/27/23

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January 22

Elvis Has Left The Building

He has not left Jacksonville….

Mae Boren Hoyt was the co-author to the famous pop-artist, Elvis Presley’s first RCA Singles hit, “Heartbreak Hotel”. It was in Jacksonville, Florida on the Westside, on Dellwood Avenue in 1955 that she and guitarist Tommy Durden put the tune together. Durden had seen a sad situation concerning love and heartbreak and got with Mae. The two put together the song.

Through a turn of events, I was interested in finding the home where the song was written. After a little research the house was found. On a stroll down Dellwood Avenue on that day, it was as I expected, a small 1,288 Sq Ft home, 3 beds and 2 baths. It sold February 28, 2022 for a whopping $298,812. Because of the high price, I wondered if the buyer knew that Elvis had been in the building?

On You Tube, there are several interviews with Mae and other artists; one being Elvis. It was obviously one of his first interviews, if not his first, and he told about his humble beginnings and thanked her for her support and willingness to “have his back”.

Mae Boren Axton was born February 9, 1914 in Texas. She died August 4, 1997. Her claim to fame was, while living in Jacksonville, she co-wrote Heartbreak Hotel with Tommy Durden . The day after the writing, she pitched it to Elvis. He liked it and it was the song that brought the two of them into the limelight launching both of their careers.

Before meeting Elvis, Mae met and married John T. Axton, a Navy officer. They moved to Jacksonville, Florida where he was stationed in 1949. Later, Axton became the first coach at Paxon High School and Mae, on occasion substituted as a teacher having her bachelors degree from University of Oklahoma. Mae also taught at DuPont and Lee High Schools. While she taught school, her focus was on music and writing. Over the years she would work with: Mel Tillis, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Eddy Arnold, Tanya Tucker, Johnny Tillotson, and Blake Shelton.

The success of Elvis music and launching both of their careers, Mae named her music Company “Dellwood Music”, it is believed, after the street on which she lived.

Jimmy Tennant, also called Jimmy Velvet, a friend of hers and one who lived in the same Jacksonville neighborhood met Elvis through Mae and had a life-long friendship with him. He spent time on American Bandstand and managed other singers, even having his own popular singles, “We Belong Together” and “Its Almost Tomorrow”. There is also a long list of other songs he has performed. In an interview with him, “Spa Guy” confirms a lot about Elvis and his time in Jacksonville, Florida and on Dellwood Avenue.

Elvis performed in Jacksonville August 10 and 11, 1956. His last performance was May 30, 1977 at the Jacksonville Coliseum. It was his 5th performance in Duval County and his last.

Elvis Presley died August 17, 1977. While Elvis has left the building, he is still in the hearts and minds of many of Jacksonville who went to see his last performance. The Times Union reported over 10,000 fans went. Were you there?

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Jimmy Velvet, Spa Guy, Wikipedia, JHS, Jimmy Velvet,

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January 19

The Human Billboard in Real Time

Hanging on the wall of the Family Medicine Doctor office on University Blvd. S. is an original copy of the inaugural Jaguars football game photo from 1995. On that day, September 3, Kivett Productions had the contract to gather together X number of people, provide specific seats for them, give them a packet with instructions and possible coupons, offers, etc. Then, at the given time and with “cue-card-holders” instruction have them flip their card to produce a huge human-type billboard. Even the cue-card-holder has a cue card! In this case, the Jaguars’ fans flip-cards and which when combined, reads, “Jacksonville Jaguars” and the photographer from the airplane in the sky went, “click”. This is the ultimate human billboard!

Kivett productions is said to the the world leader in this effort. They promote their card flip advertising and it is a performance in itself, indicating that they “design, print and distribute things related to it, engage the audience as “part of the event” and have participants move on “cue” to get a final results.

In this article photograph, you can clearly see the words”Jacksonville Jaguars” and here we are in the year 2023 with that photo hanging on the wall remaining a snapshot and iconic moment in time from 1995.

The framed item above is number 1,182 out of 1,500. Don’t you wonder where the other 1,499 are? The TIAA Bank Stadium can seat over 60,000 fans and can be expanded to 80,000 if needed so having one of the 1,500 posters is a definite collector’s item.

The 2023 Jaguars team is now in the playoffs for the Super Bowl. I wonder if promoters will hire Kivett Productions again for the playoff games? Super Bowl? Yours thoughts? 1/19/23

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Kivett Productions, You Tube

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January 18

Old Fashioned Gardens

The Garden Club of Jacksonville

Ground Breaking, Photo: Garden Club, Jacksonville Historical Society

My Aunt Bette, was a garden club member. She fit right in. Bette Long was beautiful, gracious, loved people and philanthropic. For as long as I remember, she talked about her beloved Cherokee Rose kind of Garden Club. While it was located in neighbouring Orange Park, it had the same focus and drive as the Jacksonville Garden Club. It was there that she had her memorial service upon her home-going. For sure, she probably never actually potted a plant with her beautiful nail-painted hands but more than likely gave a ton of money to help the needy and further the cause.

Many times, she and her group would join the Garden girls at the Jacksonville Garden club for annual meetings and the like. With Aunt Bette, the more people the better. That is how I learned about the Downtown Jacksonville Garden Club which began its life on March 22, 1922.

First Garden club show.. 1922( Garden Club, JHS)

Yesterday, a group of about seventy five ladies gathered at the Riverside area Garden Club to hear interim archivist Emily Cottrell talk about how the Historical Society of Jacksonville archives its items. It seems that in July of 2020, the historical society came to the garden club to view hundreds of documents, photographs, scrapbooks and more that were in the possession of the club. By the end of that year, the garden club group had donated these items to the Historical Society and they were carried away by several trips to be archived and documented.

The speaker and archivist, Emily Cottrell a UNF graduate first volunteered at the Historical Society and now is a member of the staff in charge of this massive historical archive. As many of 10 scrapbooks, dozens and dozens of documents, booklets, brochures, and pages of different and various “circles” are now in her possession at the JHS to archive, decipher and digitize. With the help of Ethan and Tova, members and other volunteers, many have worked diligently to put items together by date, time and group.

The event yesterday was presented on a slide show and with a table display of some old and long-standing documents and photos. There was the first garden show and ribbon cutting event pictured. Also was shown, an old scrapbook of 1946 newspaper clippings dating back to the early 1900’s. Other projects shown was that of a 1963-64 “Garden for the Blind” where at least 25 students from the St. Augustine Deaf and Blind school were celebrated with a “sensory garden using the senses of touch, taste, smell, feel, and see, set up for them.

The Jacksonville Garden Club was founded by Ninah Cummer with a group of some 17 friends in 1922. It was a “small organization to further their garden research and to enhance city spaces. “

During Cottrell’s talk, she mentioned 2555 Gilmore Street as a place of service. After the event, I rode past to see what and where that was. It is the home of Central Riverside Elementary School which was built in 1916 so within it first few years, the Garden Club was helping beautify the school grounds.

There have been as many as 170 “circles” ( garden groups) over the years. Cottrell indicated there are 130 active groups at this time. Some of the names of circles over the years have been: Cherokee, Oleander, Avondale, Ingleside, Magnolia, River Oaks, Lantana, Red Bud and my favorite, “Old Fashioned Garden”.

Aunt Bette would be proud I went to the Garden Club of Jacksonville. I’m all about giving too but rarely put my hand in the dirt to plant either….Ha!

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Category: Flora and Fauna, History | LEAVE A COMMENT

January 16

Imeson Airport and Lucky Lindy ( Charles Lindbergh)

Known as Jacksonville Municipal Airport, it was a working flight center from 1927-1968. Growing up, we called it “Imeson Airport” named after Thomas Cole Imeson, the first President of Southeast Airmail Association and a city commissioner.

For many years we rode past it after it was closed. I never remember actually being on the property until this year when a friend and I set out to find what was left. She said she picked up her cousin from Atlanta there once and literally waited on the tarmac for the plane to land where she met her outside when she walked out of the plane. That was about in the mid 1960s she said.

At some point, Imeson was a big deal and later deemed as an Army Air Force facility. According to reports, it was located off of North Main Street, began with a grass runway, by 1934 had a sandy, sodded, surfaced” and a gravel-type runway. The airport grew to over 600 acres and 5 hangars with asphalt runways by 1941. When Imeson died in March of 1948, the JMA was renamed in his honor.

On the day the Jacksonville Municipal Airport opened, the famous Charles Lindbergh came that October 11, 1927 along with his airplane, “Spirit of St. Louis”. Charles Lindbergh had just breaking news of his trans-Atlantic solo flight and was being celebrated world-wide. News reports were about the tremendous crowd of some 150,000 at the Duval County airport on that day.

Charles Lindbergh and Spirit of St. Louis visit Jax 1927- Fl Memory photo

Many famous people have flown in or out at Imeson Such as Richard Nixon, Martin Luther King, The Beatles( 1964), John F. Kennedy, Rose Kennedy, his mother. Amelia Earhart was in Jacksonville on March 1, 1936 as reported in the Times-Union but it does not mention if she rode in a car, train, or flight.

There were rails to be ridden and the train line was an important part of Jacksonville’s transportation at that time.

Train track on Imeson property. Photo-Ramey

As history notes, Eastern Air Services, now Eastern Airlines was the first passenger airline. Over the years Imeson Airport served flights for personal, military, World War II flights, Army Air Corps, and more. Following the war, with less need for military services and with the sight of a new airport on the rise, the base was closed in 1946. Over the years it was used by other needs concerning flight including the Air Force, Air National Guard’, Fighter groups and more. By 1970 it becomes Webb International Inc. and made into a commerce center.

As recent as 2022, at least 1.2 million square feet of industrial space at Imeson Park South was under review by the City of Jacksonville so things out there continue to change.

Looking at the area today, there is no evidence of an airport unless a large cemented area was possibly used for runway access. There are some very large cement pilings but other than that, it is definitely an industrial complex of large business buildings.The East end of Imeson Blvd was reportedly resurfaced from part of the runway to the road where people now drive. We flew down it today, so-to-speak.

The area of buildings off of Main Street-Photo-Ramey

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Google, Wikipedia, Bizjournal, Times-Union, Florida Memory, USDT, Personal Visit

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January 15

Surely The Two Met in Heaven

The famed evangelist, Billy Graham preached his first sermon at Bostwick Baptist Church in Palatka, just south of Jacksonville, Florida in 1937. Only the year before, in 1936, Ralph Eddins would be born in Billy Graham’s home state of North Carolina. Both Northcarolinians, Graham and Eddins would have a passion to proclaim the Gospel of Christ and “be the kind of man my child wants to see”. Graham, a generation before Eddins spent his entire life traveling the world, meeting the most famous, wealthy, prominent and distinctive people in the universe using his influence to spread God’s message of grace.

Graham was an 18-year-old college student “with knocking knees and four borrowed sermons” who preached at the Bostwick Baptist Church to about 40 congregants on Easter Sunday weekend in April of 1937.

YOUNG BILLY GRAHAM WITH TWO OF HIS TEACHERS, JOHN MINDER LEFT AND CECIL UNDERWOOD EASTER SUNDAY 1937. AT THE BAPTIST CHURCH BOSTWICK PALATKA, FLORIDA.(BGA photo).

Ralph Eddins was not yet one year old but God had a plan for him just as he did for Graham. Billy Graham would go on and preach to millions world-wide and often referred to his first opportunity to share the Gospel at Bostwick. Eddins would go forward, end up in Florida, marry Helen, have three children and impact the lives of many far and wide in his own time and place. He would end up in his son, David Eddin’s church at Bostwick just as Graham began there.

Ralph Eddins had his home-going service at Bostwick Baptist Church where his eldest son is now pastor. The Senior Eddins, for almost six decades would proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ telling in serious fashion about God’s grace, forgiveness, mercy and eternal promises. His son, David also, following in his Father’s footsteps is now at Bostwick Baptist proclaiming that same hopeful message. At his Father’s “celebration”, the young Eddins spoke of his Dad’s love of God’s Word and his determination to share it. He spoke about his Dad’s gifts of carpentry and matter-of-fact attitude and how he woke up every day happy with “heaven on his mind”.

Jason, David, Helen, Ralph, Joyce(Photo: Sharon Greenbarg)

David’s son, Nathan also spoke and having been called into the ministry himself, was influenced by his Grandad’s diligence in living out the Gospel of Jesus. He too reminisced about his grandfather being a man of his word, being of strong opinion and never wavering.

From the Bostwick pulpit at his home-going, his daughter told how her Father was “dogmatic, outspoken and opinionated” while always faithful to his calling. Tommy Brown, long time friend and a pastor from North Carolina spoke as well and told of Eddins’ influence on his life.

Eddins was honored with a church full of those who came to celebrate his new life in heaven. There was grieving but not for him. His youngest son, Jason wept for his loss but said he was confident of his excitement waking in heaven. Eddins’ decades of service through the years would be continued by family and friends as eternity was on the mind of all who came to celebrate his life.

As Pastor Tommy Brown put it, “Well done though good and faithful servant”. At Billy Graham’s funeral, the same was said of him. Surely the two met in heaven and indeed with Jesus.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Category: Churches, Faith, Uncategorized | LEAVE A COMMENT

January 13

Yard Art…Such as a Jet Fuel Tank

This past month, I took a trip to Marietta which is in West Duval County to see the area where Jacksonville founder Isaiah David Hart, sometime after 1822, had a large plantation. I found the hugely wooded area and imagined all kinds of scenarios of how and where Hart may have lived but I had no idea I’d find a jet fuel tank out there with other yard art.

While driving up and down the densely populated trees, I found huge ones of every kind including tall pines, large oaks and even Florida palms. The interesting find that day was that of a jet fuel tank set up in the yard of long time Westside resident Guy Lachapelle. That, was some serious history! How in the world did it get there and from where?

There is really a simple answer. Lachapelle is, as listed on his linked page, an “expert total” in “selective dismantling and demolition since 1979”. Fuel tank removal would be one of the things he might do.

While being inquisitive, I saw Guy in his yard and was able to ask him a few questions and get permission to photograph in the area. Wearing blue jeans, an open collar shirt, and in country fashion, he told me how he was in the business of demolition. He explained that one of his jobs was on Normandy Blvd. some years ago and part of the job was to remove a jet fuel tank. Thinking it was unique, he used his large equipment, brought it home and leaned it artistically in his front yard. Boom! Yard art!

On Normandy Blvd there was the home of Cecil Field Naval Air base which operated from 1941-1999. It is now called Cecil Commerce. Lacapelle did not say he got the tank from the base but it made sense that it certainly could have come from there with the base once serving as “one of four naval air stations to be designated as Master Jet Bases specifically used for the operation of carrier-based jet aircraft”.

Cecil Field Entrance-Unknown Photo credit

His wife came out about the time I was leaving and when I mentioned the yard art, she said looking around with a smile, “Sometimes there is just too much yard art”.

Other items in their yard were dated old rusty trucks and a Seaboard Coastline train car sitting on actual tracks. HA! I wonder what Isaiah Hart would say?

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Wikipedia, Google Search, Lachapelle, Ramey

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