St. Augustine, Florida is a most beautiful place to see anytime and many times over during the Christmas season. Today’s tree is from the stunning Flagler College located at 74 King Street, St. Augustine, Fl 32084. The campus is named for railroad builder and financier, Henry M. Flagler who built a Spanish Renaissance type hotel in 1888. Today, that old hotel is a liberal arts institution named Flagler College.
The college has its roots from 1968 to the present with the current President being the former Mayor of Jacksonville, John A. Delaney. The campus is 19 acres and is situated in the downtown St. Augustine area.
The tree is located in the Rotunda, just outside of the famous campus dining hall and Lewis Auditorium.
See you tomorrow,
Sources: Flagler College, Ramey [Idea about a tree a day came from the editor of the Daily Record, Karen Mathis].
This Christmas tree is one of the biggest I’ve photographed this year. It’s located in the center area of the first phase of the Town Center right in front of Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant. The faux fir tree is a whopping 32 foot Christmas tree and decorated for the season.
While there today, I noticed couple after couple getting their photo taken in front of the huge tree or taking photos of the huge tree. The 16th annual tree lighting was held Saturday, November 12, 2022 beginning at 2:PM for family highlights and the actual lighting at 8PM along with a fireworks finale.
Jacksonville’s “Town Center “ website boasts of over 175 stores including restaurants, Jewellers and luxury destinations. It’s located off of Southside Blvd and you can get there by way of I-95, I-295 and J. Turner Butler Blvd or Beach Blvd if coming from the beaches. It would take more than a day to visit all of the stores at the Town Center but you might try it all a day at a time. Be sure to include setting up a schedule to eat and shop. Both can be done.
From Target, the Apple store to Tiffany & Co. the Town Center is a great place to shop.
See you tomorrow,
Sources: Maggiano’s, Ramey, Google, [Idea about a tree a day came from the editor of the Daily Record, Karen Mathis].
Christmas has been a tradition at First Baptist Church Jacksonville for many years. The First Baptist Church of Jacksonville began in 1838, with a handful of people, both Black and White, seeking to serve God. From 1838 until the 1861-Civil War, the church developed and grew having several locations over the years in which to worship. During Civil War times and the Indian Seminole war there were months on end that the church was not even functioning in a group setting so it is unknown if the church decorated their facility in any way. We now have some understanding of this type of situation having gone through the Pandemic beginning in 2020 and not meeting for months and months. Though the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic from March 8 and into the 2021 Christmas season, the First Baptist Church did not meet in person. There were some decorations however because a lot was done online and the podium area was prepared for online worship. Decorations were limited by those who went to the church to perform online services. We are still seeking information and history on the traditions of the Baptist Church in Jacksonville. We hope to have more information over time.
FBC- 2022
From the 1960’s until the present it seems the church had a Christmas Tree in the building at some location. Over the years, the dining hall has definitely been a place of great decoration, color and beauty. For years and years Sunday School classes would have their Christmas parties at the church in one of the divided areas and there would be great fanfare and decoration. Throughout the building for years, beautiful Nativity scenes and the like would be in departments throughout the church. Classrooms were decorated by the members of each class and there was no end to the beautiful and creativity of people who loved the Lord.
Season upon season the church facility was decorated by Virginia Ennis, a faithful member and owner of Gladwell’s Florist. Wreaths, streaming greenery, Christmas trees, ornaments, Nativity scenes depicting the Christ-Child and lighting were seen throughout. For many years this was the way First Baptist decorated the church.
There have been many seasonal traditions through the years including the decoration and lighting of the tree, giving to missions in a wooden manger and the “Chest of Joash”, the traditional pledge card/giving day.
Decorating the church has been important concerning seasonal celebrations at First Baptist Jacksonville. In recent years, staff, leadership and lay members have been decorating and this year was no different. “Serve Day” was used as a way to allow members to take part and many Christmas decorations were set up. It is unclear when the first tree was decorated at the church but for sure, the birth of Christ has been front and center.
This year’s tree is at least 20 feet tall with the songs of the seasons framed and hanging . Go see it. It will not disappoint.
See you tomorrow,
Sources: Personal interviews, Personal experience, Buddy Wall, church historian, [Idea about a tree a day came from the editor of the Daily Record, Karen Mathis].
Visit-First Baptist Church- 125 West Ashley Street , Jacksonville, Florida 32202
We’ve all heard that “everything’s bigger in Texas” but it’s that way in Costco too. Did you know that COSTCO stands for “China Ocean Shipping Company”…It is owned by the Chinese government and its headquarters is in Beijing. (BTW- The “J” is Beijing is hard not soft when you say it). Everything from televisions, cookies, pies and cakes to a peanut bag; “everything’s bigger”.
If ever you had to feed a large crowd for Thanksgiving, it would be a must to go to Costco and shop. The pies are huge. The cakes are huger. ( Is that even a word?)
Tonight, I was in Costco looking for the large bag of “Thinsters”, a coconut-chocolate cookie. They had the large bag and at a reasonable price. While I was there, I just noticed everything including the grocery buggies were bigger.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. Oh, and you can get a large hot dog for only $1.50. Bargain, ya’ll and it’s big too! (Some say we should be concerned COSTCO is so big in America. Your thoughts?)
The address- 510 Fairground Pl. Jacksonville, Fl 32203
Since 1955, Jacksonville has had an annual fair brining thousands of people to one location to ride rides, exhibit art, show off animals and win prizes of various kinds. It deems itself as a private 501(c)3 non profit corporation and highlights itself as being a “quality family fair”.
For years and years, the Jacksonville Fair was held on the grounds of the Gator Bowl, a well-known sports venue with one of the biggest rivalry games, the Florida-Georgia game. Sometimes, that game would fall about the same time as the fair and the two would collaborate the fun. Today, that field is called EverBank Field. According to the Greater Jacksonville Fair history story, in 1989 the Fair Association “broke ground” on its own property nearby the football stadium and a new fairground facility was born entertaining some 700,000 people.
The Jacksonville Fair is a huge event for the Jacksonville area bringing in millions of dollars to the area in the way of businesses, food vendors, game attendants, parking revenue and more. In 2002, the fair celebrated 65 years of fun and frolic. Yesterday was its last day for this year.
‘Crazy, but I do not remember the man’s name. He lived at the South end of Milson Road, off of Crystal Springs on the Westside. Milson was and still is a dirt road and very much in the country. Now a days it is still a single lane dirt road but the city has definitely come to the area including large subdivisions nearby. His home was just behind our 10 acres. He provided fish boxes for the fisheries in the Duval County area.
When I was about nine or ten a bunch of us kids would go to this house and nail together fish boxes. The side strips and ends were already cut and all we would do is line up the sides and two ends and nail it together, stack it and begin a new.
The old man needed the help and we loved the change. It would be used to go to Anderson’s Dairy on the Northeast side of Crystal Springs Road to buy a honey bun and a coke. So, I guess my first job was a fish box nailer.
The old place is pretty much gone now but as I rode past there recently, all of those memories of learning how to nail together fish boxes came rushing back. The remembrance of the heat, hitting my finger with a hammer and then the happiness of getting paid for such, rushed back.
Jacksonville, being on the St. Johns River and having the beaches has always been a huge industry for fishing. The United States Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service put out a circular in 1963 called “The Annual Report of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Biological laboratory”. It highlighted programs such as “The Blue Crab” program, “Sampling the Catch” program, “Florida Studies, St. Johns River” and more. This business helped meet the needs for those in this important business.
“What?” Again, shaking my head, there is great amazement that people vote for the government who already basically owns them, to get an even stronger hold on their money by voting yes for a tax. My Father was a wise man. He said, “NEVER” vote for a tax. If the government really needs money they will take it from you anyhow and then you’ve given them more by voting yes on a tax. Never vote for a tax increase. Never.” So, I was one of the 81,602 or so who voted “NO” for the government to raise my taxes.
nraila photo grab
Yes, Teacher’s should be paid better. Being an educator for over thirty-five years, this is something I know first hand. Giving the government another penny though…. NO! Better use of the money they have could make this happen without raising property taxes.
The only thing I can think is that Jacksonville people have a heart for teachers which of course is a good thing but it appears they are going about their care for educators without thinking the DCPS already has an almost $3 billion, with a “b” budget!
According to local news reports, voters in Duval County voted to give the government even more of their money by passing the 1 mil property tax increase. This would be in an effort to help Duval County Public Schools pay better money which could attract better qualified teachers. Duval County Public Schools could better spend the $2.6 billion they voted for in August of 2022 to get and keep better teachers. From now on… always vote NO on a tax increase. (Ask me how I really feel about this.) 8-25-2022
Do you know that you cannot take an air conditioning unit to the scrap yard without a notice signed by you saying from whence it came and who owned it?
Yep! The scrap metal industry has really had a booming business with thieves far and wide who would in the night remove folks AC unit from their homes and take them to the scrap yard for money. Gasp and…God saw it all.
I’m sorry to report. The problem got so bad that the scrap yards were forced to ask for proof of where a unit came from and who it belonged to.
My Father and Mother’s property on the Westside of Jacksonville was so full of scrap metal that one guy took away 6 full loads in a 5 x 12 trailer piled at least 5 feet tall. He and his girl friend were happy folks each time they completed a run to the scrap yard.
In this photo, is a small load of scrap that was on the back of our 10 acres. Someone will be happy though because the bottom of the flat area is solid metal. Metal does not bring much per pound but it adds up.. Oh! And, look at the tire rim! Ha!
Current Prices
Insulated Copper Wire (Cat 5/6)$0.62/lb. …
Aluminum NA. …
Car Batteries$0.22-$0.26/lb. …
Car Batteries$0.22-$0.26/lb. …
Small Foreign Cat$82-$97/each. …
Steel $0.03-$0.05/lb. Stainless Steel $0.23/lb. …
Clean Green Motherboards$1.15/lb. Non-Green Motherboards$0.55/lb. …
The Dinsmore Dairy that was in North Jacksonville probably dating back to the early 1900’s to the 1970’s is no longer producing milk for the Jacksonville and beyond community but there are still artifacts and remaining relics of the business. Today, I came across a metal milk jar container and was glad to find it.
Dinsmore Dariy Bottle Carrier-(Ramey)
The dairy at one time had one of the largest groups of Guernsey cattle and the Johnson family were known for producing milk for the community. I went to school with Earl A. Johnson’s son, Andy, graduating in 1971 so I remember those days.
The house where the milk was processed has been turned into a pretty home set back among beautiful oak and pecan trees. Hanging from them are wispy Spanish moss. Some of the old milk barns can be seen from the dead-end street but much of the farm out-barns and other farming structures like silos’ are gone. Around the old farm are two subdivisions dotted with brick homes. While there is still a semblance of the country, the country has come to town out there.
Emily Carolyn Mehaffey was a long time First Baptist Church of Jacksonville member and director of youth and adults over her 40 some years at the church. She worked in various places in the fellowship including church training, the ladies department, with young people and as a director in the Women’s Department under the leadership of Miss Guinell Freeman. In her young adult career, she worked at the Eelbeck warehouse on Beaver Street in Jacksonville, Florida. Later, she became a real estate agent with fine skills of order, and detail. Mehaffey had a lot of satisfied home buyers.
Google Books, Kenneth Jr.
Emily was born October 30, 1918 in Eelbeck, Chattahoochee County, Georgia and died in Duval County on August 21, 2012. She was buried in Columbus, Georgia.
Emily Mehaffey
She was preceded in death by her parents and many of her siblings including Clifford, E. L, Hubert, William, Madeline and Lucile.
It was her parents who built the Eelbeck Grits and Pancake company in Columbus, Georgia. The name Eelbeck was derived from the homeplace of Henry J. Eelbeck, the postmaster, who married Sarah Cook whose father owned the property. Over the years, it became a milling business and called “Eelbeck”. Mr. Cliff Mehaffey leased the property and Eelbeck Milling became a house-hold name.
Note: “Jacksonville” on the Eelbeck packaging. Courtesy of Jason Wittkopp
“The mill is a large wooden structure which age has blackened but notimpaired its sturdy longleaf pine timbers and weather-boarding. The lumber was cut on the site which once had many beautiful bodies of original timber. Every beam and every board in it was dressed on both sides by hand. This was done mostly by slave labor. Every piece of it appears today as sound as it was theday it was put in place. Inside the mill are parts of the original equipment, such as the meal bins and elevator. The former are made of solid pieces of long leaf, pine twenty inches wide, which gives an idea of the size of the timberonce foresting the section.”( Chattahoochee Cty GaArchives, 1922)
Eelbeck Mill, Photo- Mehaffey
The actual plant site was sold to Fort Benning Military Reservation. The family moved to Jacksonville and the Eelbeck name continued on with warehouses on Beaver Street in Duval County. Emily worked in the office on Beaver Street before retiring and taking up the real estate business.
The Beaver Street warehouse in Jacksonville, Florida for Eelbeck Grits, and pancakes.(Photo 2022)
Until 1941, the site was filled with all of the workings to make grist but that year, it was absorbed by Fort Benning. Military Reservation. The Eelbeck Mills complex was dismantled in 1943.
Eventually, Eelbeck sold to Martha White, an American brand of flour, cornmeal and mixes. It was established in 1899 in Nashville, Tenn.
Andrew L. wrote on Emily Mehaffey’s “Find a Grave listing”, “You are loved and missed by your First Baptist Family.” We can all make a difference. Right?
See you tomorrow,
Sources, Find a Grave, Sarah Cowie, H. G. Mehaffey, photo, Chattahoochee County GaArchives History-Eelbeck 1933, N. K. Rogers, Google Books, Kenneth, Jr.,J.M. Land, Jason Whittkopp Collection (photo).
