January 19

The Jacksonville Symphony

The Jacksonville Symphony performed today in the Jacoby Symphony Hall where the majority of the over concerts are held by the group. Upcoming performances are listed on their website and include those such as Mozart, Vivaldi & Handel, Florida Blue Classical Series, The King, Queen & Prince of Rock and Roll, Brass, Organ & Percussion and more.

The Jacoby Symphony Hall opened in 1997 at the Performing Arts building. It was fashioned after the Wiener Musikverein in Vienna.   It was designed by KBJ Architects, Rothman, Rothman and Heineman architects.  According to the group’s website the hall is in the shape of a shoebox seating 1,800 people.  Dressed in all black, the beautiful music performed was stunning for all to hear.

The organ used in the symphony is a Bryan Concert Organ.  The JS had this organ rebuilt and installed in the new concert hall.  It was originally constructed in 1914 and was known as the Casavant Opus 553. After being rebuilt is has 6,215 pipes weighing 20 tons.  It was named in honor of the Bryan family, long standing Jacksonville Symphony lovers.

The Symphony roots date back to 1949.  According to Wikipedia, it is “one of the longest-standing orchestras”.  While the Jacoby Symphony Hall is greatly used, the group also performs in schools, senior citizen centers while also appearing on NPR and Performance Today.

The Jacksonville Symphony is known to have a great many listeners exceeding some 200,000 in which many are young people.  The concert today lasted one hour from start to finish and the music was from Bach to Mozart and beyond.   Today, I wore all black but according to their own acknowledgement, wearing “diamonds or denim” suits you just fine.  The major request is that “shoes and shirt” is work at all times.  

The hall was named in honor of Robert E. Jacoby, a philanthropist of Ponte Vedra Beach Florida.  To order tickets to the Jacksonville Symphony, visit http:/ /jaxsymphony .org. You won’t be sorry and, take a friend or the whole family!  Hey, get a whole group going!

See you tomorrow,

Nan

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January 13

Three Miracles Already in This New Year

Two things and then three miracles.  I don’t know how God works but wow and you’re just not going to want to believe these stories but you decide. Here goes in order.

First, our Dad’s home was built in the 1960’s. As a result, everything is not “code”.  It’s not perfect,  first because my Dad built it and he in himself worked outside of the box. (Literally in this case.)   This week, there was water outside of the home in an unusual place thus the problem was a need to have the septic tank pumped which was promptly done.  When the guy came to pump it, he told me the septic tank should not be this close to the house, that people should not ride over the drain field and that a new lid was needed.    I explained that because we recently had a barn built and had to pull a permit that they “grandfathered” the septic tank in due to the situation and it was approved having worked well for over 60 years.  Over time, we  knew that regardless, we would certainly do what we could to upgrade so we immediately squared off wood 28 ‘’ x 35” and bought the cement for creating a new septic tank lid including rebar to secure safety.  Meanwhile, since all of the walkway brick had been pulled up,  the guests in the apartment needed a nice and most importantly, safe walkway for coming in and out.  The day of the clean-out, we put a temporary entrance but I was not satisfied regarding safety so in the next days there were plans to make a safer and more sturdy walkway.

After leaving the house, and while taking home a worker,  I was driving and saw a large piece of about 4 inch in thickness wood on the side of the road.  It was a really nice walkway about 4 x 6 feet in size.  A mental note was made of its location but I was tired and still had to take the worker to his home so on I went.  After dropping him off with it raining and me being totally exhausted, I almost did not go back to look at the walkway but instead forced myself to go return… Good thing too.  The walkway was going to be perfect. In the rain, it was heaved-ho into the back of the truck.   Miracle # 1.

That same day, after leaving my daughter and son-in-laws home, I saw a nice table on the side of the road.  It was too heavy for me to lift so I asked my kids to drop by on their way out and help me get it.  While we were there, the worker who was riding with them was looking through the other items left and grabbed a small drawer.  They came with me to the barn where we would off-load the table.  I said in passing that I had lost the key to my riding lawn mower.  The worker said, “Hey, I found a little drawer on the side of the road today. It has keys in it.  Maybe one will fit your lawn mower.  He tried the first and then the second, the third and in a total shock, the fourth key turned the lights on and then cranked the Craftsman riding lawn mower. The odds?  Miracle # 2

I’m sorry to say, but this worker has not been honest and has stolen a circular saw, drill and battery, and a metal cutting saw from us.  We, even he is well-aware of the whole debacle but we have needed his help and after discussions have kept him while being on the watch of his behaviours.  When he cranked the lawn mower, and found a key that worked, he handed over a key to me.  Naturally, I was in such shock that it fit, I had to try it myself.  The key did not work.  He had given me a key that did not crank the mower.  In hind-sight, was it so he could later come remove the lawn mower or an accident? I say the latter but… you decide but in our mind it was “Miracle # 3” that the key was tried and found not working so that success could occur later and the lawn mower not be stolen.

How does God work?  BTW, we’re trying to help the worker find God so maybe there will be a Miracle # 4. Pray with us.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

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January 2

Treasures in Heaven or Stuff…

Truly, I love stuff. As a wanna-be historian, collecting things is almost a way of life.  Having rentals provides a place to decorate with the stuff and store the stuff.  In one rental, I’ve begun to add shelves high on the wall.  There has been the “Whitehouse” rental where everything in it is President-related.  Everything from the security phone, photographs, Christmas ornaments to the Lincoln bed was collected.  Then there is the “Farmhouse” where there is a pig collection, horse collection, frog collection, sign collection and on and on so, I’m all about stuff.

Because of so much “stuff”, space has been affected.  There are 3 storage areas which we use for everything from wedding things to lawn equipment, over 100 chairs and tables to seat those 100 people so we’re now thinking of building yet another storage area.  That’s where the scripture comes into play and I’m wanting to focus more on treasures in heaven rather than things on this earth.

So,  that is  my new year’s resolution…  I’ll tell you how it’s going as I get a better grip on it.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

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January 1

Journals Galore

January 1, 2024

I have apologized time and again to my daughters for the amount of “stuff” they are going to inherit. There is a meme on the internet of a father standing in front of an open storage compartment filled with stuff.  He says to his son, “One day, you’re going to inherit all of this”.  The son is not impressed.  Neither will my girls be.  Oh my. 

It could end that I spend every dime of their financial inheritance but for sure, I’m leaving behind my stuff. For example, a great amount of money was spent when I sold a property and bought a lake place and a mountain cabin. Then there was the Homestead property of my parents where we converted our Dad and Mom’s barn into a chapel and continue to work on it.  There are the rental storage areas full of plunder to keep them going and of course, my own personal stuff. They will be shaking their heads and rolling their eyes. Again, I’m sorry.

I’m often reminded of the scripture that warns us not to store up treasures on earth but in heaven. That is going to be my new years resolution.  I’m going to downsize and focus more on heavenly treasures but I can’t imagine I’ll get rid of that much to begin. 

I am guilty of earthly treasure worship but in 2023, there are plans to work on that error.  That won’t involve my journals though.  I won’t part with my fifty- plus handwritten journals but will in fact possibly expand them with spiritual writings of growth and glory.  There are probably more than fifty journals at this writing, but who’s counting. When I die the girls, out of curiosity might begin that task of counting them.  They will be worn out too because for a good many years, a new journal was begun every year and sometimes even two or possibly three.  Again, who’s counting?

So, what would be so interesting that a person would write daily.  Well, in all honesty, there are days I don’t write in my journal.  When I was in a working environment and had a desk it was easy to jot things in a book every day but being retired, the schedule is so up an down, I may not write for a week or so but when a writing happens, it is more of a factual entry of things occurring in real time.

During the pandemic, a Pandemic Journal was kept,  so it will be of interest to pandemic historians.  As a staunch conservative, all of the scare tactics will not be in there but can be compared to the majority of untruths put out by current left news outlets in their pandemic files online.  What a difference they will read. 

While it has been in me to write even as a child, my yearly journal endeavors really began in the 1980’s.  Since photography has also been of importance, all American presidents since Ronald Reagan have been written about and photographed, including the trips and observances.

Highlights in my journals have been the raising of two girls, their lives and events but in between, having witnessed history, I’ve followed, photographed and journaled about Condi Rice, Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich,  the home of Martin Luther King, his children, and gone to the funeral of Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Jacksonville Mayors, American Presidents including Carter, Reagan, Obama and Trump, visited NASA with the famous astronauts and the list goes on, including the visits with Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince and King of England. Ha! 

Today, January 1, a new journal was begun. The old one was put among the others for another day and in “my stuff” for my girls.  “Girls, I’m sorry for all of the stuff” but you’re more valuable to me than all of the folks covered in the journals. I’ve told all about you in those writings so enjoy…

Meanwhile, I’ll keep you posted on my effort to focus on Jesus not stuff.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

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August 3

Lem Turner of Duval County

The Find a Grave website indicates that Lemuel Turner was born on an “old family homestead just east of Capper Road” in Jacksonville, Florida.  Yesterday, I trekked over to find this area and to weed through the cemetery where he and his family are buried. Not knowing where I was going, I met Kenneth Rodgers who lived along the cemetery road.  When asked about a long-lost cemetery in the area, he was quick to point me toward its direction saying it may be so overgrown I wouldn’t be able to get in.  I told him I’d take my chances and I did.

Dead end street

Rodgers said that the field gets cut from time-to-time but generally speaking,  the cemetery stays overgrown and uncared for. Such was the case when I drove to the dead-end of the road and parked.  There was a partial fence around a wooded field and yard waste right where one might walk into the cemetery. At first glance, it just looked like a pretty, wooded field but upon a closer look, there was a wooden cross rotting from age in the middle of the overgrown field.  To get in, I walked around the edges to find a break in the foliage and fencing and headed towards the cross.

Lem Turner ( Find a Grave photo).

The greenery was thigh-deep so I picked up a stick along the way to ward off any long and slivery animal.  Thankfully, I did not see one  but I was semi-prepared and did walk slowly and cautiously.

It is called the “Pickett Cemetery” . It has other grave names as well.

To the left of the cross were actual gravestones, one being that of Lemuel Turner.  Turner was born June 6, 1834 and died March 24, 1912.  The cemetery is called “Pickett Cemetery” and located on a dead-end street on the Northside of Jacksonville. Turner was known for owning and operating a ferry on the Trout River.  Too, he operated a lumber yard.  Once known as Turner Ferry Road, the now called “Lem Turner Road” is a busy area north of the city. 

Find a Grave photo of Lemuel Turner’s stone.

Turner and his family before him lived on property some 650 acres now called the “Highlands” area. Turner had at least 6 brothers and sisters and 8 children.  He is buried next to is wife, Sarah Ann Pickett Turner and at least 2 of his children. His other children are buried at Evergreen Cemetery, Edgewood Cemetery and Ogilvie Cemetery.

The cemetery had other grave stones in the center back  with such names as Pickett and in one area an actual decorative gated section. I did not go in but looked over into the multiple grave stones inside the probably about 20  x 20 fenced area.

A fenced off area inside the cemetery completely over grown.

The things I loved about the cemetery was that the name of Jesus was on so many of the tombstones with some scriptures and crosses galore.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Find a Grave, Kenneth Rodgers, Personal visit to the grave site.

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July 17

Principal Blocker of Jacksonville

In the Basement of Bethel Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida classes were held in 1892.  Sarah A. Blocker was the instructor with the Reverend Matthew Gilbert and others involved in the programs.

Sarah A. Blocker, Public Domain, Library of Congress

The school was effectively born in 1897 when members of the Bethlehem Baptist Association began the Florida Baptist Institute in Like Oak, Florida.  At some point, the association under the leadership of Matthew Gilbert took a part of the group  to Jacksonville developing the Normal the Florida Baptist Academy. Classes were held in the basement at Bethel in Jacksonville, Fl.

Bethel Baptist, Jacksonville, Fl (Ramey)

From 1896 until about 1940 Nathan Collier presided as President of the school. There is also a Collier-Blocker Junior College in Palatka.  

Of the many teachers at the school over the years, Rosamond Johnson, a Jacksonville native and composer taught and during that time composed the music bearing the name “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”.  From that poem his brother, James Weldon Johnson composed music and has been named by many the “Negro National Anthem”.  

Rosamond Johnson, Public Domain, Library of Congress

There have been many students to come out of this school including Eartha White, Howard Thurman, Harry Moore, and more.  

According to records, the school relocated to St. Augustine and occupied the “Old Hansen Plantation”, a 400 acre land area.  In 1918, it was renamed the Florida Normal and Industrial Institute and in 1942, it merged with the Live Oak school which effectively closed its doors. Again, the name was reworked being named Florida Normal Industrial and Memorial College in St. Augustine and yet again,  by 1968 a new campus opened with the name of Florida Memorial College moving to Dale County.  In 2004, the name was amended to be Florida Memorial University.  

Sarah A. Blocker was principal of Normal, Florida Baptist College in the 1900’s in Jacksonville, Florida.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Wikipedia, Florida Women’s Hall of Fame, New York Public Library, UNF collections, Library of Congress.

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July 15

Friends of the Public Library

Ricki is a volunteer at the “Friends of the Public Library” store. She counts and adds up the cost of books purchased at the facility located on University Blvd.

The last time I went to the store she checked me out. Today, she recognized me with a “You’re back” attitude and helped me again today.

Thousands and thousands of book are stored there.  Some are donated from private owners and others are weeded out of the Public Library System.  If you’ve never been to a “Friends of the Public Library” sale, it’s a must.  Throughout the year, there are book sales at different and various libraries and then there is this great place where hours are set on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

This is a must-go place. If you’re a member which costs $20 a year, you get BOGO on all store items all year long.  It’s definitely worth it!  Then there are the book sales where you can get full bags for low prices and if you’re a member, a BOGO.  Go to their website at FJPL . Org or drop by 3435 University Blvd. Jacksonville, Florida and get you some deals! If you go, say hi to my new friend “Ricki”.  

See you tomorrow,

Nan

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July 14

Noble Hull, Politician Dies in Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville has  had its share of politicians.  Noble A. Hull settled in Jacksonville, Florida in the latter 1860’s and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery. In his 50’s he served as the 6th Lieutenant Governor of Florida and as a member of the Florida House of Representatives.

Noble A. Hull

Hull was born on March 11, 1827 according to Find A Grave. He was born in Little York Georgia on a plantation and attended schools in the nearby area.  By 1845 he was buying and selling general store items and developing a business sense.   

During that time Columbia County was growing and out of the growth came Suwannee County where in 1858 Hull became the first sheriff. He later served in the Florida House of Representatives during the Civil war years of 1860-1861. During this time period he married Eleanor C. Sturdivant and they had had one daughter.   It was his time during the Civil War that brought Noble to Jacksonville, Florida.   He served as captain of Company H, the first Florida calvary. 

After the Civl War Hull became lieutenant governor of Florida in 1877 and was elected to the U. S. House of Representative in 1879. This election was not without conflict as his opponent contested the election and according to Wikipedia “succeeded him in 1881”.  

Following his term in Congress, Noble served as assistant postmaster in Jacksonville, Florida and clerk of court from 1888-1900.  

Democrat, Noble A. Hull died in Jacksonville, Florida on January 28, 1907. He is buried next to his wife, Eleanor in Evergreen Cemetery off of Main Street. 

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources:  Findagrave, Wikipedia, Photo: Bill Price FB grab.

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July 13

Photographing 700 E. Union St. 100 Year Old Bldg.

When you’re flying across the Matthews bridge and come to the bottom at the first intersection, you look right and see a huge red water tank atop a massive, long cement monster of a building, you’ve arrived.   That is the old 700 East Union Street storage and commercial building. For years, according to Chris Sandstrom, seamstress and artist in her own right noted there were spaces there for creative efforts over the years.  She said, “We had quite the community of business people there”. Who knew that for years and years the area was used for businesses, artists and more to sell and work on their crafts!

Photographers standing in front of the proposed new look for 700 Union St.

 In 2018, it was bought by Columbia  Ventures LLC and five years later photographers were invited to take a couple of hours to photograph the old building til’ their hearts content in order to preserve some of its history.

According to records, the 7.99-acre site was bought for $4.5 million and is being renovated into apartments, housing units and a restaurant. On the day we arrived the place had been completely gutted and inside walls were going up.  Also, the earth-movers were clearing out the grounds for parking space and yard renovations.  There was a lot going on. As Sandstorm said, “Soooo much history in that building”.  

The day went off without a hitch.  Photographers, and even wanna-be photographers like me went to the main office, signed waivers, promised photos of some sort and spent a hard-hat-day walking the span of this age-old building for a couple of hours. Before walking on the site, all visitors saw a safety video, had specific instructions by employees about the do’s and don’ts and each person was given a safety hat. 

The photo-tour was guided by three employees, Ryan, Ormondo, and Tore, spending about 20 minutes spent on each floor with the bonus of walking beneath the old water tower on top. On every floor, a reminder of safety instructions were given to ensure well-being.

Photographers then were let loose to walk anywhere there was not caution tape.  The thoughts were that through the eyes and lens of many photographers, they may capture some of the history in order to preserve it in a long-lasting way.  Photos will possibly be used for wall space, in foyers, apartments, offices and more.

Certainly, historians should be thrilled that not only is the building being repurposed but even history such as the photograph of old bottles, wall cracks, metal doors, old light switches, locks,  and even old rivets have been documented. 

The next time you’re flying across the Matthews Street Bridge, look right and you’ll see preservation at its finest. Oh, and ‘A shout-out to Columbia Ventures for having such a vision so as to preserve a building built in 1913 and even with vision to preserve the nuts, bolts, bottles and more!

See you tomorrow,

Nan 

Sources:  Jacksonville Daily Record, Duval County Tax Records, Wikipedia, Personal Visit.

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July 12

My Mother at the Switchboard

My Mother spent time as a “Number Please” person.  Sometime after 1940, my grandparents, Clifford and Lula Long moved from Estill, South Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida.  My grandfather’s family had lost the family farm and he needed work. They moved to Jacksonville where he would work on Liberty ships on the St. Johns River in the Duval County area.  My grandmother, Lula was a stay-at-home-mom.

Switchboard. 1940’s (Beaches Museum. Photo-Ramey).

At that time, my Mother was engaged to my Dad who was overseas serving in the Army, 7th Armoured  Division.  My Mom, Geneva took a job with Southern Bell and worked at a switchboard fielding phone numbers all day long.  When a light would appear on the switchboard, my Mother explained, she would take a plug from the bottom of the switchboard and insert it in the hole representing the phone number and say “Number please”.  With that, someone would give her a phone number to call and she would connect the caller to the number where it would ring.   During that time she used her own connections to make calls by sometimes calling other towns and sometimes even dialing the phone call herself.  In the photo, you can see a phone with a dial on the side of the switchboard.

Geneva Long Vaughan (Riverside area- 1940’s)

Switchboard operators had an alphabetical listing of names from which to look for numbers if a caller did not know the number.  Those listings with a red dot by their names were unlisted numbers and not allowed to be given out.

Switchboard 1940’s (Beaches Museum- Photo- Ramey).

My Mom was employed with Southern Bell in Jacksonville, Florida for several years. 

Interesting too is that my Dad was the administrator in charge of the telephone switchboard operators at Cecil Field Naval Air station during his some 35 years employed there.

See you tomorrow ,

Nan

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