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JacksonvilleStory.com Local & Family History in Jacksonville, Florida
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IN JACKSONVILLE
PICTURE
ABOVE ~ Get out out the goat and say
"Cheese!" Traveling photographers used to knock on doors with their
animals & wagons, trying to drum up business. During the
early 1900s, a beloved prop for youngsters was the goat-powered
cart. "Adorable" is only description for this 1928 Jacksonville
photo. It comes from the online Florida Photographic Collection,
maintained by the State Archives. This repository offers many
other examples of goats & kids posed together (no pun
intended). A photographer's animals could prove particularly
thrilling to town children, according to the book We Had Everything
But Money, which describes America during the Great Depression.
PICTURE BELOW ~ It seems as if every Jax baby boomer fondly remembers Ranger Hal! Longtime residents exclaim his name whenever his photo is flashed during history presentations. The Good Ranger was a fixture on First Coast TVs from 1958 to 1969. His morning variety show, enjoyed by both kids and adults, helped set the tone for many days. CLICK HERE for this icon from yesteryear.
GOING, GOING, GONE ~ This section offers pictures & info for Jacksonville sights that aren't very common anymore. In fact, they might not be seen at all, except in such places as history websites. Please click on the links that you would like to explore. Some are not up & running, but they're on their way! From white gloves to black & white TV, "Going, Going, Gone" could bring back a plethora of memories. Then again, it may reveal things with which you're not too familiar. Have you ever held the reigns of a goat-drawn cart? Finished your homework on a ferry boat? Tasted a malted milkshake from a soda fountain? Eaten at Berney's, the dazzling green restaurant? Listened to a scratched vinyl record? Rode on top of an ostrich? Painted a streetcar in psychedelic colors? Or felt relieved when a diaper van picked up a smelly load of baby laundry? Get ready for some interesting reading!
Black & White TV -- A favorite for visitors! Black Smoke -- Another favorite!
Card Catalogs Civil Defense against a Nuclear Attack
Full Service Filling Stations -- It's a gas! Funeral Home Ambulances: Part One -- New details about Jax's first ambulance! Funeral Home Ambulances: Part Two
"Jax Beer" (from Jacksonville)
Large, Wooden Hotels
Private Railroad Cars
NEW PHOTO ADDED! Ranger Hal -- A baby boomer's best friend!
Two-Newspaper Towns
Other
viewers lounged on top of their cars, so during slow scenes &
between films we visited nearby friends, sampling goodies brought from
home or bought from the concession stand. When the urge
hit, my little brother
would run and jump on the playground equipment in front of the movie
screen. If he got too tired, he'd just go
Unfortunately, many kids today will never watch a film outdoors, for few drive-in theaters have survived. Many once-common sights are rapidly vanishing. Some will be missed, like soda fountains and gas station attendants. Others are best swept into the dustbin of history: vinyl records, security-free airports, black smoke, and black & white TV sets. (Well, okay, I know that vinyl records still have their aficionados.)
On this webpage are sights seldom seen anymore in Jacksonville. Some are disappearing faster than others, but it seems that most will eventually be found primarily in history books & websites. No doubt there are lots of other once-common sights that could be included. One website visitor has contributed the excellent suggestion of "ragmen." Fifty years ago, these entrepreneurs roamed the streets of some Jacksonville neighborhoods, crying "Ragman! Ragman!" They purchased used cloths for recycling, paying $2 for a big bundle (about $12 in current currency). Although they used to be an everyday sight in places, finding photos of ragmen may prove quite difficult today!
PICTURE ABOVE ~ The outdoor theater shown on this page is the Playtime Triple Family Drive-In. Located on Jacksonville's Westside, it offers three screens, as well as a flea market on certain days. It's the last remaining drive-in theater in the River City, and one of only about ten in Florida. Seen in the background is one of the screens. When the photo was snapped, the movies playing were "S.W.A.T.," "American Wedding," "Bad Boys 2," "Spy Kids 3-D," "Tomb Raider 2," and "Pirates of the Caribbean." The picture was taken by the website manager of JacksonvilleStory.com.
FOR VISITING THE JACKSONVILLE STORY, YOUR TIME MACHINE TO THE PAST |
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to sleep in the back
seat.