Archive for the ‘Downtown Pensacola Florida’ Category
Easter Sunrise Service in Pensacola at Bayview Park on Bayou Texar …
This post is going to be all over place … Going from Bayview Park on Bayou Texar to First Baptist’s new church building on Palafox Street, so please bear with me on this. But at least you are going to see some interesting images that I do not think that I have posted before or if I have it was years ago. Here we go … the other day Troy Moon from the Pensacola News Journal wrote an article about some group wanting to remove the cross at Bayview Park on Bayou Texar. The cross sits on the site where the Easter Sunrise Services were first held and the group wants the cross aken down because it offends them – my words not Troy’s. I do not have any photos of the cross, but I do have photos from one of the Easter Sunrise Services that was held on the site from back in the 1950’s. The First Baptist Church of Pensacola held the services and it was widely attended by thousands of people and I can remember going with my parents and having a good time as a kid. The choir’s sashes have ” PHS ” on them, so I am assuming them to be from Pensacola High School. That could never happen today …. a public school participating in a Christian Church’s function would most likely take an act of Congress in these times for that to happen. But I will not go there … Here is another view of the stage –
Apparently First Baptist Church was in a growth spirt at this time and they were out growing the building that they had been in and had decided to build a new sanctuary on Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola. I know that I have photos of the original church and congregation in older posts, so if you want to search them here on the blog, please feel free. So they must have been doing something right at the Easter Services since the church was attracting new members. Now this is where I shift gears and go to some ground breaking photos on Palafox …
I have no idea who these people are and I have other photos from the ground – breaking, but these were handy and ready. Now I am going to move onto some the new sanctuary photographs …
The second image is a panorama view from the first service held in the new church sanctuary. I have a photo of Reverend Jim Pleitz that I ran across and I am embarrassed to admit that I do not know if he was here when the new church was built, but I am sure that someone out there can tell us …
And the last photo is a view of downtown Pensacola with a sign and a cross adverting the Easter Sunrise Service at Bayview Park. You know that would never be allowed today, since no telling how many people that it would offend today. I want to thank Troy Moon for writing the article and it would be worth your time to read it and see how ridiculous this group’s request is. Whatever happened to if you do not like something, just turning your head until you pass or just not going there to begin with. I guess that the people who like the cross’s meaning and beauty have no say so in this issue. Here is the Pensacola downtown photo …
Thanks to Troy Moon for writing the article and I am sure he will keep us posted with the group’s progress in demolishing / taking-down the cross. Stay safe … it is a crazy world out there!!! That is it for me. Feel free to comment and please check back and please read the PNJ … Who knows, maybe Andy Marlette will draw a cartoon with Mayor Ashton with a hammer and chisel taking down the cross and the City Council picking up the pieces and hauling them off in Councilman May’s truck.
1930’s Delchamps Basketball Team …
Back in the 1930’s, my father worked at Delchamps Grocery store when it was located at the corner of Garden and Baylen Streets. He played on their basketball team and he is the guy standing, second on the right side of the photograph. This photo might have been taken between 1932 and 1934. He graduated from PHS in 1934, so I know that it was not after that time. The photo was taken in the old gym that was located on the corner of Baylen and Belmont Streets, but it is no longer there. Note the walk-around that surrounds the court behind the backboard. I scanned this photo years ago and have been looking for it because it has the names of all of the players written on the back. I am sure that there are some “old-timers” out there that will recognize some of the names. Carter Photography on Palafox in downtown Pensacola made the photograph, but I just put my tag on it for identification. This is also the original tone of the photograph and I did not bother to alter the color just because it looked interesting to me. If anyone has any photographs of this old basketball gym, I would like to see them. I am not sure if the building might have been the original YMCA before it moved to it’s present location on Palafox, but if anyone knows please comment. Thanks for looking and as always, all comments are welcomed and appreciated. Check back … Frank
OK … I have found the back of the above photo with the name of the players:
The names are as follows: from the left – Delmar Jones, Clarence Dannelly, Murdock Campbell, Albert Swain, Mr Roberds_Manager, Mr Aiken_Frank’s Boss, Albert McLellan, Frank Hardy, Jack Britton.
Some of the names of the players I recognize – McLellan, Campbell, Dannelly are all familiar to me. If anyone recognizes any of the other names, let me know. Thanks for looking and please check back … Frank
The West Florida History Center and University Archives …
The above image of ” Maxey’s Liquors ” is by the photographer Cottrell taken back in the 1920’s. You can find it in the West Florida History Center and University Archives out at the John C. Pace Library on the UWF campus. You can find these images on line here and other images from the UWF archives. These images have been scanned and are online for your browsing convenience. The files are high-resolution and not just low-resolution scans for the internet. I was really impressed with all that is out at UWF and the archives are located in the basement of the library. Anyone is welcome to use the facility and I talked to Stephanie Johnson when I was there. There are other people in this department if she is busy. The above photo of Maxey’s Liquors was just one that caught my attention because this business was located on Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola about where the Tin Cow Restaurant is now located. The L&L Pawn Shop next door was where my father used to have his wedding albums gold-stamped with the bride and groom’s name. I can remember the inside of this store like it was yesterday. Even though my father did not make theses images, I thought there would be readers of this blog would be interested in knowing that these archives are online and available to everyone. The photo below is of Gilmore’s Furniture and Jewelery Store located on Palafox Street about where the Rex Theater was located before it was converted into a church / spiritual center …
At some point, maybe the 1950’s, this business relocated to the 400 block of Garden Street. I have an image somewhere on this blog that my father had made of the new Glimore’s building at night. Just type ” Gilmore ” into the search area on this blog and the post should come up. There are literally thousands of images on this UWF site from lots of various photographers and places. I have a phone number ( 850-474-2794 ) for Stephanie Johnson out at the archive department if anyone has any questions or comments. I knew that this archive was out there, but I had no idea how large it is and how easy it is to access. There are a lot of people that are interested in local history and this is just one more place for them to go and research or just to view all of the images. Thanks for looking and please check back … Frank
Port of Pensacola …
Here are some more images of the Port of Pensacola from back in the 1950’s. I had posted some others a year or so back of men working in this warehouse that I thought looked fairly interesting.. There are some more but they are mostly of people at what looks to be a cocktail party or something and I do not know who any of the people are in them. Here we go …
A primary product at the Port of Pensacola during this time was fertilizer I have been told. Not really sure if it was imported or exported, but I am sure that someone out there will know and can enlighten us. One thing that I do not want to hear is how the Port has been awash in red – ink for the last fifty years … I am fairly sure that the Port was in the black for a few years back in the 1960’s. I also do not want to hear from any nay-sayers that the Port should be closed down and made into condos like that did at the foot of Palafox Street. That project has turned out great or at least it looks great. Thanks for looking and please check back … Frank
Downtown Pensacola Through The Years …
This first image of the Palafox Wharf in downtown Pensacola was made back in the 1930’s and this is strictly a guess. I found the negative in an old Kodak printing paper box that my father used to put negatives in once he was finished with it. My guess is that someone else had taken the photograph and had brought it to my father to make prints. That is only a guess and I doubt if we will ever know the story, but it shows Palafox Street in a different era … back when wind powered the ships. The strip of land on the far side is where the Port Royal development is now located. On the roof on one of the buildings in the top right of the image is a sign advertising ” Elebash Jewelery Co. ” so that might date the photo if someone knows when the sign was painted. The next photo was made in the 1950’s …
If someone can identify the year of the car parked out front, we might have a date for this photo. I am going to make a guess and say that the car is a Chrysler, but that is just a guess. This is Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola and like I mentioned earlier, I think that it sometime in the 1950’s. I personally do not remember ” Day’s Credit Clothing ” or the ” Quality Shoes ” shop next door. The last is a photo standing in the middle of Palafox at the Romana Street intersection.
This is looking north up Palafox and I am going to say sometime in the early 1970’s, maybe 1973. I am sure that someone out there can most likely tell us. It has really changed over the years. If anyone has any comments about the time-frame of any of these images, please comment. If anyone can remember any of these stores or anything else we would love to hear from you. Thanks again for all of the nice comments from everyone over on Facebook … it is nice to know that some local people enjoy remembering Pensacola and vicinity through the years. Thanks again for looking … Frank
Happy 74th Birthday to the USO …
I was reading the cartoon ” Beetle Bailey ” this morning in the Pensacola News Journal and he was wishing the the USO a happy 74th birthday in the only way that Sarge would let him … with a sign on a cross-country march! I had a few more photos from a ceremony at the local USO building in downtown Pensacola from back in the 1950’s that I had not posted before. So I found them and here they are. I did not get any comments from the earlier USO post that I made, so I have no clue who any of these people are or what the function is that they are having, but whatever it was, it sure looked nice. And fun! Here are a couple more photos and without any further comments or ado ( I still have not figured out what that means either ) …
If anyone knows anything about this event from back in the 1950’s, please let us know. I am kind of curious myself about it … personally, I might venture a guess and say that this event might have been held for the grand opening of the USO building that was located in downtown Pensacola on Spring Street, but as usual that is entirely a guess. Believe it or not, I had only been in that building one time myself and it after it was the USO and it became a surplus warehouse for Escambia County. Thanks again for looking and like I said earlier I welcome all comments, so please let us hear from you. Please check back and thanks again … Frank
St. Michael’s Catholic Church …
Here is an interior view of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in downtown Pensacola Florida that I made back around 1982 on 4×5 sheet film. This is a few that few people see unless they walk up to see the altar. I do have some altar photos somewhere and when I run across them I will put them up. I cannot tell you how many wedding that I have done here, but I would guess over a hundred. One job that my father and I did here was to photograph each station of the cross and made a photo album for a man’s wife who visited the church and could not get over how detailed each piece was. We also gave an album to the priest at the time which he was thrilled to get, since the only photos he had were a bunch of snap-shots. I put a link to the church that you can click on to take you to the church’s site. I was sitting here thinking how the previous post was about a liquor store and then I followed it up with a church post … that was not a ” Sinner and Saint ” message since we are going into Mardi Gras season this time of year. I just happened to have these two images ready to post and they are in the same folder, so there is no hidden meaning here what so ever. Like I said in the previous post, if you want to share any memories that you have about St. Michael’s – you got married here or attended a wedding in the church or even attended St. Michael’s School and had First Communion in the church … feel free to share them with us. Thanks again for looking and please check back … like I said in an earlier post, I have a few more ready to go and I will get them up in the next few weeks … Frank
PS – I just went to the church’s site and they have a photo gallery that has lots of photos … activities, interior and exterior views, etc, etc. I should have done that before I wrote the post, but you know me …
Bay Lounge and Package Store …
This place was known as The Bay Lounge, but I do not think that I ever heard anyone call it that … it was simply known as ” Cantaloupe’s “. Even though he had been married to lady by the name of Shirley and the lounge’s name was ” Cantaloupe and Shirley’s “, I do not ever remember anyone ever calling it that. There was a package store on the left-hand side of the building that most people would go and hang-out in. That part of the place was known as the ” Stand -Up “. People would go in and buy a bottle and stand – up and drink. This was back in the 1970’s and 80’s … now I bet you would be hard pressed to find a place like Cantaloupe’s any where today. The stand-up went the way of the buggy whip, Walk-man, laser-discs, Falstaff Beer, etc, etc. Now I am not going to mention any names, but you could find everyone from court judges to doctors to builders … you name them, they drank there. The place is now Franco’s Italian Restaurant and has been for years. Here is one more exterior view of Cantaloupe’s and I made these by the way back around 1981 or so …
It is basically the same view, just a little closer. Shot on 4×5 sheet film. Even though I made it, I thought that it went better over on this blog than my personal photography blog. If anyone wants to share their own personal ” Cantaloupe ” story, please feel free … if you are brave enough! Just kidding. I am sure that Cantaloupe is deceased by now, but he was always nice to me and I did a few jobs for him through the years. If we get enough stories, who knows, may there is a book somewhere in the future … naw, I doubt it. Thanks again for looking and please check back … Frank
PS – This place was located on Gregory Street right across what is now McGuire’s Irish Pub, but everyone from Pensacola already knew that …
Another One From The Port of Pensacola …
This is one taken in a warehouse down at the Port of Pensacola from back in the 1950’s, maybe around 1955. I had posted another one like it with another man bending over loading a sack with this nitrate in the photo, but I removed him in this image. I have always thought that this photo had an interesting look to it. I ran it through the Lucis Art filter in Photoshop to add some contrast to an otherwise “flat” image. Thanks for looking and please check back … Frank
Pensacola USO in the 1950’s …
I do not know what the ceremony here portrays, but it looks like it might be a July 4th celebration since I see some lady dressed up as the Statue of Liberty. The ceremony looks as if it were held in the building on Spring Street that was once the USO Building. I think it now is a storage / supply building that Escambia County uses for surplus office equipment. There were 15 or 16 negatives in the envelope, but I only bothered to work-up around four of the negatives … I might do some more later, but they seem to be all about the same as these. I am sure that some of you will recognize some familiar faces in these crowd shots. I am also not exactly sure of the date. Sometime in the 1950’s seems like a good guess …
OK, I had done five of these images, so I believe that I have eleven more to do. I have a box full of new negatives to scan and I will start work on them next year. I am up to almost four hundred posts and I am not sure of the total number of prints, but I would guess close to eight hundred images. I hope everyone has a safe and happy new years. This year 2014 has really flown by, however 2015 is starting out slow for me. Please check back and if anyone recognizes any of these individuals let us know … Frank
Frank Hardy Made My Photographs Two 
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