The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-08-20
AUGUST TWENTIETH
IN PALATKA HISTORY
1S55-Henis P e term a n n
Made his First Outcry to
a Waiting World.

An entire life of sixty years is a
long time to spend in one place, and
when that place happens, as in this
case to be the town of Palatka, you
may be sure that there have been
some changes.
Henis Petermann, the popular SUI
pervisor of registration for Putnam
county, perhaps personally known to
more citizens of the city than almost
any other man, was born in the then
little hamlet of Palatka sixty years
ago this morning. With the excep-
ton of the four years Of the war,
when as little boy he lived at Or
ange Springs, and three years as a
young man when he attended school
in Tennessee, Mr.. Petermann has liv-
ed in Palatka all through the inter-
vening years.
1t is interesting to talk with him.
to hear him tell of the Palatka of the
early day and compare it with the Pa
latka of today. The News represen-
tative had this pleasure on Tuesday
night.
"My parents home was at the cor
ner of Second and Reid streets, ON the
site now occupied by the Cochrane
Company's wholesale store. Our home
was two-story frame building and
in it was born August Goth, 1855
just sixty years ago.
GAS a little boy l played about the
town and recall very vividly to mind
how the place looked. 1t was only a
small hamlet. During the four years
of the war the place was deserted, eX-
cept for the Confederate and FEEDER
al forces who alternated in holding
possession. During those years we
with many other families, moved tc
Orange Springs and other Ocklawaha
river points where the women and
children would be out of danger. We
children had to come to Palatka oc-
casionally for supplies, and l remeni-
Der distinctly once when | came here
with little negro boy that | was ta-
ken on board of Federal gun boat
where the officers demanded that ]
tell them the whereabouts of my un-
Gle. My father was at the front.
did not tell them where my uncle was
but an old negro woman did tell them
that he was a sick man and was liv-
ing with my fathers family and that
he was too i'll to be of service to the
confederacy. Then they let me 60
but before leaving they gave me a
good dinner, filled bag with apples
and other supplies and in many other
ways were very kind to me.
There We're only a few buildings
along Lemon street in those days, but
| have pictures of many of them and
| frequently look them over. st.
Marks church was standing and SO
was the cottage opposite the Saratoga
Hotel. The house on South Fourth
street where | now live was standing
then.
"There have been many changes
and of all the boys who were near my
age, can think of but one now living
here, Capt. ]. E. Lucas, whose family
home stood where the Alderman
Stewart Drug Co.'S store now stands.
Of course there are others here who
were then in Palatka, ladies like Mrs.
Benet and Mrs. Boyd and several 9th
ers, but the great ma jority have pass
ed over the silent river and are at rest
under the shade of the trees"
Mr.. Petermann's grandfather lived
in Palatka at that time and during
the war his great age made him ex-
empt from molestation by Yankee
soldiers.
Henis Petermann, besides being for
many years the county supervisor of
registration, is one of the most arts
tic cabinet makers known. His de-
signs and workmanship have long
been the admiration of all whose for,
tune it has been to see his work. Al
. present he has two very pretty RED
cedar chests which he has only re.
Gently completed and which he will
sell at most reasonable price. He
has made many of them, as we'll as
ornamental tables, etc. The News
trusts he may live long in the city
that gave him birth and that he may
prosper in his declining years ever
more than in those which led up tc