The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-11-17
PALAThA PROGRES SSIVE .

To those who have lived long in
Palatka the progress Of our little city
IS a constant and beWlldering wonder.
AS | walk our modern Palatka streets
I find myself continually comparing
it, as it Is today, with the little sandy
village l first knew in the early
eighties.
4n. ralalka Of that day, however,
was not without its attractions, as
was proven by the numbers of tour
lists and health seekers who thronged
it's big hotels and walked it's main
street-called LEMON. | suppose,
because it was lined with ORANGE
trees.
when travelling among strangers,
if one happens to mention that he is
from Palatka, Florida, someone is
very apt to speak up and say, "Why,
| was In Palatka once, away back In
'S8. Funny little town, orange trees
on its main streets, and ankle deep in
sand" You are pretty sure to an
swer, eyes, that is the place, but just
come back and see it now in 1916"
In those days you had to approach
Palatka on a boat-one of the big
steamboats, that daily piled between
Palatka and Jacksonville, and as it
was approached at night the town
was a brave sight, all a'twinkle from
the big hotels and streets, with KER-
OSENE lamps-there was no electri-
city or even gas in those days.
One chilly November night, some
one overturned lamp IN the Dlg store
which stood on the lot we now call
the Grim lot" What a conflagra-
tion it was that swept out the lower
part of the town! The two big ho-
tells, the chul ch and ali between rnem,
in one great blaze that ragged for two
hours or more. The next morning it
was a sorry lot of men that stood gaz-
ing on the ruins of the business houses
that had stood there the day before.
But it was just then that the little old
town walked from it's old antebellum
sleepiness and showed the stuff that
was in it. Orders went forth for
brick, mortar, masons, and in few
weeks time the old dilapidated frame
buildings were being replaced by the
modern structures of the present day.
By this time there was a railroad to
Jacksonville, and what fine thing it
was to be able to reach that city in
two hours instead of the five by wa
ter!
Then our appetite for improvement
being whetted, we wanted the unsani-
tary cisterns and wells that were our
only water supply done away with,
and in answer to the demand, COM
pany from Boston installed the water
works system that We know till the
present day The gas plant had been
in existence some time, but every 9TH
er town was having electric lighting
and why shouldn't we have it. So in
response to the popular demand, Mr.
Bailey added the electric light plant
for the enlightment of our little city,
With the help of our big cypress
mills and the Selden factory we even
pulled through those disastrous years
following the freeze of 1856; and
while everybody was poor still they
had enough to eat. AS the town be-
gan to recover from those hard years,
it was discovered that Palatka needed
badly a city hall. 1t was ordered
built, and we all went down into our
pockets to nay for it. Right here is
where our Woman's club, an institu-
tion that began in 1892, as literary
and social club, took it's first stand in
city affairs.
After the city hall was completed
there was no money to clear up the
grounds, and for weeks and months
the premises around the new building
were mess of refuse building ma
terial, broken brick and old pine and
plaster frames, all picturesouelv min
gled with growth of rank weeds. 1t
seemed to be nobodv's business to
straighten up. and this did so offend
the housewifely instincts of the Wo-
mans club members they decided to
tackle the lob. At one rousing meet
inp a committee was appointed, and it
sailed forth to raise the necessary
money, determined to let no guilty