The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-12-24

between that place and Inverness and /
bought the S. s.. o. & g.. connected |
the South Florida and Savannah.
Florida and Western roads, also leas-
ing the Florida Southern and prac-
ticalIy doubling the Plant System. A
few years later all this was annexed
BY the Atlantic Coast Line. At that
time, six passenger trains passed
thru 0cala daily; one went out and
enc came IL. Today the Seaboard
alone has eight trains thru, the least
OF which much better than the best
of then, and The Coast Line six, beside
the town being the terminus for two
daily and two tri-weekly trains, not
counting the rather indefinite service
over the Oklawaha Valley.
Probably the next thing to consider
IN town is its hotels, In 1892 the
OcaaI House was IN its heyday. 1t
was the only first-class hotel in town,
and peer of any in Florida except the
FIagler hotels at ST. Augustine and
the Tampa Bay. The Montezuma was
a second-class but comfortable hotel.
The Central (now ColoniaD, Florida
House, Arlington (sinee burnedl, and
two or three more were only big
clearinghouse.
Today the Harrington Except IN
size) is the equal of any all-year-
round hotel in the state. The Ocala
House is better furnished and more
up-to-date than thirty years ago. The
Colonial has doubled and Florida
House tripled their accommodatioHs.
One of the first things for people
to consider in a town is its schools;
another is its churches In 1892,
Ccala had two public school buildings.
One for the whites was the present
dormitory, 1t was only tWo-thirds
its present size, but accommodated
all the white children in town. How
ard Academy, the colored school, was
big frame building which with its
campus covered part of the ground
now taken up by the A, C. L. yard. 1t
was shabby inside and out and not
near so large as the present Howard
Academy, Some years later the addi-
ton to the white schoolhouse was
built, then the primary school was
erected in its present location. A few
more years and the primary school
i
was enlarged to its present size, then
the new high school building and the
North Ocala schoolhouse were erect
ed, and the white schools had attained
their present size. They accommodate
three times as many children as were
held by the 1892 schoolhouse, and an
ether big schoolhouse must be built
fright away.
The original Howard Academy was
burned soon after / came here. The
negro children were taught in the col
ored Masonic hall until the new How
ard Academy, much bigger and bet
i ter, was built. 1t also became crowded
and about ten years ago the annex to
II was constructed. The negro popu-
lstion of 0cala has not increased as
fast as the white, but it has twice
the school space it had thirty. years
ago.
Ocala's churches have not grown Sc
fas as Ocala's schools, but they have
made considerable increaseain thirty
Years. The Baptist church, in 1892
was the main body of the preesnt
building, furnished inside with Spar
/ tan simplicity. The lighting was dim
the building was chilly in cold weather
and oppressiyely warm in hot. The
annex has been added, the interior en-.
tirely rearranged and the young peo-
pies building to the north of it con.
structed. At the time / came here
the church house was too big for it.
congregation, which never filled it un.
less considerable number of people
of other denominations attended some
special service.
/ The Methodist church was new il
1892, and outwardly the same build,
ing before rebuilding began a few
months ago. But the Sunday schooi
room was walled off to, itself, so il
| could not be used for the overflow o.
the congregation. Later, the partition
was removed, adding about 80 pei
cent. to the seating capacity. The
Methodists also had plenty of seating
room in their church. The Presby-
terrain and Christian churches have no
changed except somewhat in interior
furnishings. The Episcopalians had {
little CHI pei on West Washington
street, where MacKay & Company,
i stable now stands. It had about hal
I the capacity of their present pretty
little church on the corner of Soutf
street, or East Broadway, and Wa
| tula. The Catholic church was thu
same as now, but the big new church
they are building on Oklawaha hac
mot been thought of. There has beer
/ no change in the Jewish synagogue.
Returning to secular buildings, tn,
Marion county courthouse was lit
tie block of rcd brick in the center o.
| the public square. Altho a mucl
smaller building than the present
edifice. the corner stone of which wa:
/ lid - 1aag II had aInnsf as much