The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-07-04
THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA
IL.

My association with and knowledge |
of the East Coast came about as fol- |
lows. In the early eighties, a bunch |
of northern capitalists-a small and |
not very affiuent bunch-some men, |
bers of which visited that part of
decided that railroad across
Volusia county from the St. Johns
river to tidewater was necessity and
would pay. Consequently they mark
ed out and began to have built a rail-
road from Blue Springs on the st.
Johns to New Smyrna on the Hills
261z miles. Blue
Springs in Volusia county, ten miles
southwest of DeLand, is much like our
Blue Springs in Marion county, five
miles this side of Dunnellon-the same
sort of water, tho not so much of it.
Nobody lived near the springs then
except an old man named Thursby,
uncle of Emma Thursby, then one Of
Americas greatest singers, who often
visited her uncle in his Florida home.
There was a steamboat landing near
the house, and from it the railroad
was built eastward thru Orange City
and Lake Helen, two small but pretty
towns, then across the fiatwoods to
New Smyrna. This road was finished
in the latter part of 1886, and would
have indeed been important, if it had
not been that in the meantime the j.,
T. & K w. had forestalled it by build
ing to Titusville. The name of the
railroad was the Blue Springs, Orange
City & Atlantic, and it's title was
longer than it's right of way.
However, New Smyrna was proud
of the road and gave it loyal support,
and having a railroad decided the
next thing was a newspaper, which L
helped to found-the New Smyrna
Breeze, on every number of which for
months I wrote most of the copy, set
all the type, and printed every sheet
on handpress, beside doing all the
other work except welding the roller
on the press. | named this paper the
Breeze, because there was an almost
incessant breeze from the ocean, keep
ing the temperature moderate winter
and summer. Both the Breeze and the
| breeze are yet there. | haven't seen
] the former for years, but I felt the
tlatter as refreshing as ever the other
uday New Smyrna, with the exception
tof St. Augustine and Fernandina, was
frthe oldest town on the East Coast, and
tblder than any on the gulf coast ex-
rkept Pensacola. When / went there in
frSune, 1887. there were two long
h streets, one running along the water
turont and a country road rather than
mt street. 1t mostly wound thru live
ateaks and palmettoes, for the houses
du4ere few. Facing it was the Ocear
Ause, then hotel small in size but
sntlhge in hospitality, and famous il
ruhre than one big northern city fol
Fhesh excellence of it's cuisine and the
nileiaray friendship extended to ever!
e i,rest by its proprietor, Captain Sans
rrivlis street wound around the bas'
lar4 the mound on which stood, cen
lowry and a half ago, the big house o
at brd Turnbull, whe founded the col
q aay. The house had entirely vanished
. int the big well which supplied /
ith water, remained. There was ais
only big store-that of P. N. Bry
rned, in the second story of which tn
Vir-eeze office was located. The secon
en-.eet was straight; had the church
, sheloolhouse and number of resi-
Rich nces on it, and these two street
rney their cross streets made up tn