The Historical Society of Orange Park March 2017 Newsletter Monthly Meeting Saturday, March 11th 10 AM Clarke House Kingsley Avenue, Orange Park Please join us for our March meeting. Our guest speaker will be Mr. Ernest Jones. Ernest has done so much for the Historical Society and the Town of Orange Park. Ernest will be speaking about the history of Orange Park during his time and service to the town. Please join us! Clarke House Website Do you know the Clarke House has its own website? Thanks to Randy for putting this site together! Check out the website for news, events and pictures of the Clarke House! http://www.historicclarkehouse.com/ Quilt Raffle Our sincere thanks to Mrs. Pat Meeks for her kind donation of a handmade quilt. The quilt will be raffled off and all donations will support the many community programs of the Society. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. Tickets will be available at our general meetings Membership Renewal We are asking all members to renew their membership. The cost is $20 for individuals, $35 for families and $10 for students and seniors
Transcript
The Historical Society of
Orange Park
March 2017 Newsletter Monthly Meeting
Saturday, March 11th 10 AM
Clarke House Kingsley Avenue, Orange Park
Please join us for our March meeting. Our guest speaker will be Mr. Ernest Jones. Ernest has done so much for the Historical Society and the Town of Orange Park. Ernest will be speaking about the history of Orange Park during his time and service to the town. Please join us!
Clarke House Website
Do you know the Clarke House has its own
website?
Thanks to Randy for putting this site together!
Check out the website for news, events and
pictures of the Clarke House!
http://www.historicclarkehouse.com/
Quilt Raffle
Our sincere thanks to Mrs. Pat Meeks for her kind
donation of a handmade quilt. The quilt will be
raffled off and all donations will support the many
community programs of the Society. Tickets are
$1 each or 6 for $5. Tickets will be available at our
general meetings
Membership Renewal We are asking all members to renew their membership. The cost is $20 for individuals, $35 for families and $10 for students and seniors
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Recent Events
Virginia Hash Day at Doctors Lake Elementary
On Thursday, February 9, Doctors
Inlet Elementary hosted a
celebration for Dr. Virginia Hash.
Virginia donated a lot of her time to
work with students at the school.
She was known as the Science Lady
and worked with students to
beautify the campus. Members of
the Society were on hand to
participate in the celebration. The
Society donated several My Color-
Full Florida coloring books to the
students at the school in honor of Virginia’s selfless service. The books were written by Linda
Schilling Mitchell and feature unique stories about Florida’s history.
Trip to St. Augustine
On February 11, members of the Society traveled to Fort Mose State Historic Park near St.
Augustine for the annual Flight to Freedom event. In 1738, the Spanish governor of Florida
chartered the settlement of Fort Mose as a settlement for those fleeing slavery from the English
colonies to the north. The lure of freedom encouraged these people to make their way south
through marshes, woods, swamps and rivers to reach the safety and security of Fort Mose.
Flight to Freedom leads visitors along a wooded trail where they meet various individuals who
each tell a portion of the story of the journey from slavery to freedom. Along the way we met
two runaway slaves who traveled by night to avoid trackers and bounty hunters, a member of
the Yemassee people who often helped those seeking freedom, a bounty hunter seeking
information on runaway slaves, a Catholic priest that provided aid and guidance, a boatman
that provided transportation and a member of the Spanish militia that defended Fort Mose.
The tour ended with the firing of a canon and muskets from that era. The presentation was
very well done. After the visit to Fort Mose, we traveled to the Columbia Restaurant on St.
George Street for lunch. After lunch, we visited the Colonial Quarter on St. George Street to get
a glimpse of life in St. Augustine during its Spanish and British colonial periods. Exhibits
included a home from that period, various shops and an observation tower that provided a nice
view of the Matanzas River and the Castillo de San Marcos.
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A trip to the movies…..
On the evening of February 11, members of the Society traveled to
the campus of Jacksonville University for a presentation of The Flying
Ace, a 1926 silent movie filmed at Norman Studios in Arlington. The
movie featured an all-African American cast and plenty of action,
adventure, mystery and romance, complete with captions to capture
the dialogue. The score was composed and directed by Tone Steve, a
professor at Jacksonville University, and performed live, on stage
during the movie. Richard Norman, the owner of Norman Studios and
the movie’s producer, was originally from Middleburg. The Flying Ace
is the only full-length movie left of the many films made at Norman
Studios.
Clay History Day
Cindy Cheatwood organized another fantastic History Day. The students did an outstanding job presenting their topics and how it related to this year’s theme, “Taking a Stand in History.
Below are the winners for each category and the delegates selected to represent Clay County at the State History day in May. Congratulations to all the participants in the Clay History Day. You have all done Clay County proud!
Historical Paper Recognition:
Madison Yonash, Thomas Paine's Stand Through Common Sense Documentaries First Place:
Justin Cooler, Operation Pedro Pan: Saving a Generation Second Place:
Chris Romero, Sinn Fein: The Creation of a Country Recognition:
Amia Williamson-Brown, Black Panther Party
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Performances Recognition:
Jonathan Alcineus, Picaso and Cubism: A Revolution that Changed the Art World
Lana Peyton and Carissa Taylor, Taking a Stand in History: The Grimke Sisters Exhibits First Place:
Cephora Michel and Manoach Deliscar (senior), Sojourner Truth
Deshani Hettiarachchi (junior), Jane Goodall: Beyond the Forests of Tanzania Second Place:
Alyssa Potter, Casey Miller, and Clayton Fravala (senior), Queen Liliuokalani: The Last Monarch of Hawaii
Mary Catherine DeMarco (junior), The Stand That Changed America: The Conspiracy to Assassinate Lincoln
Third Place:
Brooke Remolde, Sarah Emma Edmonds: an Unlikely Patriot Recognition:
Itzel Mora and Brooke Pucak, Monuments Men: The Art Saviors of WWII
Troiyana Tolber, Elizabeth Blackwell Websites First Place:
Alaa Osman (senior individual), Tearing Away The Red Cloth of Communism: Chinese Students Taking a Stand Against Maoism During the 1980s
Candace Torrefranca and Kayla Brown (senior group), Margaret Fuller: A Woman Living in the Nineteenth Century
Ryley Barnett (junior individual), Claudette Colvin: She Sat For What She Stood For
Tyler Goold, Conner Geller and Gage Click (junior group), A Pen and a Patriotic Idea Second Place:
Melody Knight (senior individual), Bob Geldof: The Singer Who Made a Difference in the Lives of Ethiopians
Katherine Middleton and Victoria Rhodes (senior group), Florida Teacher Strike of 1968
Thanh Thai (junior individual), Ho Chi Minh: A Stand for Freedom
Tristan Manley and Ty Villalon (junior group), Thomas Paine's Stand in History Third Place:
Lexi Thompson, The Fight for Women's Rights Recognition:
Luke Schmit, The Social Democratic Party's Stand Against the Enabling Act Special Award Winners
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Women's History
Candace Torrefranca and Kayla Brown, Margaret Fuller: A Woman Living in the Nineteenth Century
Lana Peyton and Carissa Taylor, Taking a Stand in History - The Grimke Sisters African-American History
Cephora Michel and Manoach Deliscar, Sojourner Truth
Ryley Barnett, Claudette Colvin: She Sat For What She Stood For Creative Expression
Deshani Hettiarachchi, Jane Goodall: Beyond the Forests of Tanzania The Historical Society of Orange Park's Art Hall Award
Brooke Remolde, Sarah Emma Edmonds: an Unlikely Patriot Delegates to Florida History Day Madison Yonash, Thomas Paine's Stand Through Common Sense Amia Williamson-Brown, Black Panther Party Alaa Osman, Tearing Away The Red Cloth of Communism: Chinese Students Taking a Stand Against Maoism During the 1980s Mary Catherine DeMarco, The Stand That Changed America: The Conspiracy to Assassinate Lincoln Deshani Hettiarachchi, Jane Goodall: Beyond the Forests of Tanzania Ryley Barnett, Claudette Colvin: She Sat For What She Stood For Lana Peyton and Carissa Taylor, Taking a Stand in History: The Grimke Sisters Tyler Goold, Conner Geller and Gage Click, A Pen and a Patriotic Idea Chris Romero, Sinn Fein: The Creation of a Country Justin Cooler, Operation Pedro Pan: Saving a Generation Thank you to all the judges that volunteered for this event:
John Bowles, Clay County Historical Society
Sarah Campbell, Assistant Town Manager for the Town of Orange Park
Allyson Christy, Historical Society of Orange Park
Jackie Emery, Art Guild of Orange Park
Vishi Garig, Clay County Archives Specialist
Randy Harris, Historical Society of Orange Park
Van Hogan, Historical Society of Orange Park
Trisha Holland, curriculum specialist for Clay County District Schools
Melanie Pronia, local writer
Kelly Watt, curriculum specialist for Clay County District Schools
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Upcoming Events
Mandarin Museum and Historical Society
Mandarin Museum Upcoming Events March 18 – Meet the Maple Leaf divers – 12-4 April 2 – Under the Oaks music jam – 2-4 April 15 – Meet the Maple Leaf divers – 12-4 April 15 & 16 - Mandarin Art Festival at Mandarin Community Club property – Mandarin Museum & Historical Society will have the Store and PO open Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 10-4. The Mandarin Museum will be open Saturday only from 9-4.
Carrie Clarke Day The Annual Carrie Clarke Day event will be held Saturday, April 22 this year in Clarke Park. A number of fun activities for the entire family are planned this year. The Clarke House will be open for tours as will the Tool Shed with our display of antique tools. We will also have our laundry and soap making display out by the Tool Shed. We will also be hosting tea parties for the young ladies. Out in the park there will be plenty of music, food and activities along with a number of local groups and vendors to keep everyone busy. The Clarke Park Playground will be open again for children. Volunteers are needed.
Archaeological Institute of America – Upcoming Lecture Jacksonville Society University of North Florida Building 51 March 25, 2017 12PM
The Ark Before Noah In his lecture, “The Ark before Noah,” British Museum expert Dr. Irving Finkel reveals how decoding the symbols on a 4,000-year-old piece of clay enabled a radical new interpretation of the Noah's Ark story. A world authority on the period, Dr. Finkel's real-life detective story
Mandarin Museum and the Schoolhouse (11964 Mandarin Road) are open every Saturday (except Dec. 26) from 9-4 in Walter Jones Historical Park.
The Mandarin Store and Post Office (12471 Mandarin Road) is open the first Saturday of every month from noon - 4.
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began with a remarkable event at the British Museum: the arrival one day in 2008 of a single, modest-sized Babylonian cuneiform tablet brought in by a member of the public. Such palm-sized clay rectangles were used by the Babylonians to create the first documents, and this particular tablet proved to be of quite extraordinary importance. Not only does it date from about 1850 B.C., but it is a copy of the Babylonian Story of the Flood, a story from ancient Mesopotamia revealing, among other things, instructions for constructing a large boat. Dr. Finkel will also describe the further series of discoveries which allowed him to decode the Flood story in ways which offer unanticipated revelations. The lecture will also describe how a replica of the boat, following the ancient instructions, was built in India—the subject of the documentary film The Real Noah’s Ark.
Other News
The “Green House” Project – We Need You!
The HSOP has a new preservation project! We
are working to save the historic green house in
Clarke Park. The town had slated the house for
demolition. We would like to save this building
and put it to good use. Some ideas as to its
possible uses are as a welcome center, a
museum and community center.
We need your help! We will be forming a
committee to come up with a plan that we can
present to the town. Please consider joining
our committee to help save this historic building! Randy Harris has provided a link with both
interior and exterior pictures of the Green House.
The Veterans Memorial Committee continues to receive orders for inscribed brick pavers that are installed at the site. Order forms are available at the memorial site, in the Orange Park Library or may be downloaded from the HSOP website www.ophistory.org If you are interested in purchasing an inscribed paver to honor a veteran you may download a form from our website www.ophistory.org or pick up a form in the box at the memorial site. We will be installing pavers in time for Veterans Day. For more information call Carolyn Day 215-9177. Pavers are $50 each.
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Veteran’s Memorial Ornament An ornament has been made commemorating our Orange Park Veteran’s Memorial. Cost of these ornaments is $10 each.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Corporate Membership
The HSOP has created a new level of
membership. In an effort to increase our
presence in the community we will now offer a
corporate membership. Local businesses are
invited to join our society. The corporate level
membership is $50/year. Corporate members
will receive a display for their window to show
their support of the society. Please pass on
this information to local businesses. A sample
of the display is shown below.
Proud Corporate Sponsor www.ophistory.org
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Sunshine Please keep these members in your thoughts and prayers:
Dot Patterson
Look For Us on Facebook
Look for the Historical Society of Orange Park the next time you visit Facebook. Check our page for updates on society activities and updates on the Veterans Memorial. Don’t forget to click “Like” on our page.
Membership in the Historical Society of Orange Park We encourage you to support our mission to preserve the history of Orange Park and share that history with the community by becoming a member of the Historical Society of Orange Park. We also ask your
support and participation for the many community activities we undertake during the course of the year. You can visit our website, www.ophistory.org, to download a membership form.
Wanted
The Historical Society of Orange Park is seeking the donation of an old wagon or carriage for display in
the newly renovated Carriage House at Clarke Park. If you know of one that might be available
Do you have old photographs of Orange Park? If so, we would like to have a copy for our collection. We prefer digital copies in jpg or pdf format. We will be happy to copy your old photographs if you don’t have access to a
