Anna's Stories -- Planes, Trains and Automobiles -- Brenda Rees, Shaping Florida
Posted 07-06-2009 at 09:41 AM by Brenda Rees
Updated 10-24-2009 at 09:30 AM by Brenda Rees (ADDED MR. DD'S PLANE INFO)
Updated 10-24-2009 at 09:30 AM by Brenda Rees (ADDED MR. DD'S PLANE INFO)
Anna’s Stories – Planes, Trains and Automobiles (& Boats!)
Walton County, Florida and its beautiful and historic venues are accessible by many modes of transportation. The historic Smith family utilized a number of methods to reach their DeFuniak Springs homes and dairy, and beach and resort homes at Grayton Beach, South Walton, Camp Walton and Mary Esther along the Emerald Coast. Read more about the Smith family in my other blogs under “Anna’s Stories.” Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon collected pictures and wrote about her family's adventures in Walton County and the Emerald Coast.
Anna Smith wrote: The "Bluebird" in front of the "Cedars. " Read more about "The Cedars" in my Camp Walton - Mary Esther blog of Anna's Stories. From the Anna Smith - Sonny Hollingsworth collection.
http://www.sowal.com/bb/blogs/brenda-rees/510-annas-stories-masons-story-walton-county-fl-brenda-rees-shaping-florida.html
http://www.sowal.com/bb/blogs/brenda-rees/504-annas-stories-p-w-smith-dairy-1906-1949-historic-florida-dairy.html
http://www.sowal.com/bb/blogs/brenda-rees/494-annas-stories-camp-walton-mary-esther-brenda-rees-shaping-florida.html
http://www.sowal.com/bb/blogs/brenda-rees/473-annas-stories-anna-early-walton-county-boat-1910.html
example from blog about the boat “Anna”
Anna’s Stories – Camp Walton – Brenda Rees – Shaping Florida
© Brenda Rees All Rights Reserved
Transcript from handwritten paper by Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon (33 pages)
From Anna’s papers left with her son Sonny Hollingsworth and presented to me.
(Sonny is married to my mother, Gloria.)
“Lewis Irvin Smith (1845-1932)
Anna Durinda Brown Smith (1843-1929)
As recalled by Anna Smith Reardon
DeFuniak Springs, Fla.
9-10-78
…page 15 ...Uncle and Auntie soon bought and found a summer home near the Gulf of Mexico. It was (and still is) in Camp Walton (now Fort Walton Beach,) facing the sound and just west of the Sheraton Marina Inn. They spent their summers there for several years. Uncle bought a
Page 16 nice cabin cruiser, or launch, and named it the “Anna.” He built a boat house near the front of his house, he never learned to operate the boat, but persuaded his friends, Mr. and Mrs. E.S. Buck, to move from DeFuniak Springs to Camp Walton. Mr. Buck bought or built a water front home nearby, for his family, which included a son, Ralph and a daughter Mabel (now Mrs. Mabel Buchanan who still lives in Ft. Walton Beach.) Mr. Buck built a general store over the water, to the west of the boat house. He dispensed gasoline to boats, sold all kinds of merchandise, and for many years was the village post master, with the post office in one corner of the store. On the days Uncle and Auntie chose to take a boat ride, Mr. Buck was the pilot and engineer. One favorite trip …" end of excerpt written by Anna Smith.
Here are some pictures from the Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon / Sonny Hollingsworth picture and postcard collection. Presented by Brenda Rees – Shaping Florida
One boat is swamped and being helped out by the other. The Florida is trying to pull the Swan per note on back.
Passengers utilized the Capt. Fritz to reach resorts along the Emerald Coast. The Capt. Fritz served Walton County citizens for many years until it sank in the Choctawhatchee Bay. Boating is still a very popular sport in SoWal.
Postcard from Mr. Buck, skipper of the Smith's boat the "Anna." Back of card with 1908 postmark talks about taking train to Glendale and Chautauqua in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.
The "Anna" named for the great niece and wife of L.I. Smith. L.I. Smith owned the Gulfview Hotel in Camp Walton, a home in Mary Esther, Circle Drive in DeFuniak Springs, and other business ventures. He brought the Staffs and Gerlachs down to Camp Walton and they later purchased some of his property according to Anna's stories. Anna Smith spent many vacations at her Uncle L.I. and Auntie Anna Smith's summer homes along the Emerald Coast.
Anna Smith writes about how the Smith Dairy, one of the oldest and most continuous dairies in Florida in its day, used wagons to transport dairy products. This postcard with 1908 Camp Walton postmark from Anna's collection was probably purchased at the Florida Chautauqua in DeFuniak Springs. Camp Walton was part of Walton County at this time per Sinko. Okaloosa County wasn't formed until 1915, half out of Walton County and half out of Santa Rosa County.
The "Maxwell" transported the Smith family from their Dairy in DeFuniak Springs to Freeport to catch a boat to Camp Walton, Grayton Beach, South Walton or Mary Esther and beyond. Anna Smith wrote in her personal notes, "I can recall trips on the “Captain Fritz,” a stern wheeler, the “Charles E. Cessna,” a side wheeler, the “Eugene,” a double deck gasoline powered boat...".
Sonny Hollingsworth, son of Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon, poses with some friends on Grayton Beach with an early airplane. Sonny was born in 1927.
Check out the cars parked in front of the "Smith House" at Grayton Beach. Alline and Tuff Smith built their beach home around 1924 from wood from a shipwreck. Tuff was Anna 's brother. Anna owned some beach property near them.
Historic Train Depot in DeFuniak Springs (photograph by Brenda Rees (c) All Rights Reserved). Thousands of visitors came to the Florida Chautauqua in DeFuniak Springs by train. This was a favored Florida winter resort in 1885, long before Flagler built his train system to South Florida in 1888. The Walton County Heritage Museum is housed in this building and is open Wednesday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. The L&N Caboose is located on the same grounds and is open for special tours on Fourth of July. Many have mentioned that it would be nice to have passenger travel by train available again.
Boats were pushed out through the coastal dune lake outfalls along the coast of South Walton out to the Gulf of Mexico to fish. No motor was required. This is probably Anna Smith's brother, Tuff, and friends. It is 1942 and they are returning through the Western Lake outfall at Grayton Beach. See additional pictures of this fishing trip on my Grayton Beach blog. South Walton, Walton County is fortunate to have such a large number of coastal dune lakes. These globally rare lakes are known to occur in only a few other places in the world. That Walton County and South Walton has such a large number, is indeed a rare treasure and wonder of the world.
Baldwin Avenue in DeFuniak Springs. According to Anna Smith's note on back of her postcard the date is about 1910 - 1912. The Smiths and Thornbers, Anna's grandparents and great uncle and aunt, were business entrepreneurs in Northwest Florida. Thousands of visitors were decending upon DeFuniak Springs as a winter resort. Many locals also had homes at the beach. They used their cars to get to Freeport and then took various boats to Grayton, Camp Walton and Mary Esther. The Wesley family of Pt. Washington had an early homestead on Eastern Lake. According to Anna, the Smith family also took the train on part of their trip to the beaches along the Emerald Coast. Similar vintage postcards are available for purchase at the Walton County Heritage Museum.
Another picture from the Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon - Sonny Hollingsworth collection. "The Bluebird" is probably in front of "The Cedars" with Santa Rosa Island and Sound in the background. This picture is similar to another that identifies "The Bluebird" at "The Cedars." Anna's great uncle, L.I. Smith, owned a great deal of property on Santa Rosa Island and surrounding beach.
Take a trip to Ft. Walton Beach today. Along 98 you'll be able to still see the Gulfview hotel and where the Cedars was located.
THIS MIGHT PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE TYPE OF PLANE SHOWN IN THESE EARLY PICTURES OF GRAYTON, CAMP WALTON AND MARY ESTHER BEACHES.
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY MR. DD -
Thanks
DAVID J. GAUTHIER MEMORIAL COLLECTION
No. 8489. Blackburn Monoplane (G-AANI c/n 9)
Photographed at Shuttleworth (Old Warden) Aerodrome near Biggleswade, UK, by Bruce MacIntire
Main menu
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Next Gauthier photo
Gauthier menu
12/31/2008. Designed by Robert Blackburn, founder of the Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Company Ltd., this aircraft was reported in the Flight edition of April 5, 1913: "In general layout the aircraft is similar to the Mercury series but has a one-piece rudder and a divided elevator." A week before the magazine already reported of the first flight by the Monoplane owner, Cyril Foggin (although the aircraft had been flying since December 1912):
The aircraft was registered at the UK Register of Civil Aircraft of the CAA as the Blackburn Monoplane G-AANI on October 29, 1981.
Created December 31, 2008
END OF MR. DD'S INFORMATION. AGAIN, THANKS.
(c) Brenda Rees All Rights Reserved
Walton County, Florida and its beautiful and historic venues are accessible by many modes of transportation. The historic Smith family utilized a number of methods to reach their DeFuniak Springs homes and dairy, and beach and resort homes at Grayton Beach, South Walton, Camp Walton and Mary Esther along the Emerald Coast. Read more about the Smith family in my other blogs under “Anna’s Stories.” Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon collected pictures and wrote about her family's adventures in Walton County and the Emerald Coast.
Anna Smith wrote: The "Bluebird" in front of the "Cedars. " Read more about "The Cedars" in my Camp Walton - Mary Esther blog of Anna's Stories. From the Anna Smith - Sonny Hollingsworth collection.
http://www.sowal.com/bb/blogs/brenda-rees/510-annas-stories-masons-story-walton-county-fl-brenda-rees-shaping-florida.html
http://www.sowal.com/bb/blogs/brenda-rees/504-annas-stories-p-w-smith-dairy-1906-1949-historic-florida-dairy.html
http://www.sowal.com/bb/blogs/brenda-rees/494-annas-stories-camp-walton-mary-esther-brenda-rees-shaping-florida.html
http://www.sowal.com/bb/blogs/brenda-rees/473-annas-stories-anna-early-walton-county-boat-1910.html
example from blog about the boat “Anna”
Anna’s Stories – Camp Walton – Brenda Rees – Shaping Florida
© Brenda Rees All Rights Reserved
Transcript from handwritten paper by Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon (33 pages)
From Anna’s papers left with her son Sonny Hollingsworth and presented to me.
(Sonny is married to my mother, Gloria.)
“Lewis Irvin Smith (1845-1932)
Anna Durinda Brown Smith (1843-1929)
As recalled by Anna Smith Reardon
DeFuniak Springs, Fla.
9-10-78
…page 15 ...Uncle and Auntie soon bought and found a summer home near the Gulf of Mexico. It was (and still is) in Camp Walton (now Fort Walton Beach,) facing the sound and just west of the Sheraton Marina Inn. They spent their summers there for several years. Uncle bought a
Page 16 nice cabin cruiser, or launch, and named it the “Anna.” He built a boat house near the front of his house, he never learned to operate the boat, but persuaded his friends, Mr. and Mrs. E.S. Buck, to move from DeFuniak Springs to Camp Walton. Mr. Buck bought or built a water front home nearby, for his family, which included a son, Ralph and a daughter Mabel (now Mrs. Mabel Buchanan who still lives in Ft. Walton Beach.) Mr. Buck built a general store over the water, to the west of the boat house. He dispensed gasoline to boats, sold all kinds of merchandise, and for many years was the village post master, with the post office in one corner of the store. On the days Uncle and Auntie chose to take a boat ride, Mr. Buck was the pilot and engineer. One favorite trip …" end of excerpt written by Anna Smith.
Here are some pictures from the Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon / Sonny Hollingsworth picture and postcard collection. Presented by Brenda Rees – Shaping Florida
One boat is swamped and being helped out by the other. The Florida is trying to pull the Swan per note on back.
Passengers utilized the Capt. Fritz to reach resorts along the Emerald Coast. The Capt. Fritz served Walton County citizens for many years until it sank in the Choctawhatchee Bay. Boating is still a very popular sport in SoWal.
Postcard from Mr. Buck, skipper of the Smith's boat the "Anna." Back of card with 1908 postmark talks about taking train to Glendale and Chautauqua in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.
The "Anna" named for the great niece and wife of L.I. Smith. L.I. Smith owned the Gulfview Hotel in Camp Walton, a home in Mary Esther, Circle Drive in DeFuniak Springs, and other business ventures. He brought the Staffs and Gerlachs down to Camp Walton and they later purchased some of his property according to Anna's stories. Anna Smith spent many vacations at her Uncle L.I. and Auntie Anna Smith's summer homes along the Emerald Coast.
Anna Smith writes about how the Smith Dairy, one of the oldest and most continuous dairies in Florida in its day, used wagons to transport dairy products. This postcard with 1908 Camp Walton postmark from Anna's collection was probably purchased at the Florida Chautauqua in DeFuniak Springs. Camp Walton was part of Walton County at this time per Sinko. Okaloosa County wasn't formed until 1915, half out of Walton County and half out of Santa Rosa County.
The "Maxwell" transported the Smith family from their Dairy in DeFuniak Springs to Freeport to catch a boat to Camp Walton, Grayton Beach, South Walton or Mary Esther and beyond. Anna Smith wrote in her personal notes, "I can recall trips on the “Captain Fritz,” a stern wheeler, the “Charles E. Cessna,” a side wheeler, the “Eugene,” a double deck gasoline powered boat...".
Sonny Hollingsworth, son of Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon, poses with some friends on Grayton Beach with an early airplane. Sonny was born in 1927.
Check out the cars parked in front of the "Smith House" at Grayton Beach. Alline and Tuff Smith built their beach home around 1924 from wood from a shipwreck. Tuff was Anna 's brother. Anna owned some beach property near them.
Historic Train Depot in DeFuniak Springs (photograph by Brenda Rees (c) All Rights Reserved). Thousands of visitors came to the Florida Chautauqua in DeFuniak Springs by train. This was a favored Florida winter resort in 1885, long before Flagler built his train system to South Florida in 1888. The Walton County Heritage Museum is housed in this building and is open Wednesday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. The L&N Caboose is located on the same grounds and is open for special tours on Fourth of July. Many have mentioned that it would be nice to have passenger travel by train available again.
Boats were pushed out through the coastal dune lake outfalls along the coast of South Walton out to the Gulf of Mexico to fish. No motor was required. This is probably Anna Smith's brother, Tuff, and friends. It is 1942 and they are returning through the Western Lake outfall at Grayton Beach. See additional pictures of this fishing trip on my Grayton Beach blog. South Walton, Walton County is fortunate to have such a large number of coastal dune lakes. These globally rare lakes are known to occur in only a few other places in the world. That Walton County and South Walton has such a large number, is indeed a rare treasure and wonder of the world.
Baldwin Avenue in DeFuniak Springs. According to Anna Smith's note on back of her postcard the date is about 1910 - 1912. The Smiths and Thornbers, Anna's grandparents and great uncle and aunt, were business entrepreneurs in Northwest Florida. Thousands of visitors were decending upon DeFuniak Springs as a winter resort. Many locals also had homes at the beach. They used their cars to get to Freeport and then took various boats to Grayton, Camp Walton and Mary Esther. The Wesley family of Pt. Washington had an early homestead on Eastern Lake. According to Anna, the Smith family also took the train on part of their trip to the beaches along the Emerald Coast. Similar vintage postcards are available for purchase at the Walton County Heritage Museum.
Another picture from the Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon - Sonny Hollingsworth collection. "The Bluebird" is probably in front of "The Cedars" with Santa Rosa Island and Sound in the background. This picture is similar to another that identifies "The Bluebird" at "The Cedars." Anna's great uncle, L.I. Smith, owned a great deal of property on Santa Rosa Island and surrounding beach.
Take a trip to Ft. Walton Beach today. Along 98 you'll be able to still see the Gulfview hotel and where the Cedars was located.
THIS MIGHT PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE TYPE OF PLANE SHOWN IN THESE EARLY PICTURES OF GRAYTON, CAMP WALTON AND MARY ESTHER BEACHES.
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY MR. DD -
ThanksDAVID J. GAUTHIER MEMORIAL COLLECTION
No. 8489. Blackburn Monoplane (G-AANI c/n 9)
Photographed at Shuttleworth (Old Warden) Aerodrome near Biggleswade, UK, by Bruce MacIntire
Main menu
Larger
Next Gauthier photo
Gauthier menu
12/31/2008. Designed by Robert Blackburn, founder of the Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Company Ltd., this aircraft was reported in the Flight edition of April 5, 1913: "In general layout the aircraft is similar to the Mercury series but has a one-piece rudder and a divided elevator." A week before the magazine already reported of the first flight by the Monoplane owner, Cyril Foggin (although the aircraft had been flying since December 1912):
- "During Easter week Mr. Harold Blackburn (no relation to the aircraft-constructor) has been giving exhibition flights at Leeds. On Good Friday and Saturday he made several ascents on Mr. Foggin's new 50 hp Gnome-Blackburn, rising on one occasion to a big altitude. This machine climbs exceedingly quickly and shows a speed of about 60 mph. At noon on Monday Mr. Blackburn made his first ascent, flying around Wakefield and the surrounding country. During the whole afternoon flying was in progress, no less than seven ascents being made by Mr. Blackburn.
The final flight was made by Mr. Foggin, who mounted his machine for the first time, and made a splendid flight of nearly 20 minutes. duration. He rose to a good altitude, and handled his machine in such excellent style that one could hardly believe that this was his first flight on this type of machine.
On Tuesday afternoon Mr. Blackburn made a long flight on Mr. Foggin's machine. He made some very fine banked turns with his usual skill, finishing off with a neat vol plané. The flights were witnessed by hundreds of spectators, who were very enthusiastic in showing their appreciation of the flights of Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Foggin."
The aircraft was registered at the UK Register of Civil Aircraft of the CAA as the Blackburn Monoplane G-AANI on October 29, 1981.
Created December 31, 2008
END OF MR. DD'S INFORMATION. AGAIN, THANKS.
(c) Brenda Rees All Rights Reserved
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Love the old pictures! At my relative's summer houses (they lived in the nearby town during the winter) you left the cars on shore and would only drive a car when you came back to shore to get groceries or run an errand - everything else was done via boat! Grandpa used to go get the mail and bring it back in his teeth waterskiing!Posted 07-08-2009 at 10:54 AM by scooterbug44
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