(posted by Mary Ann Rouses older half ) much My father was chief engineer for the Humphreys mining company (graduated from U.F. in engineering). He started working there in 1950. This was the mining company that created ALL, ALL the sand dunes around Arlington where Regency now stands. They also mined and created the dunes out along Southside Blvd and what is now J.T.B. Where everyone used to go hang out in their 4 wheel drives. We lived way out Ft. Caroline (in the woods) near a black community named Cosmos. This was right near where Ft. Caroline and McCormick Rds split around the curve. I remember many a night my dad would have to get out of bed in the middle of the night and go bail out (jail) the workers (at Humpherys) who had been busted MOONSHINING by the I.R.S. because he needed them to be at work the next day. The main plant was off to the east side of Mill Creek Rd, about right where Sears is now. My mom used to forbade us from going anywhere near thrill hill to play or ride our bikes. This was way before it was cut down.The Fort Caroline area boasted a few backwoods homesteads and a slew of moonshine stills, according to the Florida Times-Union of January 4, 1963. It seemed as if everyone in Arlington knew each other. I remember one night (circa 1961) a knock came on our front door, my father opened it and I was close behind...These two sailors had been in a bad car accident at the bottom of thrill hill. They were bloody (all over) clothes all torn off, teeth knocked out and one had a broken arm with the bone sticking out. I was HORRIFIED, as I was a child. My Father called the old county road patrol and they came out and took these sailors to the hospital. I had nightmares about that for weeks and weeks !!!! At that time Humphreys mining company was the second largest consumer of electricity in Duval County. Number 1 was the Naval Air Station (N.A.S). Jax.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 18:54:29 +0000
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