The Historical Society of Orange Park Newsletter Monday, February 8, 2016 6:30 PM Clarke House 1039 Kingsley Avenue Orange Park, Florida 32073 The Historical Society of Orange Park is pleased to include a very special program at our February meeting. Mr. John Penning, grandson of the Fergusons who owned and even named Club Continental's Winterbourne house, will come from North Carolina specifically to share his family history with the society. He has family artifacts to share including many photographs which will be digitalized and preserved in the Clay County Archives. This will be a one-night-only chance to hear the family history from the Ferguson point of view. Please plan to attend and bring a friend! Membership Renewal To all members of our Society, thank you for an outstanding year. We were active in a number of community activities and conducted a number of interesting programs. This could not be done without your support. We are very appreciative of efforts to advance our Society and look forward to another good year in 2016. Our society gives sincere thanks to President Cindy Cheatwood, Vice President Randy Harris and Secretary Carolyn day for their leadership over this past year. It is now time to renew your membership for 2016. We will again need your support as we move forward and continue our work to educate the public and keep history alive in the community. Please provide this support by renewing your membership, volunteering and participating in our events. A membership renewal form is attached to this newsletter for your use. Please complete the form and return it along with your annual dues either via mail or at our next monthly meeting. We thank you for your support over the past year and look forward to a prosperous and productive 2016.
Page 2 Recent Events January Meeting Our January meeting included installation of new officers and a special thank you to Cindy Cheatwood for her many years of service and dedication as President of HSOP. Town of Orange Park Mayor Garry Meeks conducted an installation of officers ceremony for our new President, Van Hogan and Chairman of the Board Cindy Cheatwood. Officers for 2016 are: Chairman: Cindy Cheatwood President: Van Hogan Vice President: Randy Harris Treasurer: Steve Howard Secretary: Mary Ellen DeMarco Cindy Cheatwood was recognized for her years of service as President and was awarded a photo collage depicting all the events that Cindy has planned and supervised for the Historical Society of Orange Park. Thank you Cindy for all you hard work and dedication to HSOP.
Page 3 2016 Quilt Raffle Our thanks to Mrs. Pat Meeks who has offered to donate a handmade quilt for our Annual Quilt Raffle to raise funds for the HSOP. Raffle tickets will be available in the near future. December Meeting Many Society members and guests turned out for our annual Christmas dinner on Monday, December14 th. We enjoyed a great meal and good company. We were also treated to holiday music and song provided by Mrs. Wanda Dillaberry. It was a great time to visit, reminisce about all our activities in 2015 and enjoy the evening. James Jordan was the winner of the beautiful gift basket!
Page 4 We conducted a drawing at our December meeting to determine the winner of the 74" X 84" quilt, "Tulips in the field." which was donated by Dot Patterson. We are grateful to Dot for her generous support. This year s winner was Dr. Jean Otte. The raffle was a big success and raised funds for our Society. All proceeds from raffle ticket sale will support our many community service programs. Hometown Holiday in the Park This year s Hometown Holiday in the Park was another success. Clarke Park was full of families on the evenings of Friday, December 11 th and Saturday, December 12 th to enjoy hayrides, a movie, a visit with Santa and numerous vendors selling an array of crafts and gifts. HSOP members hosted tours of the Clarke House. Hundreds of people toured the house each evening taking full advantage of visiting the Clarke House. On Saturday evening, Society volunteers and students from OPJH posed as individuals from Orange Park s past. Each told their story to many visiting students. The students would collect the signature of each storyteller on their Pastport. Not only did the students learn our Orange Park s past but they earned cupcakes through their efforts as well.
Page 5 Thank you to all who helped with this event, by volunteering as storytellers, tour guides or by baking. Your help made the event a success.. Veteran s Memorial Ornament A new ornament has been made commemorating our Orange Park Veteran s Memorial. We will be selling these ornaments for $10 each. Upcoming Events Clarke House website Did you know that the Clarke House has its own website? Created by Randy Harris, it contains wonderful information, pictures and history of the Clarke house. Thank you Randy! www.historicclarkehouse.com Carrie's Book Returns to Clarke House Sarah Campbell has received a donation for the town which has in turn been given to the Historical Society. The book is titled, "Missionary Album" and was published in 1954. It may have been donated at some point to the First Baptist Church but is signed in Carrie's handwriting as belonging to "Carrie Clarke, Orange Park Florida". The charm of the book is her marks and notations that no doubt indicate the missionaries followed by Carrie and the church. The book will be on display in the Clarke House. We thank Sarah for returning it to its previous home.
Page 6 Upcoming Events Clay County History Fair It is time once again for students to compete in the Clay County History Fair. Students have been working on projects for months to analyze the theme, "Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History". Their exhibits, historical papers, documentaries, websites and performance projects will be evaluated by judges on February 26th at Fleming Island High School. This is a great interaction between students and members of the historical community. If you would like to assist with the fair by acting as a judge in one of the categories listed above, please contact Cindy Cheatwood (ckcheatwood@hotmail.com) by mid- February. Delegates from among the first and second place winners in each of the 5 categories will be selected to represent Clay County at the Florida History Fair in May in Tallahassee. We are hopeful to have a winner at the state contest that will advance to the national contest in June in Maryland. Mandarin Museum and Historical Society Here are some upcoming events occurring at the Mandarin Museum and Historical Society. February 6 Historic Mandarin Store and Post Office open 12-4pm February 18 Third Thursday Lecture The Legacy of Stetson Kennedy (by Sandra Parks) February 20 Meet the Maple Leaf Divers Day 12-4pm Historic Melrose Annual Meeting The Historic Melrose Annual meeting will be held Sunday, February 14, from 2 4 pm, at the Homemaker s Club. The Homemaker s Club is located at the corner of Centre and Park Streets. We are excited about our annual meeting featuring William McRae. The topic is the historic McRae family in Melrose and Banana, Florida. Please join us for an interesting afternoon. Refreshments will be served. HSOP March Meeting March 14 th. Cindy Cheatwood will be giving a presentation about Camp Chowenwaw. Carrie Clarke Day Saturday, March 19 from 10-4pm. This is our last meeting before Carrie Clarke Day. We really need good attendance and we will need lots of volunteers on Carrie Clarke Day! Carrie Clarke Day Bake Sale: Please consider volunteering to bake items that will be sold to raise funds for the Historical Society. Please package your items individually for easy sale and write the name of item on the package. Pricing will be handled at the booth. We would also appreciate more volunteers to help staff the bake sale booth.
Page 7 HSOP Road Trip to Coastal Georgia April 23 rd On April 23rd the Historical Society will have a daytrip to coastal Georgia to tour Hofwyl- Broadfield Plantation Historic Site ( GeorgiaStateParks.org/HofwylBroadfield ) and Fort King George Historic Site ( http://gastateparks.org/fortkinggeorge ). We will car pool, starting at Orange Park's Town Hall parking lot at 8 AM. We will drive to Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation, a beautiful plantation that represents the history and culture of Georgia s rice coast. In the early 1800s, William Brailsford of Charleston carved a rice plantation from marshes along the Altamaha River. The family continued to grow rice until 1913. The enterprising siblings of the fifth generation at Hofwyl-Broadfield resolved to start a dairy rather than sell their family home. The efforts of Gratz, Miriam and Ophelia Dent led to the preservation of their family legacy. Ophelia was the last heir, and she left the plantation to the state of Georgia in 1973. A museum features silver from the family collection and a model of Hofwyl-Broadfield during its heyday. A brief film is shown before visitors walk a short trail to the antebellum home. A guided tour allows visitors to see the home as Ophelia kept it with family heirlooms, 18th and 19th century furniture and Cantonese china. There is also a nature trail and Visitor Center. When we leave the plantation we will enjoy lunch in Darien before heading on to Fort King George. This is the oldest English fort remaining on Georgia's coast. From 1721 until 1736, it was the southern outpost of the British Empire in North America. A cypress blockhouse, barracks and palisaded earthen fort were constructed in. For the next seven years, His Majesty s Independent Company garrisoned the fort. They endured incredible hardships from disease, threats of Spanish and Indian attacks, and the harsh, unfamiliar coastal environment. After the fort was abandoned, General James Oglethorpe brought Scottish Highlanders to the site in 1736. The settlement, called Darien, eventually became a foremost export center of lumber until 1925. Using old records and drawings, this 18th century frontier fortification on the Altamaha River has been reconstructed for public tours. Structures include a blockhouse, officers' quarters, barracks, a guardhouse, moat and palisades. A museum and film cover the Guale Indians, the Santo Domingo de Talaje mission, Fort King George, the Scots of Darien and 19th century sawmilling when Darien became a major seaport. In addition to the many fort buildings, remains of three sawmills and tabby ruins are still visible. Cost: Admissions for both sites adds up as follows:
Page 8 Adults: $15.50 Seniors (62+): $ 14.00 Youth (6-17): $9.50 There will be a sign-up sheet at the February 8 th and March 14 th general meetings. You can also contact Cindy Cheatwood (ckcheatwood@hotmail.com) for more information. March is Clay County History Month Clay County History Month in March; a month long tribute and celebration to heighten awareness of our county s rich and unique history. Month long events including history and community organizations, museums, libraries, historical sites, lectures, presentations, woman s clubs and others. March Clay History Month is in conjunction and commemorates with Florida Heritage, Women s History and Irish- American Heritage Month celebrations. Look for publication of calendar of events and see the website at www.claycountyhistorymonth.com for ongoing updates. Other News Veterans Memorial 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 If you are interested in purchasing an inscribed paver to honor a veteran you may download a form from our website 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. We also offer a sincere thank you to Jack and Candy McMillan, who donated the funds to place poinsettias at the Veterans Memorial for the holidays. Sunshine Please keep these members in your thoughts and prayers: Dot Patterson Trudy Sigman 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,, to download a membership form.
Page 9