Gone but not forgotten in Jacksonville! (Holiday, Keystone: for sale, movie theaters, live)

[harleyangelbrat]

Does anybody remember the "Jacksonville Firebirds. My brother, Terry Knowles made player of the year one of the few years they played. I went to almost every game. Those were the good old days. Before that I graduated from Ed White Hi in 1973 and I remember before the school was built, our bus driver, Mr. Helms asked us to show up early for the bus and he would take us by there to see the new school while they were finishing it. I was the first student to walk through those doors is what the bus driver told me. I remember we had MODS for class periods. I would have two mods for some classes and four for others. I worked in the office as a switchboard operator. I remember Mike B. was popular. i think he played football. He was a nice guy and the Terry and Debbie W. were cheerleaders. They were twins. Ed White was a great school then. Remember Mark O. and drama class. He was a real nice guy, too. I think he later married the drama teacher which was cool. Was her name Wilson? It has been many years. Wish I could go back.

Also speaking of Normandy Mall, (someone did) do you remember that little researh company "Irwin Research"? I worked there as an assistant to Clarisse Irwin the first day they opened and wish I could get in touch with them if they are still around. They were good people. They grew into a big research company later. And Montgomery Wards....it later turned into Jefferson Ward. I use to work for Montgomery Wards in the record dept. My nickname was "BIG MAC" not because I was big, but because I walked real fast and confident. Do not know why they picked that name. haha. I also worked in signing and display. it was fun making the signs from scratch with a big printer. Had to put the letters in a metal setting and everything. Man, do I feel old now! I loved Orange Julius. They were so good. Eckerds was right next to it. They use to have such good prices. Not Eckerds anymore.
I miss the Pep rallies we use to have at Ed White. We had some really lively ones. I wonder if Glen and Sharon D are still together??? Oh well, just wanted to remember the good old days. Just putting my two cents worth in. Hope it was not annoying. God bless!

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by harleyangelbrat

Also speaking of Normandy Mall, (someone did) do you remember that little researh company "Irwin Research"? I worked there as an assistant to Clarisse Irwin the first day they opened and wish I could get in touch with them if they are still around. They were good people.

I worked for a company called Irwin Research Services (yep, IRS) at Regency Mall in the mid-80s for about two days. It entailed stopping shoppers and asking about ketchup or some other product. Honestly, I hated it as they expected you to poll an outrageous number of people every hour. You had to be aggressive about it and I don't like bothering people. Those folks still annoy me when we go shopping.

But, there is still a listing for the company:

Irwin Research Services Inc
9250 Baymeadows Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32256
(904) 731-1811

Might want to give them a call and see if the folks you know are still around.

And thanks to everyone for keeping this thread going! It's been both informative and entertaining!

Cheers! M2

[harleyangelbrat]

Thanks major. I did receive a call a few years ago asking if I wanted to get paid for trying some kind of tv dinner. Yes, they could be annoying, but they paid well back then. I do not know what they pay now for testing products, but it was a good job for the time. I worked out of her apartment on my own, so it was cool. She would let me try the testing products to make extra money, too. Thanks again for the address and number.

[ttefylooc]

Originally Posted by Iremembertoo

Hey Rocksteadyvibe, I so remember the Roosevelt Mall,Furchgotts is where I got my Prom Dress, and my best friend worked in Rosenblum's. Also the ducks that we at the Mall, Woolworths was the best place for a soda. Remember the shirts the guys wore with the loop and the back and the girls always tried to rip them off, madras prints the old plaid that the kids are wearing now thinking how new it is, gag me with a spoon, I loved it then but now, wonder if the color runs as bad as it did then? How about hang ten shirts? Do you remember that Dairy think it was called Grays, that was Argyle shopping strip and Hughes Dairy that is now Cinnamon Lakes, I have lived here for over 40 years, Went to Forrest and Wesconnett 57. and of 'course Jeff Davis.

Aww almost got you matched, Oak Hill, Jeff Davis & Forrest High...Do you remember Charger jacks?

[harleyangelbrat]

Hey, ttefylooc, that is the area of town I live in now. I am not sure about Charger jacks? can you explain who they are? Does anybody out there remember the JACKSONVILLE FIREBIRDS? I know they were only around a few years, but it was fun going to the games. They did okay for a while, but they went downhill when they lost their star quarterback. But, I have to say those players worked really hard to make a good team.

Is anybody out there old enough to remember the little store on Lenox Ave right at the end of Park Street behind Cedar Creek Baptist church. I use to buy a whole bag of candy, a small coke and a big pickle all for a quarter. Those were the days! Have a nice day everybody!

[Lexxy]

I just want to say that I so enjoyed reading about the by-gone days in Jax. I found this site because I was looking up Annaclaires, the chocolate from May Cohens and telling my Mr about them and wondering what would come up on the net if I searched. Then I was whisked down memory lane reading about what folks are mentioning here.

Patti's was a family favorite growing up and a sentimental one for the Mr of 35 years when we were dating...I remember when it burned down! He proposed to me at the Chateau so I really remember that!! Is it still there?

We are long gone and still moving but our stuff is left in 32244 at my sister's house while we sail our boat around the world....today we're in New Caledonia on our way soon to Australia for the storm season.

Reading this site sure took me back to memories I had forgotten I had. I remember Milligans and Gustafsons [sp] milk and that old richety bridgeacross the St Johns near Green Cove Springs. And when Orange Park was a sleepy village....now it's a traffic nightmare. My folks rest there in Memory Gardens.

But I really wonder if anyone remembers the strawberry pie at the Green Derby in 5 Points??? Funny how we remember lots of things with our tastebuds!!!

I will catch this thread when I can...the net is pretty iffy in the third world!

[Sawtooth235]

Having just recently been re-introduced to tropical storms (thanks for nuthin, Fay), it got me thinking about my storm experiences growing up in Jax. Although Jax is pretty fortunate in not being subjected to very many storms, there have been a few that did reak some havoc. I can remember being given Huricane tracking maps at school and listening to the TV or radio for the latest co-ordinates so we could track the storms. During one storm I remember the flooding was so bad that the sewers backed-up in our house. In another storm I remember my dad and I going out during the passing of the "eye" to grill hamburgers and hot dogs on the car porch so we would have a hot meal. When I was in college I went to a "Him"icane party at a friends house on Atlantic Beach when David skirted by just 40 miles offshore. When I tried to get back home over the Intercoastal Waterway bridge on Atlantic Blvd. I got turned around by the police and was forced to drive down to the Beach Blvd. bridge to get back to Sandalwood (they closed the bridge due to high winds). Does anyone have any good stories of storms in the late 1980s or 1990s?

[ggregchap]

Does anyone remember the Stand and Snacks with the great Hot Dogs and the cold sliced pickles on the Counter ?? The HUGE Sears store downtown where you could find nearly ANYTHING ?? Embers resturant that revolved ?? Driscolls on Beach Blvd?? The Krystal drive in's on Beach and one on Main Street ?? And what was the name of that then VERY nice resturant on the corner of 1st and Beach at Jax Beach. You had to be properly dressed to get in. Imagine that. Thanks for the memories !!

[ggregchap]

Unfortuneately, the Chateau Restaurant, where so many of us took our Prom dates, is gone. The property is now oceanfront condos...as if we needed more. It was so nice sitting there of an evening and looking out those plate glass windows at the beach....and yes...the Strawberry Pie at the Derby House was soooooo gooood...and it is still there in 5 points. And i STILL get donuts and cinnamon twirls at the Donut Shoppe on University Blvd. So good. And how about the Jacksonville Sharks, yet another Pro Football team...i think they lasted 2 seasons....followed by the Jacksonville Bulls who had Larry Csonka on staff....and the "upside down" fountain at Regency Square. Thanks for the memories of Kuhn Flowers. It is still a Christmas Tradition to drive to see their beautiful window and then go for some great BBQ at the original Bonos !!

[ggregchap]

Thanks for all of the memories, folks !! It is great !! Here is some more. I worked at the Thunderbird in its hayday. I remeber the Zodiac Club and the dinner club, the Terrace Room. Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Mitch Ryder and a host of others played there. A major owner was the Trednick family who owned the old Jax Liquars in the area. It was truly a VERY neat place to work. I worked in the regular restaurant, the Kings Inn and then went on to work in the Terrace Room later on the weekends. How about the movie theater in the Town and Country shopping Center...and the 3 movie theaters downtown?? And going to Hemming Park on the bus, which is where ALL the busses ended up eventually. I lived for a time near Willow Branch and spent long afternoons in the Willow Branch library in the basement perusing their old books. And hanging out at the Krystal behind the Main Library downtown after school. I was a BK grad...so we took other shirts with us after school so we wouldn't stand out so much. LOL. I remember the "Dialing for Dollars" show on Channel 17...and we ALL had rotary dial phones...usually in black....and the cords were the same color as the phone and connected to the phone jack. And remeber Bob Smith or the MoJo man on WPDQ or WAPE....man....and the girls from TP were knockouts....