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Local & Family History in Jacksonville, Florida

 

 

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  SEASIDE TRICKS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Source of image: Florida Collection, Main Public Library, Jacksonville)

 

 

 

 

 

Yesteryear's beachgoers didn't show much skin at Pablo Beach (Jacksonville Beach).  This postcard dates from around 1910.  The people in it evinced a modesty that probably wasn't present in Palmetto Lodge, an oceanfront bordello.  The Lodge functioned as the Pablo branch of the Court, Cora Crane's house of ill repute in Jacksonville.  The proprietress built the surfside brothel in August 1905, and it stayed in business for three years.  Patrons partook of its offerings within a roomy, two-story frame house with wide screened porches.  Cora split her time between an apartment at the Court and one at the branch.  She eventually died at the Lodge. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLICK HERE to journey back to Cora's Pablo Beach

 

 

 

 

 

CLICK HERE to see the old Lodge location today

 

 

 

 

 

CLICK HERE for more surf & sand

 

 

 

 

 

 

When on the beach in public, Cora dressed like many of the other women in long black stockings and skirts below the knees.  In fact, she displayed even less skin.  The madam kept each arm covered with a scarf tied around it, and she donned a wide shade hat secured under her chin by an elastic band. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The jetties proved a favorite haunt for Cora while surfside.  With a small group of her ladies and their young boyfriends, she would picnic and fish for crab, leaving only when the sun sank low in the sky. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Palmetto Lodge sold its services to the more adventurous beachgoers.  When lightning struck the building on July 20, 1907, no doubt some local residents saw it as the hand of a vengeful God.  Just two months before at Mayport, Cora's husband Hammond McNeil had killed a teenager he suspected of being his wife's lover.  And, of course, the unsavory activity at the Lodge inflamed conservative townsfolk.  Here's how the Florida Times-Union described the zapping of Cora's establishment:

 

 

 

 

 

 

"STRUCK BY LIGHTNING -- House at Pablo Beach Badly Damaged Yesterday; Roof, Walls and Ceilings Demolished; Young Woman Stunned. ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passengers arriving from Pablo Beach last night reported that a house was struck by lightning at that place during a severe thunderstorm yesterday afternoon, and was badly damaged.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those reporting the occurrence said that the house belonged to Cora Taylor of this city and that it is a large, two-story house situated north of the Ocean View Hotel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lightning stuck the roof of the house, tearing away a large portion of the roof and two corners of the building; (it) tore out the ceiling and demolished a large portion of the furniture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One young woman, whose name was not given, was reported to have been badly stunned but was restored to consciousness by Dr. Jackson and Dr. Denton (spelling?), who were called to attend her, and was reported as getting along very well at the time the train left the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So far as known, no other damage was done by the lightning at the beach."

 

 

 

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