The Naples Pier

Before the DC-3s . . .

. . . Lockheed, Beechcraft or Grumman ?

In the early days, Naples Airlines operated as Provincetown-Boston (hence PBA) and were not even in Naples during the off season.

The "official" tourist season (Apr15 through Dec 15) began after the "snowbirds" had recovered from Thanksgiving "up north".

PBA operated in the (you guessed it) New England area including Boston (Logan airport pictured), and serviced folks at Provincetown, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and the surrounding area.

In the fall, the planes (there were 2, I think) would make the trip south where they became the link between Naples and the larger commercial carriers in Tampa and Miami. There were just a couple of round-trip flights per day in the morning and afternoon. One plane did the Tampa loop and the other did Miami. We used to wave at the Tampa guys whilst playing sand-lot football out in Seagate.

This question may have already been answered, but my memory has gaps . . .

. . . is this airplane a Lockheed, Beechcraft or Grumman, and did these planes become the first "mosquito bombers" upon the arrival of the DC-3's?


Seagate Homeboy
NHS Class of '67

10:23 a.m. PST

Photo credit: Bill Armstrong at Airliners.net

The Viking Tavern . . .

This ought to bring back a few memories . . .


Like some of my other T-shirt pictures, if this one shows up elsewhere on the Internet I know where you got it ! (Granted it's public domain, but . . .)

SH

Did someone say Jr. Deputy ?

. . .1961 I think . . .

NPD in the early 60's

OK Kiddies, lets see if you can name the ones I missed . . .

l/r, Chief Sam Bass, Jack Bliss, Barrie Kee, Fire Chief "Pearlie" Riner, blank, blank, Richard Davidson, Ken Mulling, blank, Ed Jones, Mrs. Holzhausen?, blank, Nick Trifiletti, Det. Mike Grimm, Dave Dampier, Det. Gary Young, C.H. Dasher. (Where's Sgt. Spohn?).

This was back in the day when juveniles who got "out of line" risked a visit to Judge Stanley.

Please no derogatory remarks as I will delete them.

SH

Bay Terrace Condo & Naples Bay 1969

Bindle Stiff Bartenders

This was taken reasonably early on a Sunday morning in the mid 70's, in front of Wally Green's house. We were undoubtedly planning the course for the day. "Waddayawanna do?" "I don't know Whadda you wannado?" "I guess we could have a beer and think about it . . . ."

Seagate Homeboy and Neill Davis (R.I.P.), the hood ornament is my dog "Boo".

Jungle Larry & Safari Jane

OK I've lived here for going on 50 years & really have/had no idea what these 2 actually did/do. I've never been to Jungle Larry's & am still bothered by the toucan sign on 41 being torn down. I'm not taking away anything from them because I look at this way they have given the rest of us the right (or nerve) to walk around with cool clothes...
I guess the people all over Ohio walk around lookin' pretty snappy too.
It's kinda like Batman or Superman (for their fashion sense) livin' in your hood.

West Gordon River Bridge & Naples Bay

Interesting in this photo (at least to me) is the Direct gas station & you ask why Homeboy is that interesting? Before it was built walking home at night was a truly dark, creepy experience. After it was built it was a little like a Disney World trip with a megaton of light, a snack & soda machine. In 60's Naples it really didn't take much for a "We have arrived" next stop, New York type head trip. But in retrospect look at where that has got this pretty little town now. If you ever walked home on the east trail you'll probably remember these HUGE (like maybe 6 inches long) cockroach looking, it came from outer space, bugs. They were attracted to the lights on the bridges. They would always be all over the sidewalk & street making this god awful, death screeching, wing flapping noise. Similar to local politicians these days when you say your sick of more new taxes...

PS: A little shout out to my friend Brent Collins he worked at that gas station wherever you are my friend here's to you!

Photo taken August 18th 1968
Courtesy of the Les Whitaker Jr. family.

Golden Gate City Of The Future?

And to think back then I thought Brookside was considered the outskirts of town.

Driving In From The East

Lake Park Homegirl's Blog

Tara is a long time resident/friend/contributor to the comments on this blog & always leaves me laughing. I'm plugging her little blog because I find it funny & because I want to....

http://www.naplesnews.com/blogs/stuff-fell-out-while-i-was-thinking-tara-linn/2010/jan/10/humor/

Tropics Drive In & 41 Construction

This is for all the followers of the Facebook page "Naples - BEFORE everyone ELSE moved here" check it out if you're on Facebook!

PS: Could they be digging for Mrs. Waples killer?

Lowdermilk Park Lifeguard

David Frank lifeguard.

Typical 70's Afternoon Showers

4 Corners
4 Corners from 10th Street
Central Avenue & 41
8th Street @ Police Station

Lowdermilk Park Lake Before It Went High Falutin'

Carter Miller Band & Inside Andy's Steakhouse

I have a ton of Andy's Steakhouse stories but must be having writers block or something. As time goes by I plan on filling in some missing stories on this blog.
Bottom picture Carter Miller @ Andy's with Spicer sitting in, space looking head is yours truly & to the right Dick Moreland & Greg Whitaker.

Top scan Carter Miller's 45 released when they played @ Andy's.

PS: The only thing I crawl to is the coffee maker in the morning.

Some Elwood Starn Trivia

The 65 foot Elwood Starn was named for a real captain who sailed for Starn fleet of tour/fishing boats based out of Atlantic City, New Jersey. The patriarch of that family (back in the 1930’s through 1969) was Capt. Clarence Starn, who was well known for his seamanship and even more so for his business prowess. Elwood Starn was Captain and master of the motor vessel “Malabar” in the mid-1940s.

Did you ever notice for the first few years, the Starn would go missing from Naples in the summer months? That’s because she motored north for the “$ummer $eason” in Atlantic City, NJ. She would return to Naples prior to “Tourist $eason” with a fresh coat of paint and any refitting complete. It was always cool to see her moored there for the first time each year. It just felt right.

I went to high school with the step-son of the then current skipper “Capt. Frank” (Diebold?). Anyway . . . his step-son was a pal of mine and a star player on the NHS basketball team; I will refer to him simply as “Batman”.

Capt. Frank had a new ’65 or ’66 Cadillac 2-door Coupe De Ville, BLACK, long, and low; we called it “The Batmobile”.

Batman, being a good kid, and the “star athlete” he was, had the Batmobile at his disposal nightly. The Captain Starn had a huge cooler that was stocked with sodas and beer daily . . . We were 16-17 year old kids . . . we had no interest in the sodas.

In the middle of the night (for us, in the mid-60's, that was after 8 p.m.), we would stealthily arrive dockside in the “Batmobile” and off-load the remaining ice cold beer. The cops knew the car belonged to Capt. Frank and never bothered to check why the car was parked down by the boat at night. Sometimes we would just sit there and drink until the beer was gone, sometimes we would cruise in the “Batmobile” doing our 60's version of “low-riding”.

The important point here is “free beer".

Thank you Capt. Starn; thank you Capt. Frank; thanks "Batman".