Thursday, April 29, 2010

Lake Park Area From Goodlette Road


In this photo the old Lake Park Elementary School, Goodlette Road newly paved, the railroad tracks along Goodlette, the rear of Chris' Gourmet Castle.
Also the empty field between Royal Castle & Chris' Gourmet Castle.
Retouched repost photo taken August 16th 1968.
Courtesy of the Les Whitaker Jr. family.

Monday, April 26, 2010

The Beach Store



I believe this was toward the end of the Beach Store & the beginning of the change of 50's, 60's & 70's Naples. Odd things that slip your mind the city's fiberglass garbage cans & the old telephone booth...

Photo's taken June 1974 courtesy Howard Green

Jim B thank you for your comments, it truly makes this worth doing! BH

Friday, April 23, 2010

Some Naples 60's & 70's Era Characters







A good number of these people have passed away & when my mind wanders back then it gets pretty sad. This is my little tribute to some these guys. If you lived here back then you probably knew some of them.

1st photo: Brent Collins & Johnny Frye
2nd photo: Jeff Barber & Roger Morris
3rd photo: Dab Barber
4th photo: Dave Clements
5th photo: Brad Macintire & Danny Farmer
6th photo: Brookside Homeboy

Note to readers please pay attention, the 3 words "A GOOD NUMBER" of these people have passed away. Please don't panic & think you might have died. If that was true you wouldn't be reading this because I Brookside Homeboy am still among the living. :)

My favorite Jeff Barber story is he would stand on the pier & tell tourists that the pier was there to separate the salt water side from the fresh water side. You could catch fresh water fish on one side & salt water fish from the the other side. :)

Photo's #1-5 Courtesy Kathy Keely Smith
Photo #6 Courtesy Howard Green

4th Avenue North & 41

Interesting in this photo Thunderbird Motel, the Esso Gas Station, Tropics Drive-In & Dairy Queen which believe it or not is still there. Also in this photo Mr. Donut, Barley's Paint Store, OK Tire Store & Pittman Funeral Home.
Courtesy the Les Whitaker Jr. family.
Retouched photo taken August 16th 1968

Monday, April 19, 2010

Naples Bay & The Fish House

Interesting in this photo Central Mall (before Bayfront) under construction & Naples Redi-Mix concrete plant ran by "Redi-Mix Richie" Yannaco.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Central Avenue & 41


Interesting photo mostly because its the only one I can find that has the Anchor Lounge in it. Also Seashell Motel, Howard Johnson's (got his ho-jo workin') a good chunk of Naples Junior High even the new Naples Daily News building although it might have been the Collier County News at that time who knows?

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Bob DeVille The 1st Publix Manager At Store #76


Publix had 35 stores (only in FL) when Bob started in 1956. (Now....to the credit of many Neapolitans...there are 1,014 Publix supermarkets in: Florida - 729, Georgia - 177, South Carolina - 42, Alabama - 39 & Tennessee - 27.)
Made manager in 1959 (age 25).......came to Naples when store opened in 1962. He requested moving due to the Everglades and hunting & fishing. First Naples visit was on a Sunday.......deadsville with only Four Corner's gas station and Fifth AV Rexall open. Realtor Chuck Grimm showed the family Naples........and horrors!.....lots were selling for the outrageously high price of $55,000 in Port Royal. One could buy an average home for that much! heh-heh. Store #76 was often called 'the tail end" but became the Number ONE volume store in the chain. Winter season was horrendous but the crew was FANTASTIC. The stock men, part-timers and cashiers (Betty Harris, Lorene Adams, Peggy Wall, Ann Colwell, Alice Gilley, Lois Benfield, Bea Herbert, Mildred Salter, and others) weathered it all year after year. Bob always thought he had the FINEST team including great assistant managers. He worked 27 years and has been retired 27 years. Bob worked and loved Publix (being accused of having 'green blood' (Publix color). Bob knew the Jenkins, Blanton’s and founders of Pubix as it was a 'family geared' company. He purchased stock and badgered.......truly badgered employees to do the same. He has been happy to see it benefited many. Having about 50 teenagers working for him at almost any given time has made him know many Neapolitans and their families. He was able to see immature boys develop into successful, responsible adult men. His own three sons (Ken, Phil, & Troy) and three daughters (Robyn, Monica, & Colette) worked at Publix 76 in their youth and it is still in the family with the third generation there. A daughter married a son of a Publix manager. Retirement came in 1983 when he was 48 years old and there were 285 stores. At age 76, Bob is still the staunchest admirer of Publix. It is still his “bread and butter”. Bob delights and is encouraged seeing employees at many Publix stores showing signs of the potential he saw in the young ones that called Publix their first job. Publix let him enjoy 22 consecutive summers driving from Naples to Alaska for fishing and having a tractor to play on in North Florida. Naples is and will remain his home and Publix………and those that have helped make it grow, will be forever in his heart.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Grace Lake Florist & Zita Inc.


This building is now occupied by Tommy Bahama's on 3rd Street & 12th Ave South.
Grace Lake Florist
1244 3rd Street South
Phone # MIdway 2-2752

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Piccadilly Pub & Menu





Piccadilly Pub
625 5th Avenue South
Phone # Midway 2-5940
Menu courtesy of Kevin Ginos