University of North Florida UNF Digital Commons George W. Simons, Jr. Publications and Printed City and Regional Planning -- Florida Materials 12-26-1952 Chronicle: John E Mathews Bridge Edition Presenting The Story of A Great Achievement Sam D. Melson Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/simonsflorida Part of the Civil Engineering Commons, Construction Engineering Commons, Structural Engineering Commons, and the Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons Recommended Citation Chronicle: John E Mathews Bridge Edition Presenting The Story of A Great Achievement. 1952. George W. Simons, Jr. Planning Collection. University of North Florida, Thomas G. Carpenter Library Special Collections and Archives. UNF Digital Commons, https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/simonsflorida/130/ This Journal is brought to you for free and open access by the George W. Simons, Jr. Publications and Printed Materials at UNF Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in City and Regional Planning -- Florida by an authorized administrator of UNF Digital Commons. For more information, please contact Digital Projects. © 12-26-1952 All Rights Reserved Alf J.A. AUSTIN • BOX 992 JOHN E. · Presenting -MATHEWS The Story of A GREAT ·: BRIDGE ACHIEVE- EDITION VOL. IX-NO. 13 JACKSONVILLE. FLORIDA. FRIDAY. DECEMBER 26. 1952 ' MENT POstpone Bridge Dedication Until February To allow print shop and editorial help, an extra long Christmas Gov. Fuller Warren, as a safety meas.ure. declined to pledge the . holiday this edition of the Chronicle was running on the press - several state's credit to insure early crossers. hundred had been printed - when a decision was reached late Tuesday Inasmuch as this edition is merely a factual history of the bridge. to postpone the formal dedication, slated for Saturday (tomorrow). un­ til early February. it was decided to continue a partial run, with insertion of this explana­ tion, and later to properly cover the February cere~onies. Contractors told a local committee that their insurance did not c9ver protection for the thousands expected to stream across the span Several feai\lres were removed from this "make-over" edition. They Saturday afternoon. will appear· in Februar~. --~- / ~~;:~1B~~x"~'~'\ ~! )_- .... ..._ 5: .. ; ~1~,. -~- -~f.~:-·' !f.l ., a~ .-..£~ .·. :~;;; '•<:".·. :-. ::-':~ - ~· ~~T?~:-;:;,~~;~. .. ...'.:,-\ /~r ,~''c;;·,.,~~:iii\ -.:· ,_ -~ ~~~· ;1-·· if'C·~~l"~~·~ ""' ;?i, ij' ,jJ~~~,.::;.-;.;,>'~".J,.,.~:.- .,: .. ;;.~~ .. ~';..; ·--· ,,,_,..,. .. J'. ~:~ ... .,.• , .,.. ,,- ·· .<.;, ~~~t~~~~t~~.. ~--~-- --.- ~~ ..: " ~ ,~"'*~~' .:.• f,.'~... ,.·· · .. _ .!~ :... ..t!J'}'"r"'f .r·~;. ·'·~~;.::.:• ..d..,,... ... ~, .. -.. ·;:!}"~~;~~::~~ ~ f~;!f~~-~"P ... ~tn&. $ ,Vee. 27M • P~e2 CHRONICLE Friday, December 26, 1952 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE BIG THREE HE DREAMED IT HE BUILT IT To the lef:t is Justice John E. Mathews. of the Florida Supreme Court, who as county attorney. legislator. slate senator, dream­ ed up the idea of .the bridge. more than one quarter of a cen­ tury ago. and who lived to see it buill and named in his honor. To his right is Jaxon-Gover­ nor Fuller. Warren _who told the various state boards he named fo go ahead and build. the bridge. • Beneath them is Jaxon Brown Whalley. who as chairman of the roads committee of the Chamber of Commerce is the man who in the role of chief civic leader su­ pervised th4:1 working out of the thousands of details which kepi conflicting interests happy with procedure on the mammoth pro­ ject. JUSTICE JOHN E. MATHEWS GOVERNOR FULLER WARREN Brown Whatley Headed Local Only Sea Cloud Group Which Pushed_Plans Couldn Everyone knows Brown L.l and was submitted in October, Whatley, president or director 1946. of so many real estate, home­ building and developn;ent com-~ ions and high;..ay needs previ< panies that he would probably • •- ·- _, ' H_- - -- -' "-- have to pause for thought before giving you a list of them. Administration engineers under But not everyone may know direction of Mr. W. M. Parker, how much of time, investigation, road department project engi­ study and effort Mr. Whatley neer. has put into the movement for It followed, also an exhaustive well known to many Jacksonville bridge facilities and highway study of the basic plan for pro­ improvement in this community; posed highway improvements, and Florida people. designed to overcome many of and no one should get more Mr. Davies is a member of the the most pressing traffic pro­ thrill out of the John E. Mat­ New•York Yacht Club, the Sea­ hews Bridge dedication than blems of the immediate com­ wannaka Yacht Club at Oyster will Brown L. Whatley this last munity, while providing an ade­ week in December. He's earned quate connection of inter-region­ Bay, the Shellfish Club at Palm it. al highways which traverse the Beach, and the Gulf Stream Club local area. The notable trio in the story It was not, however, of the bridge movement includes Another famous vessel of the Mr. Whatley, Mr. S. Kendrick meetings with citizens' groups, kind, the Delphine, will have no Guernsey and State Senator John civic and service clubs and com­ E. Mathews -- Mr. Whatley as munity organizations had been trouble at all getting under the chairman of the . highway com­ held throughout the county, and St. Johns span. Owned by Hor­ mittee of the Jacksonville Cham­ wide publicity given to all the ace Dodge of Detroit, member suggested changes, that the com­ ber of Commerce, Mr. Guernsey of the Dodge motor car family, as a member of the State Road mittee got down to the job of the Delphine is rated as the larg­ Department, and Senator Mat­ preparing its report and recom­ hews as pioneer protagonist mendations. These were worked est steam y·acht in the world. It spearheading the fight from its out only after all the questions has been having an overhauling inception in the 1920's all the which naturally 'arise in a great by the Merrill-Stevens Co. here. way to its materialization. undertaking, whether a public improvement or any other, had Preserved correspondence be­ been answered satisfactorily to has resulted in the convenient I realized in the shortest possible Dew, J. M. Erskine, S. Ralph tween members of this Jackson­ the many persons and communi­ and efficient arrangement now time." Fetner, George W. Gibbs, ·Sr., ville group shows the successive ties affected and concerned. apparent in the construction of Thus the groundwork had been Chalmers D. Horne, Thomas C. forward steps through the lorig the Gilmore Street bridge. laid. Major problems had been !meson, George Martin, J. C. Mc­ Many problems had to be gi and often arduous period in worked out and only minor diffi­ Clure. en most' thorough consideration Third, necessary plans for the which the improve'ment crusade expediting of traffic including culties remained. It was now up Robert R. Milam, S. L. Monroe, moved gradually toward the before they could be overcome, the cloverleaf pattern now a part to .the State - but no less up to W. L. Moss, Clarence Nussbaum, point where it could be said -­ and it is to the credit of Mr. the people to keep up the !4lttle Allen Poucher, L. A. Raulerson, Whatley and his co-workers that of the expressway system. as Senator Mathews so crisply until the victory should be won. T. E. Satchwell, Jr., Frank E. they were met and solved so Fourth, important details in­ put it in his statement to the And unquestionably it was due Snell, J. P. Walker, C. Frank promptly as they were. cluding the proposed revenue press -- "Now - that is over. to the leadership of Brown L. Whitehead, A. N. Wilkerson. bond program supltorted by tolls And you see the result." After all that had gone be­ Whatley and the members of his Exofficio members were J. L. supplemented by annual appro­ It was after the proposal sub­ fore, the committee's recommen­ committee that progress was Moore, president, Chamber of priations of the State Road De­ mitted to the State Road Depart­ dations were remarkably simple speeded at a crucial moment and commerce; J. L. Rhodes, secre­ partment with Federal and State ment and the Florida Improve­ and brief --- the long-pressed-for bridge ob­ tary of committee; Senator Mat­ funds; an estimate of cost; a ment Commission by Mr. What­ First, a bridge or tunnel cros­ jective brought appreciably near­ hews, sponsor of bridge and high­ ley's committee that everything sing between Jacksonville and statement of the imperative need er its realization. way legislation; Lieutenant J. H. really got going on the way to Arlington. for the · proposed improvements Members of Mr. · Whatley's Allen, Jacksonville Police De­ a happy conclusion. Second, a further study to be and finally a challenge to the committee, other than himself as partment; Tom Marshall, attor­ That proposal included both made of the best of three alter­ people of Jacksonville and Duval chairman, included these civic ney and improvement advocate, the express parkway and the toll­ na~es at the north approach to County to "work tbgether with leaders: and Harold W. Whitehead, active bridge system connecting inter­ the proposed crossing in the the utmost cooperation, to the James R. Stockton, vice chair­ in real estate and civic advance­ state highways at Jacksonville, Riverside area .- a study which end that these objectives may be man; Robert M. Angas, Henry ment projects. ' ;;;. Friclay, December 26. 1952 CBllOifiCLE Pagel _ CHEERS GREET McCarly To Ike's PUBLIC INVITED TO GATOR BOWL Buras Renews Ch~~~~I~~e S:~P -laauguralioa BRIDGE CEREMONIES SATURDAY 2 P.M. Police Squahhle • They marked the hoisting of FT. PIERCE - Gov-elect Dan Three of the outstanding citizens who carried on the Virtually • ignoring the city's the first piece of steel to span McCarty made known here this movement for construction of the John E. Mathews Bridge worst epidemic of auto crashes will deliver the main addresses in the opening of the Jack­ the gap between the east and week that he would attend the in its entire history - 60 car January 21 inauguration in sonville - ·Arlington span Saturday afternoon of this week.