Below you will find a sampler of recent newsletters of the Mandarin Museum and Historical Society.  This will give you a flavor of the events and news of the MMHS.  Regular newsletters are one of the benefits of membership.

CULTURAL COUNCIL GRANT AWARDED

Grants from philanthropic groups are the mainstay of non profit organizations such as the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society.  The application process is exact and often tedious, but the results can be very gratifying. 

The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville recently awarded MMHS a grant of $4,500.00 to be used in the startup of the Mandarin Historical Museum. The funds will be used to help defray printing costs for the leaflets, which accompany the exhibits.

This is the first time that Mandarin Museum & Historical Society has applied to the Cultural Council and we are delighted to receive its support.

Amy Crane, Steve Rawlins and Karen Roumillat of the Grants Committee are to be commended.  All the hard work was well worth it.  Thanks to everyone involved!

Giving to the Mandarin Museum and Historical Society

For several years, your cash donations to the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society have been tax deductible.  Now it’s possible for the Society to receive gifts of stock as well.  Transfer of stock avoids capital gains taxes while allowing the donor a charitable gift deduction at the same time.  The process is simple. 

For more information, contact Carl Davis at 262-6496.

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THE MAPLE LEAF SAILS AGAIN

For four years and five months he worked.  For four years and five months we heard reassurances.  “It’s going to be great.”  For four years and five months we waited.  And boy, was it worth it!  The Maple Leaf model has arrived in Mandarin and it is beyond great.  It is spectacular!

More than four years and five months ago, Mandarin Museum & Historical Society contracted with Doug Carlton of Ocoee, Florida for a model of the Maple Leaf, the Union ship sunk by a Confederate mine in the St. Johns river off Mandarin Point in April, 1864.  We wanted the model as the centerpiece of the Maple Leaf exhibit in the new Mandarin Historical Museum.  With drawings, descriptions and pictures provided by MMHS, Mr. Carlton set to work.  He did extensive additional research in order to create the most precise recreation possible.

It was at this point, Mr. Carlton admits, that he got a little carried away.  When he learned that the side-wheeler had started out as a cruise ship on Lake Ontario, tiny cabins were added including the bunks and washstand pitcher and bowl in each one.  Larger cabins, containing the exotic sounding “French beds” (double beds) are included to show where the officers were housed when the boat was reconfigured by the Union Army.  Each cabin Mr. Carlton created is fully furnished and softly lit to simulate the kerosene lamp light of the era.  Amazingly, all of this detail work can be seen only by peeking in the tiny cabin windows.

When the research revealed that a cavalry unit had been on board when the Maple Leaf went down, Mr. Carlton filled an aft deck with horses and covered wagons – each miniature wagon made by hand.  Tiny figures attend the animals as other figures go about the business of running a military ship.  An enlisted man salutes an officer in a passageway.  The pilot is on duty at the helm.  There’s even a laundry maid carrying a basket-load of linens on her way to the cabins.

The flywheel keeps the two paddle wheels spinning and interior lights cause the whole ship to glow, just as they did the fateful night the ship went down into the St. Johns River mud.

Four years and five months of Mr. Carlton bending over a worktable.  Four years and five months of Mrs. Carlton’s limitless patience and support.  Four years and five months to create a masterpiece.

Every visitor to the new Mandarin Historical Museum will be thrilled to see the magic that happened when the master craftsman got carried away!

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WRITER TO ATTEND WINTER CELEBRATION

Award winning author, Kelley G. Weitzel has written a second book about Florida’s earliest settlers and has agreed to attend the Winter Celebration for book signing and conversation.

Journeys with Florida’s Indians alternates chapters of fact and fiction to describe the arrival of the Apalachee, Calusa and Timucua tribes in this land, their lives here and the impact the European settlers had on their communities.  The book is intended for 4^th through 8^th graders, but the beautiful illustrations and exciting stories will appeal to all ages.

Ms. Wietzel’s other book, Timucua Indians, is also available for purchase and autographing.

Join us at the winter Celebration, December 6^th between noon and 4:00 p.m. to welcome Ms. Weitzel. 

AND SPEAKING OF WRITERS…

Our own June Weltman, longtime MMHS board member and award winning journalist, is just about to have her first novel published.

The Mystery of the Missing Candlestick, is set in St. Augustine where, as we all know, ghostly happenings are frequent.  The book, which received Mayhaven Publishing’s First Place Award for young fiction, will arrive in stores sometime this winter.  Look for it.

Also look for June’s article featuring the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society and the Walter Jones Historical Park in the November issue of the WJCT Channel 7 magazine.
 

MEMORIES BEGET DONATIONS

Visitors to the Webb Farmhouse or  the Walter Jones Store & Post Office are transported back to time past simply by walking in the door.  The docents on duty at the Store & Post Office hear repeatedly, “Oh, my grandfather (uncle, cousin) had a store just like this in (any town, any state).  This smells just the same!”  As they stroll around looking at the various artifacts on display, they are sometimes reminded of something similar that they own.  MMHS is often the beneficiary of these memories.  Recent donations to the Store Museum include a wall clock, cracker boxes and shipping crates – all from people who saw what we had and wanted to add to it.

Similarly, a recent tour of the Farmhouse in Walter Jones Historical Park inspired a generous lady to donate a dainty red velvet settee for the front parlor.  One can picture Mrs. Jones, sewing in hand, entertaining guests before the fireplace from just such a seat.  Bedroom furniture and kitchen utensils are also recent donations.

We are always pleased to accept donations that will enhance the farmhouse and store museums, and are extremely grateful to our generous donors.  If you have something you would like to donate for any of our present and future exhibits, contact Susan Ford, Accessions Committee Chair, at 262-8563.

he    Olde Sawmill

Many of you may have already heard about the old sawmill, but I’ll bet some of you haven’t, so here goes….

Back in the spring of 1997, Danny and Pat Pritchard were clearing some land on Hillwood Road near Oldfield Branch to build their home.  They discovered the remains of what appeared to be a sawmill that was almost completely buried on the property.

Carl Davis was contacted and he and Jim Towart went to the site to take a look.  They were very interested in what they found and elicited the help of Bennett’s Sign Company who had some large crane trucks.  After a lot of digging and tugging, the pieces were recovered and transported to the Walter Jones Park where they were laid out in a semblance of order.

Not quite sure what to do with the acquisition, the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society let the project lay idle for a few years until a new board member, Bo Phillips, took an interest and got us all excited about the possibility of restoring the old mill.

After doing a little research, Bo ascertained that this was the Wheeler Sawmill that was in operation in the early 1950’s.  The Wheelers had used barges to float sunken Cypress trees to the Andrew mill near the mouth of Julington Creek.  After the Andrew mill closed down, the Wheelers set up their sawmill for their own use.

The restoration of the mill has taken about two years of hard work and is currently being set back up at the Walter Jones Park

A search for an engine to power the mill was begun and came to a successful conclusion when the Bernath family of Switzerland donated the engine shown here.  This is not just any engine; it is a Model D Economy engine built by the Hercules Company in 1994.  It is currently being restored and will soon be installed at the Park to power the mill.  Although the project is not complete, you still should stop by the Walter Jones Historical Park and check it out!  The mill is located behind the old farmhouse.  We owe many thanks to Bo Phillips for spearheading the restoration effort and to Jim Hightower for his invaluable advice and assistance.          

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