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Yes it’s been a year! On my first blog a year ago I commented on a famous Woodstock photograph, so today I will do the same.
Photograph by Jack Dykinga, National Geographic
“In the green firmament of a slough, galaxies of duckweed are stirred by slow moving waters. Florida’s Seminole call this section of swamp the Jurassic.”
caption by: NatGeo
Well another year and now a new decade… so… what better way to start than to look to the past and wonder about the future. It’s time for this month’s historic photographs and as promised it’s another whopper of a secret: ANCIENT BOCA RATON! Hard to believe about Boca in ancient times… but there was such a time and place…
Boca Raton ancient Barnhill mound circa 1920's
Yes! This mound is in Boca Raton and it is said to be 1000 to 2000 years old!
ANCIENT BOCA RATON DISPLAY
It is said that the Barnhill Mound and near by village was occupied by the Tequesta, the Jeagas and the Ais tribes centuries ago. The photograph above shows a depiction of the village flanked by Native Americans. Africa-USA owners also tried to make a tourist attraction of the area but tourist traffic dwindelled with the construction of I-95. Sadly in the 1980′s it was sold to construct what is now the Boca Marina Yacht Club development. Such a site should have been set aside like the Miami Circle, but I guess at the time progress and development won out.
The mound as it is today, at The entrance to the Boca Marina Yacht Club with the Barnhill Mound clearly visible in December 2008.
This month’s Historic photograph, comes from AFRICA U.S.A., BOCA RATON ‘s BEST KEPT SECRET!!!!!
Another photo contributed by Phyllis with Machakas.
This is a Whopper of a secret!!! In doing research for this blog post, I came across AFRICA-USA.COM, a website about America’s First Cageless African Wildlife Animal Themed Park. I had no idea this place had existed HERE IN DOWNTOWN BOCA RATON! and predated LION COUNTRY SAFARI!!!! And when I mean here I mean HERE where my building is situated, below is an aerial photograph. It was even on the cover of LIFE MAGAZINE!!! Sadly it no longer exists, but it is celebrated in this website, you must visit AFRICA-USA.COM.
This rare aerial photo of Africa U.S.A. was taken in 1956.
“This web site is a history and virtual tour of Africa U.S.A., an African wildlife tourist attraction that was open from 1953 until 1961. The park was located in Boca Raton, Florida on 300 acres of land near U.S.1.”
HERE is a Video from YouTube of the park in its Heyday courtesy Africa-usa.com “Film from 1956, taken by GeorgeHill.”
And here is one of the most striking photographs of all, an advertising to the park on U.S.1 (Federal Highway)
from the 1950′s (CORRECTION: As Mrs. Pederson states, The camel Photograph Below IS in Boca Raton, but it’s from the 1920′s and NOT about AFRICA-USA, But for a Shriner’s Convention and to draw interest in Boca Raton at the time.
THANK YOU! Mrs. Pederson )
LOOK FOR ANOTHER WHOPPER OF A SECRET NEXT MONTH, THINK “ANCIENT BOCA RATON” LOL!!!!
This month’s Historic Photograph is of “Old Betsy” Boca Raton’s first fire truck!
Boca's oldest fire truck
The fire truck still makes appearencess around town at special festiveties from time to time and is housed at the museum and more recently at Fire Station Number One.
I have decided to showcase a Historic Photograph of Boca Raton each month.
The first one comes from: policemotorunits.com
The Following image is courtesy of the Boca Historical Society Boca Raton Police Department 1926/ Leo Godwin (on Henderson Motorcycle)
Boca Raton Police Department
This weekend is a big deal… Woodstock was 40 years ago and guess what? the way we remember is through those amazing images! What a perfect day to start our blog with the reference of photography, well that’s what we do: create memories.
You close your eyes and you see that couple wrapped in a blanket, and guess what, they are still married today wow! and they met the photographer Burk Uzzel who took that image Wow!
Famous Woodstock Photo