Yesterday's St. Augustine
A nostalgic view of St. Augustine, through the eye of the camera, from the 1860's to the 1920's
by Geoff Dobson

Visit Geoff's award winning history site, Wyoming Tales and Trails, a history of Wyoming told through more than 600 historic photos of the Old West.

This Page: 1920-1940
Music: Sentimental Journey


The Lions Bridge.

The Bridge of Lions was constructed at the end of the Florida Boom in order to provide highway access to Davis' new development on Anastasia Island and replaced an earlier tramway bridge, see photo below. Plans for the development showed that it extended as far south as SR 312 and Harbour Island. Davis' Administration Building was located in what is presently the American Legion post on Anderson Circle. A real estate office was located in what is presently the Knights of Columbus and a hotel was started. The crash came and the hotel never got further than the foundations. Ultimately, the foundations were used as the base for a private residence.


South Beach Bridge, approx. 1900

Transportation to South Beach was provided across the bridge, at first by mule drawn trolley and later by an electric street railway.


Shrimpboats, Sebastian River, approx. 1925. For many years St. Augustine was the center of a thriving shrimping industry, not only for shrimping, but for the building of Shrimp Boats in three large yards, Nix Boatyard on Nix Boatyard Road, the Trawlers on South Riberia, and the biggest of all Desco. It was said that the sun never set on a Desco built trawler.


Ponce de Leon Monument, 1930's. To the right may be seen the Plaza Hotel, now a restaurant, bar, and shops. The Plaza Hotel later housed the Potter's Wax Museum. The pier is the municipal marina. Florida Archives Collection.


Florida Normal and Industrial Institute (Florida Memorial). Florida Archives Collection.

The Institute was founded in Jacksonville in 1892 as the Florida Baptist Acadamy and moved to St. Augustine in 1918. It is now located in Miami. Today the site, on West King Street is marked by the hulks of burned out buildings.


Florida East Coast Railway Shops, photo by Richard C. Beall, Florida Archives Collection.


St. George Street, 1920's. The building to the right is the Bishop's Residence next to the Cathedral. For many years the City had an ordinance making it illegal to sit on the wall in front of the residence or on the wall in front of the Episcopal Church. Compare photo with next photo taken in 1941.


The Neptune Grille on the corner of Cathedral and St. George. The location is now occupied by a parking lot and a tourism information booth.

HOME