The Old Photo Review

Once again one of our most popular issues is the annual Old Photo Review, a grab bag of interesting photos and the stories behind them. In this issue, we cover time periods from 1860 to 1985. There's something for everyone. We hope you enjoy this installment of The Old Photo Review.

Stories by Robert Martinez

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Thanks to the following for their contributions

John White

George Allen Jr.

Lou Charity

John Reeves

Richard Stanaback

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Weeks Hardware (1933) on North Main began in 1916 and was open until 2022, over 100 years of continuous service, the longest in Hernando County history.

Betty Lund, famed airplane pilot

Betty Lund visited Brooksville in 1932 as part of an air show held at the old Brooksville Airport. Her husband, Freddie, was killed at an air show incident in 1931 in Kentucky. When the promoter of an upcoming air show in North Carolina threatened a lawsuit, Mrs. Lund said "I can fly that plane" and a star was born. She went on to become a famous pilot and served in World War II with the WACs. Mrs. Lund dies in 1984 at the age of 78.

Rare photo of the Duvall House in Brooksville (1860)

The Lacoochee Bridge (1893). Lacoochee is a small town just east of Brooksville.

Retired Sheriff Hopp Smith and family (1880)

Smith was Sheriff of Hernando County 1n 1869 - 1870 but resigned after killing a member of the Florida House of Representatives during a drinking match to prove who was more macho.

Rock On!

An All Ladies Band, The Melody Makers, entertains at the Hernando County Fair (1974)

Nice Job! Training The Mermaids (1948) at the Weeki Wachee attraction.

The Lemberg family (1917), owners of the popular City Bakery on Broad Street. This was located directly across from Enchilada's Restaurant near the entrance to the parking area. Behind them is Broad Street heading to the hilltop.

The Russell House (1900) on South Main. It was here A.M.C. Russell's newspaper, the Southern Argus, began in 1901. It was published in two rooms upstairs. After Russell died in 1912, his son, Edwin R., took over. It is now the office of attorney James Martin Brown.

Brooksville snowman (1977). Folks will never forget that February day when snow covered Brooksville. It reached Tampa too as I-75 had to close due to multiple skidding accidents.

Brooksville beauty Bobbie Spencer (1944) rests on the lawn of the Court House.

Brooksville kids and workers pose at the tourist attraction Lewis Plantation and Turpentine Still (1938). Opened in 1932 on South 41, it was a popular attraction through the 1940s.

Brooksville attorney, William S. Jennings (1888). Twelve years later he would be elected Governor of Florida (1901-1904). He and his wife, May Mann Jennings, lived on Olive Street.

Martian footprints (1965)

In 1965, John Reeves claimed he was abducted by aliens and shows the footprint of where the Martian spaceship landed and where he (or she) walked on Reeves' property west of Brooksville on Highway 50. The incident was investigated by the United States government and reached newspapers as far as Boston. Reeves claimed he was taken on a ride to the dark side of the Moon. The ship returned a couple of more times. Reeves has a piece of paper left behind by the Martian that would explode when lit. It was submitted to NASA.

Follow-up in the 90s revealed no new information.

The 1,000 mile walk

Getting his feet wet (1970), Florida Senate hopeful Lawton Chiles stops by to chat with three mermaids at the Weeki Wachee attraction. "Walkin' Lawton" won the Senate race after a campaign in which he walked from Pensacola to Key West meeting the voters. He served as Senator from 1971-1989 and as Governor from 1991-1998. He died in office just days before he was to retire.

The Shady Rest Resort (1929)

The Shady Rest was a major tourist stop north of Brooksville on US 41 that catered to the "tin can tourists" from up north. "Tin can tourists" was a term penned by a writer who described them as "Driving tin cans, eating out of tin cans and leaving a trail of tin cans behind."

Signing off!

Old times remember the Red Goose shoe sign in front of Lingle's Deparment Store. In 1985 the sign came down as Lingle's retired from their Main Street clothing store that had been in business downtown since 1929. The Red Goose shoe sign would glow at night in bright neon red and green directly across the street from the court house. Bobby Lingle's father originally started the store. Al Brisben (left) from Land O'Lakes purchased the sign.

1934 Purina Chic Starter ad for local Brooksville dealer

Don Knotts receives an Honorary Citizen Award (1964) at Weeki Wachee from Billy Osceola, Seminole Chief, and Miss Florida. Knotts filmed "The Incredible Mr. Limpet" at the attraction. Knotts was most famous as Deputy Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith Show.