Mystery Photos

previous <  more photographs  > next

Historical Photo for November-December 2003 
Click on links in this sentence for the 10inch wide 300dpi digital file of photograph,  1600 pixel wide resample,  1024 pixel wide resample, or a 800 pixel wide resample of photograph.

We had a lot of people call about the November/December photo. There were those who remembered the boat but not much about it, and those who knew details. Most of the information came from “Hoot”, Charlie Provost and Al. Trafford.

The boat in the picture is a lifeboat from a ship that was sunk off of Cape Canaveral during World War II by a German u-boat. The reason the people in the picture are looking at the boat so closely is that there were bullet holes in the lifeboat.

We received an email from Marin van Heel, Professor of Structural Biology at Imperial College in London, England about the November / December Mystery Photo. He wrote; 

“One life boat that ended up in Cocoa beach during WWII was that of the SS Laertes, torpedoed by the U-109 on the 3rd of May 1942 at around 4 am. If this is the lifeboat in question (the one in the Mystery Photo), it was steered by Mr. Harry Flegg. The sinking of the Laertes is described by Wolfgang Hirschfeld, the wireless operator of the U-109 in his book “Feindfahrten”. The U-109 was sunk a year later and only Hirschfeld and the captain “Alex” Bleichrot of the crew that sunk the Laertes survived the war. I have recently been collecting much information on the event that killed my uncle Herman Schippers.”

We received this email months later from Danae Thorp in Australia and published the information in the July/August 2004 paper: 

“I was browsing the net looking for information on the Laertes, the merchant ship torpedoed off the US coast (3 May, 1942), when I came across your newspaper on the website. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw, what might be, the lifeboat from the stricken ship in the ‘Mystery Photo’ section. My father was a survivor from the Laertes, he was sixteen at the time.” My father lost his good friend, Tom West in the Laertes attack, Tom was only seventeen at the time.” “I am presently working on my Father’s book which includes a chapter about the Laertes and the torpedoing. It described arriving on shore in Cocoa Beach and the kindness shown to him by a local couple as he sat, covered in oil, on the beach. The lady gave him her white robe to wipe the oil off his face. I grew up with this vivid image of a pure white robe turning black as my father wiped his face. According to his writing the couple had two sons of their own in the Navy, I think the sight of a young boy in his state reminded them of their own sons. My father gave them the light from his lifejacket in thanks. I wonder if their sons or grandchild(ren) still live in Cocoa or the area?”
If any one has any information to share with this family please contact us and we will give you the contact information. Contact us by phone at 321-633-4990 or email "cvnews@cocoavillage.com"

Much later, posted in our May-June 2007 issue we received this information:

"I nearly fell out of my seat when reading your article about the Laertes, I have been researching all my family lines for a number of years now, and one is the Pollock line, my mother’s maiden name.

I still remember Grace Garnham (my mother’s aunty). She married Tom West. He was a nice old fellow. They both died in the 1960’s. It was not until I started doing the family tree I learned that their son Tom West was killed in the war., I started looking for information and that is when I came across the Laertes, and found the news clipping about the sinking. When I read your article I was shocked to see Tom’s name mentioned. He had a sister named Avis but have never been able to track her down. I am most interested in what you know and might have on the story of the sinking. I would really love to hear from you with anything you may have."   -- Mr. Bradshaw

Historical Photo for September-October 2003
Click on links in this sentence for a digital image of photograph 1600 pixels wide, a resample 1280 pixels wide, or a resample 800 pixels wide.

We had several people to call about the September/ October photo. Some one from Travis Hardware called to tell us that the store has an 8 x 10 of the photo. The most complete answer came via email from Marion Paterson Jackson who wrote, “Charlie Provost was right about the gazebo (the July/ August photo), and the house/building next door is no longer there. It was a photo studio owned by Walker Blair. He married Anna Beardsley, old Merritt Island family. The other building was my grandfather’s grocery store. That is my grandfather second from right in the white shirt and I believe my grandmother may be the lady in white. 

These photos are in the library down the street. (The Alma Clyde Field Library.) This building in among those illustrated on the bank. Johnson and Paterson names on the side. Johnson’s granddaughter checked in at the library a few months ago. She has married a PATERSON. (spelled correctly at that.) All my old photos have been copied by Speedy and he has a wealth of old Cocoa. Joyful for me to see the picture yesterday. As Charlie said, many times have we fed the ducks. (The July/August photo) My maternal grandmother and grandfather lived just up the block on Willard Street. Keep up the good work on the publication. Although I am in Rockledge now, my roots are in Cocoa.” Charlie Provost came by to tell us that the building to the left in the photo was Luter Weather’s Bar and that the Black Tulip is there now. He said locals would go there to play pool and snooker.

Thank you to all of you who called or came by to say that these buildings held fond memories for you.

Historical Photo for July-August 2003 
Click on links in this sentence for a 1080 pixel wide digital image of photograph, or an 800 pixel wide resample.

Charlie Provost took one look at the photograph and knew exactly were it was. It was the gazebo at Cocoa House. Charlie said that he remembers going to the gazebo and feeding the ducks.

Historical Photo for May-June 2003 
Click on links in this sentence for a 800 pixel wide digital image.

Congratulations to Angie who works at The Bath Cottage, she was the first person to call and tell us that the Mystery Photo for May -June 2003 is the last issue is the Porcher House on Delannoy Ave.

The house was built by Edward Porcher. Construction started on this home in 1914 following Mrs. Porchers’ design. Her love of the game of Bridge prompted her to have stones cut to represent the suits of cards and placed in the front of the house. The home was completed and the Porcher family moved in on October 31, 1916.

The Porcher family lived in the home until after World War II. The City of Cocoa obtained the home from the family in the early 1950’s and it became City Hall. It has also been a hotel and home for boys. From 1980 to 1988 the house was vacant. Porcher House was restored with money from two state grants as well as funding from the City of Cocoa. 

Today the Porcher House is open to the public to view and available for rent for special occasions. The upstairs rooms are rented out as office space.

Historical Photo for March-April 2003

Click on links in this sentence for the 1280 pixel wide digital download of the image, a 1024 pixel wide resample, a 800 pixel wide resample and a 240 pixel wide resample.

Many of you were able to tell us the photograph was of the Tiger Den that was on the corner of Peachtree St. Sandy was the first person to call with the correct answer. The Tiger Den holds fond memories for a lot of people.

Josie Cowart and Gene Baird the editors of the 1995 Mosquito Beaters Memory Book have given us permission to reprint an article Josie’s husband Bob wrote about it. 

Historical Photo for January-February 2003

Clink on links in this sentence for digital sizes: 240, 800, 1024 and 1280 pixels wide.

The present Historical Photo for January-February 2003 was immediately identified by Pam Pipp of Travis Hardware.  She correctly noted that it is the building on Harrison Street presently owned by Walter C Sheppard.

114 HARRISON ST, COCOA, FL 32922, Brevard County Parcel Id: 24-36-33-37-00000.0-000S.00

Mr. Charlie Newkerk recently contacted us by email about the Mystery Photo for January/ February. He wrote, “The bank on Harrison was the Brevard County Bank & Trust run by my grandfather Albert Lester Mc Glaun. He moved to Cocoa in 1917 from Cusseta, GA. to be the Head Teller and rose to be the bank president. It grew to become one of the largest banks in the Brevard county area. Being a state bank, it closed its doors on July 29, 1929 after a run on the money during the Great Depression, along with several other state banks in the area. Barnett moved into the area the same year, being a stronger bank a National bank. The board of Directors of the Brevard County Bank & Trust included:

Geo Bruen, Albert L. Mc Glaun, Chas D Provost,
RB Holmes, Chas D Smith, SF Travis, LB Abney, AG
Porcher, JJ Parrish, SM Pinkert, and NP Young. 

We would like to hear additional stories and history about this building.

 If you know something that may interest our readers about this issue’s photo to the right please call us at 321-633-4990, fax 633-4997, or email at cvnews@cocoavillage.us 

previous <  more photographs  > next