Hurricane Donna hits Punta Gorda in September, 1960

On Saturday, September 10, 1960, Hurricane Donna whipped into Punta Gorda leaving 12 people injured, 300 homeless, and millions of dollars in property damage in the Charlotte County area according to St. Petersburg Times of the following Monday.  The storm reached winds of 120 miles an hour,  

Parts of the roof of Sallie Jones Elementary were ripped off, major damage was done to the Charlotte Shopping Center and the cabanas in the Municipal Park were destroyed.  The iconic photo from the time was that of the steeple of the First Presbyterian Church tilted in half,

Sunday Church History - the Adventists in Punta Gorda

Seventh Day Adventists have a long history in Punta Gorda.  They started a school in the early town in 1895. There were 13 students originally in eight grades. Services were also conducted at the school.  It was noted in the Florida Times Union of 1900 that  the Adventists were one of the congregations building a church here. (We are still researching if, when and where this happened).  

The Adventists also had a significant role in rescuing the local hospital in its early years taking over management in 1969. The Seventh Day Adventists adopted the early Medical Center as one of its official projects, the Punta Gorda Herald at the time reported . "It will have the support of the church organization, and its earnings will be used exclusively to expand the hospital and improve its services.” The adventists owned the hospital until 1994 when it was sold to HMA.  

The church has been located on Taylor Road since the late 1980s.  

(compiled by Theresa Murtha)

Sunday Church History - Punta Gorda Region’s First Church

 

The first church to form a congregation in  the Punta Gorda region was the Trinity United Methodist in Charlotte Harbor.  The church, originally located at what was then called Hickory Bluff (thought to have been near current day Melbourne St. ) was chartered in 1873 as a member of the Tampa Methodist Episcopal District.   This was years before Isaac Trabue bought the land across the river that would become the town of Punta  Gorda in 1887.  

The current structure is the fourth church sanctuary.  The church moved to its present location at Seneca and Parmely in 1889 on a lot provided by Mathieu and Mary Giddens A two-room school was also built next to it. This second church building was destroyed by a hurricane in 1910, and a third structure was severely damaged to yet another storm.  The 1926 Miami hurricane, which flooded the streets of Punta Gorda, blew the church off its foundation.  

While it was recovered at that time, in 1944, a strong wind caused the building to badly sway.  

So finally a fourth building was erected of masonry construction, third on the current site, and dedicated on Nov. 9, 1950.

(Information from article by Frank Desguin, Charlotte Sun) 

Unlucky August 13 in Punta Gorda History

August 13 has been an unlucky day for Punta Gorda. On the afternoon of August 13 in 2004, a major hurricane struck Punta Gorda and destroyed much of the downtown ripping apart large parts of the city and taking many historic buildings with it.  But August 13 had been an unlucky day for Punta Gorda before.  It was on the night of August 13 and early morning of the next day in 1959 that an arsonist set fire to the magnificent structure that had adorned the town's shores since its birth.

It was actually in the wee hours of the morning on August 14 that a fisherman returning from the dock, Homer Monson, was the first to see bright red flames leaping from the tower of the Hotel Charlotte Harbor Spa (originally Hotel Punta Gorda, then Hotel Charlotte Harbor).  It was too late to halt the decimation of the famous landmark.  Firefighters fought the blazing fire for hours to no avail.  They also had to keep pouring water on a tank of fuel oil to prevent an explosion that could have caused massive destruction to the town.  But nothing could save the final ending of Punta Gorda's grand hotel. All that remained when the flames were ultimately doused was the wreckage - a haunting vista of a blackened chimney and some steel beams.   

The hotel which had though its years hosted the rich and famous of their day that passed through Punta Gorda, was originally built in 1887 and opened for season in the winter of 1888.  It had its ups and downs over the years, and was viewed by many at the time of its destruction as an eyesore.  The site eventually would be occupied by the Punta Gorda mall and Howard Johnson Motor Lodge.  

(prepared by Theresa Murtha )

The First Local Charity Ball at the Ryder’s Inn 0ver 60 Years Ago

Charity events - balls and the like - have been an integral part of the Punta  Gorda/ Charlotte County community for many years. The first known charity ball was held in Charlotte County in February, 1963 at Ryder's Inn (later the Harbour Inn Antique Mall) on the bay in Charlotte Harbor. Gerry Shedd, wife of Dr. Robert Shedd, was the chairwoman of the event which benefited the Charlotte Community Hospital, now Shorepoint in Punta Gorda, and Edna Jane Peeples was her assistant.

More than 200 of the county's society elite came in their finest evening attire, including mink stoles. They paid $25 a couple for the BYOB ball, which included hors d'oeuvres and setup. Freddy Martin and his big band sound were to play for the gala ball. However, the band almost didn't play. The piano at Ryder's Inn was out of tune and Freddy Martin refused to play.  Marion Bandler had her piano moved from her home to Ryder's Inn, so that Freddy Martin would stay

Some of the attendees included the  Mayor of Punta Gorda at the time, Ed Hendrickson and his wife, Virginia, Edna Jane and Vernon Peeples, Lonnie and Jimmy Persons, Peggy and Dr. John McGehee, Sam and Maria Burchers, Elise and Ken Haymans, Marion and Matt Bandler, Zena and Leo Wotitzky, Auline and Marshall Robinson, Helen and Frank Wotitzky, Sam and Catherine McCullough, and Paula and Drayton Farr.  

From article by Ann Hendrickson updated by Theresa Murtha