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Honors System in Florida

It’s hard to believe that in 2018, the honors system is alive and well in Florida.  You see it at some state and county parks where envelopes and collection boxes are used for entrance fees.  But what about private businesses that offer up products for you to buy without someone there to ring you up?  It may sound like a risky venture, but these business owners say most people are good and honest.

In our travels, we have come across several businesses operating on the honors system, all of them honey stands.  Located along backroads, or along highways through the rural parts of the state, these businesses are reminiscent of a much simpler time in Florida.

Putnam County

Biggers Apiaries Honey Stand

After hearing about a honey stand selling through the honors system in Putnam County, we decided to see what the buzz was all about and visit during one of our trips to Palatka.  For more than 70 years, the Biggers Apiaries Honey Stand has been selling its honey from the side of Highway 100 in San Mateo.  The old wooden structure is showing its age, but the honey is as plentiful and sweet as ever.  Jars of palmetto, gallberry, orange blossom, and wildflower honey line the shelves.  Tables in front also hold additional items, like cane syrup and pumpkin butter. A yellow sign with large red letters tells visitors to “Put money in the box.”

A small outdoor store now sits next to the roadside stand.  Lawn ornaments, additional honey, jams and jellies can be found inside.  If it is open, someone is inside to take your money.  But if you’re only looking for the honey, you don’t need to go any further than the old stand outside.

Central Florida

Homeland, Florida

South of Bartow, along SR 640 West off Highway 17/98, sits a small wooden red structure, one of the newer honor system locations we have found.  It looks like any other roadside stand, but there is no one there to welcome you or sell you the product.  The counter is lined with jars of raw honey – various sizes, various prices. Signs hanging on the back wall provide further instructions if you are looking to buy larger sizes.

If you like what you see, and the price is right, put the money in the slot on the cash box and you are done.

Lake Wales, Florida

Struthers’ Honey

About 15 minutes east of Highway 27, along Highway 60, is perhaps the state’s oldest honey store working off the honor system, opening for business in 1935.  Sitting just off the highway about 10 miles east of Lake Wales, Struthers’ Honey welcomes visitors with a quaint front porch that opens into a small store.  On the back wall, tiered shelves hold jars of honey, honey candy, bee pollen, and bees wax.  The yellow walls are adorned with old family photos revealing the history of the business, as well as various other framed posters and prints paying homage to the bee.  In the middle of the floor is a table-size box with a tiny slot for you to pay for your purchases.

Arriving early on a Saturday morning, we were lucky to be in the store when Alden Struthers entered to restock the shelves.  Alden is a fourth-generation beekeeper, taking over the business from his father.  (Alden’s son and grandsons are also working in the business.) His down-home hospitality provided an unexpected first-hand history of the business, as well as a lesson in beekeeping.

Alden Struthers, 4th Generation Beekeeper

One of the photos on the wall is with Alden wearing a beard of bees, something he says he was coaxed into doing by his brothers when he reached the age of 50.  Another picture is of his older brother donning the same kind of beard.

Struthers and his “bee beard”

Alden told us, even though most people are honest and pay for what they take, the cash table was stolen years ago when the store front faced the highway before it was four-laned.  The cash box, which had $25 in it, was found later in a nearby creek. It took a day and a half to get it out.

 

Money slot

There are probably more of these honors systems businesses throughout the state, but like other “old Florida” traditions and culture, they are not as prevalent as they once were.

Have you been to any other honors systems locations in Florida?  If so, leave a comment and tell us were they are.

 

Things to See and Do in Apalachicola

There are some places you can visit over and over again and not see everything there is to see or do everything there is to do.  Those same places change over time and, from one visit to the next, may not offer the same “landmarks” you made it a point to see.  One such town is Apalachicola, on Florida’s Forgotten Coast.  As its name translates, it is the “land of the friendly people.”

Brief History of Apalachicola

Even though Apalachicola wasn’t settled until the 1820s, its history goes back much further – Native Americans thousands of years ago, along with European influence by the Spanish and English.  Florida was ceded to United States in 1821.  Originally named Cottonton, then incorporated as West Point, it was renamed Apalachicola in 1831.

As you drive over the bridge on US 98 heading west, the history of Apalachicola is easy to understand.  Its location along the Apalachicola River where it meets Apalachicola Bay, set this town up as a port for shipping – making it at one time the third largest cotton shipping port on the Gulf of Mexico.  Besides cotton, Apalachicola also thrived in the sponge and timber industries.  The sponge trade, beginning in the 1870s, became the third largest in the state.  One of the original sponge warehouses, The Sponge Exchange, remains in downtown Apalachicola.

Another major industry in Apalachicola, and one that remains today, is the seafood industry. Apalachicola is known throughout the United States for its oysters.

Historic Homes in Apalachicola

A drive through the historic district of Apalachicola is like a drive back in time. There are more than 900 historic homes, buildings and other sites within the district to see, ten of them designated as Florida Heritage Landmarks. A couple you don’t want to miss include the Dr. Alvan W. Chapman House, the Hanserd-Fry House, and perhaps the most famous in Apalachicola, the Orman House.

Dr. Alvan W. Chapman House – This house was built in 1847 for Dr. Chapman who, besides being a physician, was also a botanist.  He is known for his research and writings on the flora of the South.  Chapman was very active in Apalachicola, having served as county judge, mayor and collector of customs.

Hanserd-Fry House –  Located on 5th Street, the Hanserd-Fry House was built around 1845 and served as the residence of several individuals.  The first-known owner was Joseph Hanserd who lived there as early as 1866, followed by Kate Ayers in 1872, with Captain Weber Fry buying it in 1880.  Fry was a riverboat captain on the Apalachicola River. The house served as the Apalachicola Museum of Art from 2006 – 2016 and now is the office and visitor center for the St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge.

The Orman House – The Orman House is a Florida State Park and sits on a bluff overlooking the Apalachicola River. It is a must see on a visit to Apalachicola.  The house was built in 1838 by Thomas Orman, a cotton merchant and businessman credited with being a key to the success of the town.

Touring this stately home takes you back to the 1800s.  As you walk through the house, you get a glimpse of the Orman family lifestyle.  The house is filled with old family photographs, period fashion, ornate fixtures, a formal dining room, a child’s room and so much more.

Outside you can catch a glimpse of an old barn, one of the original servants’ houses, and take a tour of the gardens.

Guided tours are available Thursday through Monday for a $2.00 charge.  It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Other Things to See and Do in Apalachicola

Three Soldiers Detail Statue

In front of the Gorman House sits Veterans Memorial Park, with the Three Soldiers Detail Statue as its centerpiece.  The statue was dedicated in 2008 as a tribute to Vietnam Veterans from the south. Cast from the original molds of the statue located at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., this statue is lifelike and humbling.

John Gorrie Museum State Park

Also known as the Ice Box Museum, this museum pays tribute to John Gorrie, a physician who moved to Apalachicola in the early 1830s. Gorrie was concerned for his yellow fever patients and wanted to find a way to cool their rooms.  As a result, he invented a mechanical device that produced ice, and received the first U.S. Patent for mechanical refrigeration in 1851.

Apalachicola Riverfront Park  

Riverfront Park overlooks the Apalachicola River and offers up a little more of the town’s history.  Read up on the sponge industry, watch the fishing boats go by or just enjoy sitting by the fountain.  The park also serves as the backdrop for many of the local events.

Fun Shops

There are always those stores in town you don’t want to miss.  In Apalachicola, it is The Tin Shed.  If you’re looking for something nautical, this is the place.  Don’t forget to stop by the buoy wall – it’s a popular place for photos.  (Note: Since this post was written originally, The Tin Shed has moved locations and the buoy wall is no longer there.)

Food and Drinks

With seafood as its main industry, Apalachicola serves up some great food in its many restaurants. One of our favorites is the Up the Creek Raw Bar.  Whether you sit inside or choose one of the tables outside, the food and the views are good.

While you’re in Apalachicola, don’t forget to stop by the Olde Time Soda Fountain.  It’s been dishing up these delicious treats since 1905.  Take your seat at the counter and order from a variety of flavors or shakes.  A great place to take the kids, but a word of warning, there are a lot of fun items in the gift shop that they’ll want to take home!

For the adults, make a stop by Oyster City Brewing Company on Avenue D.  If you’re looking for a cold beer brewed right here in Apalachicola, make plans to stop by.

Gone but Not Forgotten – The Venezellos

The few times I have visited Apalachicola always involved a stop in front of the Venezellos at the corner of Avenue E and Water Street.  The boat was built in 1915 in Apalachicola by Demo George (Demosthenes George Margomenos).  It always provided a great subject for photographs, even in its weathered state.  With each visit, the boat showed a little more wear.  A few more boards were rotten, the weeds grew taller.  Then, in October 2017, the boat was taken apart and removed.  A Facebook page has been set up by Demo George’s family to remember the boat through photos.

Fun Fact

Bing Crosby recorded the song “Apalachicola, F-L-A” in 1947 with the Andrews Sisters after meeting professional baseball player and Apalachicola native Jimmy Bloodworth.  Crosby was partial owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates and met Bloodworth in 1946, when he played for the Pirates.  When asked where he was from, Bloodworth said, “Apalachicola, F-L-A!”  The song was used in the move “The Road to Rio” starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.

For your listening enjoyment, Bing Crosby singing Apalachicola, F-L-A.

There are so many things to see and do in Apalachicola, one trip isn’t enough.  Two trips probably aren’t enough either.  History, food, shopping and so much more await the Florida explorer in all of us.

Photo Gallery from Apalachicola

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The Florida Highwaymen

Growing up in a home filled with paintings and paint supplies provided me with a deeper understanding and appreciation for art.  Canvases lined our back room.  Some were framed and finished.  Some were not.  Those paintings stood waiting for that one extra paint stroke to be added to a tree, a river, or a deer. I didn’t realize it at the time, but one of those paintings was done with the instruction of Robert Butler, a Florida Highwayman, at a day-long class that my mom, Nancy, took in 1990.

Painting by Nancy Collins (Mom) under the instruction of Robert Butler

Signature, Instructor Robert Butler, 1990

Mom remembers the painting class from 28 years ago at a local art studio like it was yesterday. “He painted from his head,” she says, “from memory of things he had seen.  He taught me a lot about painting Florida landscapes.”

Butler passed away in 2014, and like other Florida Highwaymen, left an indelible mark on many artists and art lovers.

The Highwaymen – Then

Although they did not acquire the name “The Highwaymen” until years later, the group consisted of 25 men and one woman, all African-American, who painted Florida landscapes from the mid-1950s through the mid-1980s.

Inspiration for these artists initially came from A.E. “Bean” Backus, a popular landscape artist at the time.  One of the founders of the Highwaymen, Alfred Hair, met Backus during a school field trip to his studio, went to work for him building canvases, and learned to paint. Hair took Backus’ techniques and tweaked them to meet his own needs of making money in a short period of time.

Carports, sheds and backyards in the Fort Pierce area served as painting studios.  Upson board, a popular building material at the time, and oil-based paint were the supplies of choice.  At a time when segregation was the norm, galleries would not accept their paintings, so the artists sold out of their trunks along Florida highways – mostly on A1A and U.S. 1 from Daytona Beach to Miami – and door-to-door to motels, doctors’ offices, banks, real estate offices and other businesses.  The paintings brought in about $20 each and provided an alternative to working minimum wage jobs or picking citrus.

Highwaymen paintings all exhibit the same characteristics: Florida the way it was before development took over.  Vibrant red Poinciana trees, moss hanging from cypress trees, and palm trees swaying in the breeze of a calm summer day or blowing during a raging Florida storm are the subjects of many of the paintings.  So too, are sunrises and sunsets, marshlands and native Florida wildlife.

The Highwaymen – Now

Of the original 26 Highwaymen, only half are still living, some of them still appearing at events around the state.  At a recent Meet and Greet at the Orange County Regional History Center, six of the original artists displayed and sold their paintings, posed for photographs and signed autographs.

Al Black

Al Black and Doris Keeler (Writer/Blogger)

Al Black, 71, was the original “salesman” for Alfred Hair.  In the early days, Black did not want to paint – he wanted to sell, and that’s what he did.   He loaded Hair’s paintings up in his car, often wet, and went on the road to sell them.  Because the paintings were wet, they were sometimes damaged in the trunk and Black would touch them up before selling them.  That led to his own interest in painting, and after Hair’s death, he painted and sold his own artwork.

The journey has not been easy for this Highwayman.  In the 1980s, the demand for the paintings dried up and Black got caught up in cocaine.  After an arrest and conviction, he spent 12 years in prison.

“When I first went in, I was coming out in the papers.  Everyday I was in the paper,” Black says. “The warden walked up to me and said, ‘are you Al Black, the one I’m reading about in these books?’ I said, ‘Yes sir!’”

That one question and answer led to Black painting more than 100 murals on the walls of the Central Florida Reception Center in Orange County and the Tomoka Correction Institute in Daytona Beach.  His talents were also requested at the Zephyrhills Correctional Institution, and he went there to paint for them.

Black was released from prison in 2009, during which time he says he found God.  His later paintings all have one thing in common – three birds, representing the Trinity.

A small sampling of Black’s paintings. Do you see the three birds in each one?

Today he lives in Fort Pierce, paints and travels with the others.  He is quick to strike up a conversation, but when someone is wanting to buy a painting, that takes precedence, and he stops to sign his work. Even now, Black is surprised at the notoriety of the Highwaymen.

“I never thought it would be like this.” 

Al Black stops to sign a painting purchased at the show

Mary Ann Carroll, “Highwaywoman”

Mary Ann Carroll at her display

Mary Ann Carroll is the only female in the Highwaymen, but she says that doesn’t bother her. “I don’t feel like a queen. I don’t feel any different, I just feel alright,” she says.

Carroll, now 78, remembers those early days well.  She was taken in by Harold Newton and Livingston “Castro” Roberts, who she says she could talk to anytime about anything.  Carroll is grateful for the ability to paint.

“I just thank God for the gifts he gave me. I was blessed coming up.  I didn’t know I would have to raise my children as a single parent.”

Carroll sold her first painting when she was 18 years old. Although Al Black would take some of her paintings on the road, she would often go solo and sell them herself.  Like other Highwaymen, her paintings feature Florida sunsets, waves crashing onto the beach and palm trees, all in vibrant colors.

Collage of Carroll’s paintings on note cards

Besides painting, Carroll also had other jobs to help support her family, including carpentry and house painting. Today, Carroll lives in Fort Pierce and makes appearances at various events around the state.

 Robert Lewis

Robert Lewis is one of the more active Highwaymen and can often be found at community events. While his paintings on display are a sight to behold, the biggest attraction is watching him put brush to canvas. An easel holds a current painting he is working on – a landscape with trees, a dirt path, and a pond.  One of his fans, who has undoubtedly met him before, tells him the left side of the canvas is a little barren.  After looking at it, he agrees and paints in another tree.

Robert Lewis surveys his painting

Lewis adds in a tree at the advice of a fan

While most of the other Highwaymen were self-taught, Lewis graduated college in 1966 with a degree in art education and went on to teach art in school and in college. He never painted with the Highwaymen but knew several of the members and painted on Upson board like the others. Because of his education, his paintings include more wide-ranging subjects than others.

Someone in the crowd that has gathered around to watch him paint says, “You look good.  What is your secret?”

Lewis answers quickly, “I paint!”

 R.A. Roy McLendon

Once an artist, always an artist, and at 86 years old, Roy McLendon still paints. His wooden easel reveals years of paint choices and color mixing.  His paintings reveal more than just landscapes and nature.  They portray people as being a part of the landscape.

McLendon includes people in his landscapes

Tools of the trade

At 86, McLendon continues his painting

Curtis Arnett

At 68, Arnett is one of the youngest of the Highwaymen.  With an early interest in art, he began experimenting with paint after a visit to his high school by Alfred Hair. Arnett also got to know Bean Backus and later Robert Butler. Unlike other Highwaymen, Arnett painted with acrylics instead of oil-based paint.  His paintings feature hammocks, swamps and cypress trees.

Curtis Arnett, Photo Courtesy of www.TheHighwaymenTrail.com

Isaac Knight

Isaac Knight sits to the side of his display of large and small paintings. Like fellow painter Al Black, Knight started out selling paintings, but discovered there was more money to be made in painting and selling his own.  He and Black painted what they saw the others painting and used tips they received from Bean Backus to create their own landscapes.  Although he still likes painting with bright colors, Knight’s signature style is now his black and white paintings.

Isaac Knight with paintings

From Roadside to Gallery

The Highwaymen’s paintings offer glimpses of Florida many people will never experience – open spaces, wildlife roaming freely.  Some of them still paint every day, others a few times a week. Their shows are well-attended, by those curious about the Highwaymen, or those who are knowledgeable about the art and the artists.

Times have certainly changed.  Paintings that were once sold along the side of the road for $20 – $30 are now selling for thousands of dollars in galleries and antique stores.  What started as a group of painters just trying to make a living has evolved into an era in Florida’s art history that spanned a 30-year period with more than 200,000 paintings.

 

Additional Highwaymen Resources

The Highwaymen Heritage Trail – A trail in Fort Pierce that features 10 stops of significance to the Highwaymen.

Florida Eats: Beefy King – Serving Roast Beef Sandwiches for 50 Years

At a time when fast food and chain restaurants offer dining options for nearly every preference, family-owned and operated establishments can get overlooked.  Unless, of course, they are part of a community’s culture.

One such eatery has established itself as an Orlando landmark and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month: Beefy King.

History of Beefy King

Beefy King served its first roast beef sandwiches in 1968 in Orlando. The restaurant’s founder, Tom Viegle, came up with the idea during a trip to New York City where he visited a similar restaurant and decided it could be the next big hit for the restaurant industry.  Within a year of opening, Viegle sold the business to Freeman and Margaret Smith, whose grandchildren now run the restaurant. Although the company expanded and went public, it never took off as a franchise.  Only one Beefy King remained open – the original restaurant on Bumby Avenue.

The Ambience

The inside of Beefy King is what you’d expect for a sandwich shop.  A stainless-steel counter just inside the door serves as the hub of the restaurant and a large menu board hangs on the paneled back wall. Booths and tables offer an informal place to sit, and sauces and other condiments at a do-it-yourself station provide variety for diners. Service is typically fast and employees are friendly.

On the Menu

The menu boasts being the “Home of the Real Roast Beef Sandwich,” but over the years has expanded to include ham, turkey, pastrami and corned beef.  The sandwiches come with just meat and a bun, but can be made to order with lettuce, onions, cheese and tomatoes.  Meal deals and platters come with spuds (tater tots) and a drink. Other options are available, whether it’s combo sandwiches with two meats, or salads.  If you can’t figure out what to order, go with the roast beef.  It’s the star attraction and the recommendation for all first-timers to the restaurant.  The meat is fresh and delicious, and the spuds are crunchy.

Beefy King’s Hours

Beefy King is located at 424 North Bumby Avenue, between Colonial Drive and Robinson Street.  It is open Monday through Friday fro 10:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.  Beefy King is closed on Sunday.

FM Notes: For its 50th anniversary, Saturday, June 2, Beefy King is offering a 50% discount for the original beef and ham sandwiches, tater tots and soda. Given the popularity of this restaurant on a regular day, you can expect to stand in line or wait in the drive through a little longer.  Fifty years is a big deal, so if you’ve got the time, stop by and join the celebration.

The Orange Shop, Citra

Tucked away in North Central Florida, between Ocala and Hawthorne, is the small town of Citra.  It’s not a place with its own exit off Interstate 75.  In fact, unless you drive along Highway 301 or live in the area, you probably do not even know it exists.

Citra, known as the home of the pineapple orange, was founded in 1881 in an area where citrus was prominent.  While that is part of the town’s history, it isn’t the only unique feature about Citra. It is also the home of The Orange Shop, one of the last true roadside citrus stands in Florida.

Billboards and signs along 301 direct you to the shop, which sits at the intersection with Northeast 185 Street.  A grove, packing house and store all occupy the same piece of land. While some of the fruit for The Orange Shop is grown on-site, some is also brought in from the Indian River area.

The Orange Shop has been in business since 1936.  The owners are third-generation growers who continue to harvest fruit from groves that have been producing since the Civil War.  Bright orange columns welcome you onto the front porch, a part of the building with its own story.  When automobiles became the mode of transportation in the 1930s, fruit was sold from the front porch of the house to motorists who stopped by.  That porch has been kept intact since the beginning and still serves as the entry way, flanked with bags of fresh oranges that seem to say “Welcome to Florida.”

The store is exactly what you’d expect.  If it isn’t citrus-related, it is Florida-related.  Along the wall just inside the door, guests can choose from a plethora of items bearing The Orange Shop name and logo.

In another part of the store, additional items offer up Florida flavor, from an assortment of chutney and conserves to orange blossom honey.  If you’re looking to ship some Florida sunshine to out of state friends or family, sample gift boxes are displayed to provide examples of what’s available.

For visitors wanting to pick up some good reads, a book shelf spotlights numerous books about Florida or written by Floridians. Florida literature buffs will recognize one of the authors, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, who lived less than ten miles away along Orange Lake.  Rawlings books Cross Creek, The Yearling and a cookbook are a few of the books for sale.  Other cookbooks, children’s books and books about Florida ghosts fill out the shelves.

The Orange Shop also offers up a true taste of Florida.  Make sure to try out an orange or grapefruit wedge or a sample of liquid sunshine – all available to purchase onsite. Friendly staff are on hand to help out with any of your needs.

The Orange Shop is open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Due to the seasonal nature of citrus, the shop is open from October 15 to June 1, so if you want to stop by, plan your trip accordingly.