Lone Star Road

[blfair]

I was talking to a guy at work yesterday, and we were discussing how Lone Star Rd has the small section that runs between Lee Rd & St John's bluff, east of 9A, while the rest of it is a long stretch that runs uninterrupted west of 9A.

Looking at this map centered on the area:

http://g.co/maps/kf35d

...it brings to mind the question: did Lone Star used to run all the way through the area that is now Tredinick Pkwy, or was it started from both ends and never finished in the middle?

[thekillingwax]

I'm fairly sure it was started from both ends and never met.

[RiversideLoki]

Well, at least as long as I can remember, Lone Star has always dead ended at the dunes (which used to be a mine many moons ago, if I recall correctly.)

Here's the area in 1994 before all of the Trednick stuff was built. That may be the remains of a road.. but I never knew it was there.

[Charles Hunter]

As far as I know, it was never paved all the way across.  And residents of Arlingwood - the homes you see west of the dunes - have consistently fought connecting it through, fearing increased traffic on the western part of Lone Star.

[Jaxson]

I think that Arlingwood residents can take comfort in knowing that the flyover that connects Arlington Expressway and the Southside Connector removes many of the reasons why motorists would want to use Lone Star Road for through traffic. 

[acme54321]

Doesn't look like it ever connected all the way through.

[Dog Walker]

Well, at least as long as I can remember, Lone Star has always dead ended at the dunes (which used to be a mine many moons ago, if I recall correctly.)

Humphries Mining had operations from the St. John's River to the St. John's County line.  They used a dredge to mine up the sand and then separated out the various minerals with a patented method involving centrifuging and electrostatic charges.  The dredge moved along in a big pond of it's own making.  Mostly they extracted titanium dioxide here, but also extracted gold from their mines in Colorado and we always called it "the Humphries Gold mine".

Today they would have to bring in top soil and reclaim and replant the area, but they obviously didn't have to do that then so we are left with the sand dunes.

[RiversideLoki]

That's absolutely fascinating to me. Anyone else have some more info on this?

Search saved me! http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php?topic=5600.0

[jcjohnpaint]

From the new maps it looks like they started laying roads in for a development and stopped.  Is that the case? 

[acme54321]

This may help you...

http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=0.000173506863226815&lat=30.3393282597414&lon=-81.5476755210851&year=1960

[blfair]

This may help you...

http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=0.000173506863226815&lat=30.3393282597414&lon=-81.5476755210851&year=1960

So that looks like.... "never were connected". That's what I thought. My friends & I used to tool around with dirtbikes and ATVs over where the apartments next to the gate station on monument are now, and I don't remember there being any sign of a road but you never know. Damn that makes me sound so old.

Also noticed Craig's runway numbers are 1 degree different. Magnetic deviation at work...

[TheProfessor]

I never understood why the city never connected Loanstar Rd all the way through!!  On a side note that historic aerials is great.  It's amazingly sad to look at LaVilla/downtown in 1980 and then now with no buildings.

[thelakelander]

^The residents in the established Arlington neighborhoods didn't want them to connect.  I agree, those historic aerials are great.  Hogans Creek, Sugar Hill and Springfield looked great from the air in 1960.