Remembering fallen Jacksonville companies.

[Overstreet]

The Auchter Company.........started in 1929 they survived the depression, WWII, and subsequent turn downs. They built most of downtown and several hospitals.  They got into trouble....... "putting too many eggs into one basket." In the early 2000s they got heavily into the condo market. They closed in the mid 2004 to 2008. I was away when it happened.  Some of their buildings included,

The Jacksonville Landing
The Civic Auditorium(in the 60s)
The Independent Life Building
The Jacksonville Center(Aetna)
The Gulf Life Tower (Riverplace)
Prudential building (old one)
St Lukes Hospital
The old Barnett Tower
Maxwell House Coffee (portions)
The old First Union bank building
Penusular Tower
Times Union parking garage.
University Medical Center (Shands) East Addition, North Parking Garage, East tower vertical expansion
LIA Alexander MOB
The old court house

[thelakelander]

I believe them going up in smoke also resulted in the current new county courthouse being built as designed.  When Auchter was in line to construct it, it was supposed to be a mid rise building, similar to the federal courthouse.

[Riverrat]

A few more for the list...

Jax 76 Truck Stop (northside institution for years in the 40's-80's)

Bubba's BBQ (also a northside institution for years)

Insta-Burger King (now Burger King and moved to Miami - imagine if we had been able to keep them here)

The Talleyrand Hotel (A "men only" hotel built in 1927 for the Ford factory)

Robert Meyer Hotel

Dixieland Amusement Park

[BackinJax05]

The Auchter Company.........started in 1929 they survived the depression, WWII, and subsequent turn downs. They built most of downtown and several hospitals.  They got into trouble....... "putting too many eggs into one basket." In the early 2000s they got heavily into the condo market. They closed in the mid 2004 to 2008. I was away when it happened.  Some of their buildings included,

The Jacksonville Landing
The Civic Auditorium(in the 60s)
The Independent Life Building
The Jacksonville Center(Aetna)
The Gulf Life Tower (Riverplace)
Prudential building (old one)
St Lukes Hospital
The old Barnett Tower
Maxwell House Coffee (portions)
The old First Union bank building
Penusular Tower
Times Union parking garage.
University Medical Center (Shands) East Addition, North Parking Garage, East tower vertical expansion
LIA Alexander MOB
The old court house

Auchter kicked @$$ !

[BackinJax05]

A few more for the list...

Jax 76 Truck Stop (northside institution for years in the 40's-80's)

Bubba's BBQ (also a northside institution for years)

Insta-Burger King (now Burger King and moved to Miami - imagine if we had been able to keep them here)

The Talleyrand Hotel (A "men only" hotel built in 1927 for the Ford factory)

Robert Meyer Hotel

Dixieland Amusement Park

I still mourn the senseless demolition of the Robert Meyer Hotel building. It would have made a great business travelers hotel, or even better - downtown condos.

[Wacca Pilatka]

I still mourn the senseless demolition of the Robert Meyer Hotel building. It would have made a great business travelers hotel, or even better - downtown condos.

Agreed.  Wish I had seen the inside of it when it was still operating.

When the Jags had longtime defensive tackle Rob Meier, every time he would make I play I'd observe "They ought to name a hotel after that guy" to the vast confusion of my Virginia friends.  I have a Meier jersey that I bought for that reason.  I'm also thankful to have tolerant friends.

[Ocklawaha]

The Beaches midway and amusement park.
Kiddieland
Oriental Gardens
Dizzyland
Par - 3
Monciref Park (horses)

[BackinJax05]

I still mourn the senseless demolition of the Robert Meyer Hotel building. It would have made a great business travelers hotel, or even better - downtown condos.

Agreed.  Wish I had seen the inside of it when it was still operating.

When the Jags had longtime defensive tackle Rob Meier, every time he would make I play I'd observe "They ought to name a hotel after that guy" to the vast confusion of my Virginia friends.  I have a Meier jersey that I bought for that reason.  I'm also thankful to have tolerant friends.

I went inside a few times when I was a kid. The Robert Meyer was beautiful. It was also very nice as the Holiday Inn CityCentre. Sadly, the Holiday Inn closed in 1982 and the building never reopened.

[Dog Walker]

Ed Ball lived in a suite at the top of the Robert Myers for many years.  He could walk to his offices in the Florida National Bank.

Another fallen Jacksonville Company.

[BackinJax05]

^^ Remember Tillie the all time Teller? She was Florida National Bank's smokin hot "mascot" for their newfangled Automated Teller Machines back in the 70s.

[Charles Hunter]

I had a friend who worked at Independent Life (another fallen  Jacksonville company), when it was located on Duval Street (before the move to Independent Drive).  He talked about the fun in summer, looking down at the young ladies in and around the Robert Meyer swimming pool, that was on the roof of the 4th (?) floor.

[BackinJax05]

& with the tinted windows in the old Independent Life building, he could get away with it, too

[Ocklawaha]

National Airlines
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Milligans Restaurants
House of Bargains Stores

[Dog Walker]

Van's Brown Derby

[BackinJax05]

National Airlines
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Milligans Restaurants
House of Bargains Stores

I didnt know National Airlines had been headquartered here. Cool.  Then they got absorbed by Pan Am.