Pix - Regency Square Area BEFORE Regency Square; Ponte Vedra Mining

[sheclown]

Interesting stuff!  Thanks so much

[stjr]

From Old Arlington, Inc. web site at: http://oldarlington.org/HumphreysGoldMine.php

Humphreys Gold Mine (a.k.a. Humphries Gold Mine)
Humphreys Gold Mine was located north of Regency Shopping Center, where the Southside Boulevard connector to State Highway 9A travels through. The dredging operation was not geared toward mining gold as the name suggests; it was merely a reference to the company name (Humphreys Gold Corporation, incorporated August 29, 1932 by A.E. Humphrey, I.B. Humphrey, and Judson S. Hubbard).

Starting in 1940, the area near Regency was mined for rutile, titanium, ilminite, and zirconium for the war effort; nearly a dozen precious metals including any gold particles were extracted when found in the area. The precious metals were mined for DuPont Corporation until the contract ended in 1957. The dredging operation excavated the top 50 feet of soil, performing a sifting and washing operation that would reveal and allow reclaiming of any precious metals. After 50 feet of earth was removed, the only thing remaining was the sand that had built up over millions of years.

In addition to the Regency area, the company had another dredging operation near Southside Boulevard in and around the Deer Park area. Per Mindat.org, the official location of the company in that area was on the west side of Southside Boulevard, 30o18'6" North, 81o33'48" West (Mindat.org Data Map). A web search shows that Humphreys Gold Corporation also operated in Starke, Florida for a while as a subcontractor to DuPont. DuPont continues the operations at Starke today. The web search does not show very many other locations but the Humphreys Gold Corporation did have mining operations in other parts of the country as well, and in some gold was the primary metal being dredged for (such as in Montana).

After World War II, the Regency mining area operations continued and as a result it provided jobs for returning soldiers and others that were laid off as a result of the war ending. A large number of the people that worked there were from the Arlington area (see payslip at bottom).

The company closed local mining operations around 1957. The Denver based Humphreys Engineering Company was in operation up until at least 1966 and possibly longer. There is a reference that shows while in the area Humphreys Gold Corporation was the registree of an old Douglas A-26 Invader aircraft (Florida 1956).

As a result of the mining operations, large sand dunes and lakes were created in the Regency area. During the late 50s and 60s, the area was used for several types of recreation, all uncontrolled as many things were in those days. The lakes were used for swimming and fishing, and the dunes provided a backdrop for target practice. Those with dune buggies often rode around the sand dunes, and if you didn't know what areas were being used for what, you could come over the top of a dune right in line with someone target practicing; such fun everyone had in those days.

Many years after the dredging operations were closed, the land was used as an experimental area to see if pine sapling could be grown, if sufficient soil was added. Following the success of that experiment, eventually the area was purchased at a premium ($1/acre) and turned into commercial property, such as Regency Shopping Center.

The Humphreys Gold Mine is also mentioned on these OldArlington.org pages:

Brief History
History Column - 2007-08 - Lone Star Stables
History Column - 2007-04 - Arlington in the Fast Lane
History Column - 2008-04 - Oakwood Villa
History Column - 2006-02 - African History Month in Arlington
Arlington Hangouts

[BackinJax05]

Arlington Expressway exit:



Anyone know where the C. T. Boyd expressway is today?  Was this an original name for the Arlington Expressway?:

The top picture is Arlington Expressway & Chaseville Rd. (now University Blvd. N) Obviously the cloverleafs were added later.

The picture underneath is the Arlington Expressway, eastbound, at Southside Blvd.

[Debbie Thompson]

Way cool.  I knew the dunes had been mines, but seeing so much of the history is great.

[thelakelander]

Rutile Mine equipment and machinery in 1948.


State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/51313


Rutile Mine equipment and machinery in 1937.


State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/51984

[Dog Walker]

The company closed local mining operations around 1957. The Denver based Humphreys Engineering Company was in operation up until at least 1966 and possibly longer. There is a reference that shows while in the area Humphreys Gold Corporation was the registree of an old Douglas A-26 Invader aircraft (Florida 1956).

I met Mr. Humphreys while workinig at Craig Airfield pumping gas to get money for flying lessons.  Those were the days before executive jets.  His pilots were his auditors.  They would fly that A-26 non-stop from Denver to Jacksonville and back.  Mr. Humphreys, the only passenger,  had a big reclining chair set up in the middle of what had been the bomb-bay.  The interior had been insulated and was quite luxurious, but the plane was not pressurized so everyone had to wear oxygen masks on the whole flight.

Mr. Humphreys, who was in his seventies at the time, said that he always felt better and smarter after his flights because of the oxygen he had breathed for so many hours.

I remember pumping 1400 gallons of high octane aviation fuel into that A-26 and giving the pilots green stamps for that amount.  Even then high octane av-gas was over a $1 per gallon.

[MajorCordite]

Great job folks on all the research and the interesting comments everyone provided.   I grew up in Arlington when our family moved to the Fort Caroline area in 1960.  In 1963 when I was in the 4th grade at Lake Lucina Elementary our class took a field trip to Humphries Mining Company.  It was a small operation, by then, and the facilities were off of Mill Creek Rd about where the road turns in behind Regency Square.  I remember these tall bleacher like stands that washed the sand in various compartments.   I asked the foreman for some mineral samples and I did a small research paper on the various minerals.  I still have the three bottles of minerals labeled, ilmenite, zirconium, and rutile.

I believe Cleve Powell, of the Old Arlington Historical Society, dad worked there.  I thought perhaps I would donate the bottles of mineral samples if they ever get a museum, or if someone else knows of a place that could use them. 

The sand dune area was a place we frequented often.  We accessed the area at the end Of Lone Star Rd at Mill Creek.  About 1965 there was a short fad of sand surfing in the large pit area.   I was in 6th grade, Ft Caroline Elementary, and at that time there were many students in my class from the University Park area as well. 

We all made miniature surfboards (about the size of a skate board) from 1X6 pine boards -- sanding the front end up to get the proper curve.  We then rubbed the bottom of the board with a block of Gulf Wax to make it slick.  Various parents carpooled us there and we spent hours sliding down the hills.   Shortly thereafter the dunes were taken over by the VW Dune Buggy crowd.  They had races and climbing contests to see who could crest the hill the fastest. 

Sometimes in the winter when it wasn't crowded some of the dads would bring old Mausers, Springfields, and other old WWII rifles to target practice.  Sometime shortly after Regency Square was built a young girl was murdered and they found her body in the dunes.  After that we stopped going.

However, in 1969 and 1970 while at Terry Parker High School several of my buddies had 4 wheel drive trucks and Broncos
and we would take our dates out there at night and hang around the lakes and listen to music.  I have a lot of memories of the place but it looks vastly different now with all the development through the years.