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The devastating 1908 fire in Jensen
The devastating fire of May 3, 1908, in Jensen has been called the most destructive fire ever to have occurred in that…
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Stuart History
The people, places, events and buildings that shaped our town, from its pioneer days to today. Each page gives a short answer first, then the full story with sources you can check.
Stuart History list
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Stuart’s 1st hospital was St. Lucie Sanitarium
It seemed as though residents in the small town of Stuart in the early 20th century were generally healthy, perhaps explaining why…
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Salerno Shark Industries and Vitamin A
Vitamin A, essential for good human health was once derived from oil extracted from the liver of sharks and a leading supplier…
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Police Chief Padgett & the Ashley Gang
Probably the most notorious criminal in Stuart and surrounding areas in the 1910s and ’20s was John Ashley, the son of Joe…
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Johns, Matthews, Witham: Casualties of war who gave their lives for country
Countless sons and daughters from Martin County have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in times of war as well as peace,…
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Stuart’s three Lyric Theatres have offered entertainment since 1914
The Lyric Theatre in downtown Stuart has been operated not only as a movie house, but has also provided a venue for…
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Beyers, early restaurateurs in Stuart
The city of Stuart, incorporated in May 1914, issued its first restaurant license to Jack Harrison for an eatery, which was little…
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Nekrassoff’s world-known metal craft
Interesting Stories and Forgotten Facts Martin County has been home to many ingenious and industrious businessmen, inventors, renowned artists and craftsmen, many…
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Martin County ‘Robinson Crusoe’ filmed in Stuart
It may seem hard to believe, but in 1916 a full-length feature movie was actually filmed in Stuart. Henry W. Savage, playwright…
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Kennedys used Witham Field in 1960s
Stuart’s airport, even from its earliest beginnings, has always been highly rated. Countless multimillionaire businessmen, professionals, executives as well as other very…
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Teen hang-outs in 1950s were Dairy Queen, mini-golf
In the fabulous ’50s, with the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, the popularity of drive-in movies, school sock hops, sleep-over parties and,…
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‘The Peacock Arcade – Stuart’s First Mall’
Stuart was a very small town in 1925, but Charles Henry Peacock, a capitalist investor from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, realized its…