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…
5 min read
Vignettes
Small stories. A bigger picture of Stuart.
Step back in time to learn about the unusual, the forgotten and some of the fascinating people, events and places from Martin County's history. These historical vignettes were written by Greg and Alice Luckhardt of Stuart and were published in the "Your News" section of Stuart News and TCPalm.com (discontinued).
240 stories
All stories
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…
5 min read
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…
5 min read
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,…
5 min read
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…
5 min read
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…
4 min read
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…
3 min read
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…
4 min read
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…
4 min read
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,…
4 min read
‘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…
5 min read
Martin County’s Ricou Browning played the ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’
Ask any movie buff to name a classic sci-fi, horror movie from the 1950s and the answer may well be “Creature from…
4 min read
Have a Stuart story?
History lives in the people who remember it.
Have an old photograph, document or story about Stuart? The museum would love to hear from you.
