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October 1996
THE JIB SHEET
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PAGE 5
(above) This is a picture that we found looking through microfiche in the library. This ink drawing was in the Aug. 5,1899 issue of The Sea Coast Echo with only the caption under the drawing. There was an article on the same page entitled “Gossip of the Bay” in which they talk about the Bay-Waveland Annual Regatta and a Parade in conjunction with the regatta.
Residents and businesses alike along Front Street were asked to illuminate , their homes and businesses and decorate elaborately. There were many yachts sailing from New Orleans and as far away as Mobile to Bay St.
Louis for the regatta. Putting on a extravagant show was of utmost importance. The homes and businesses were then judged by Messrs. T.L. Evans,
John A. Breath and Rev. Father John Prendergast. The prize was awarded to Mrs. Louis H. Fairchild, summer resident of Waveland, whose husband was Commodore of Southern Y.C. in 1910 and 1911, Vice- Commodore of Bay-Waveland in 1902-1903 and served as Mayor of Waveland on and off for 10 years. She received a silver chocolate set Anyway, after reading the article and still wondering what the relationship is between the sailboat and the article, I started to do some research. Not finding anything right away, I went on to something else. One day while looking for information at the Historical Society, Charles Gray gave me a book to take home and look through entitled History of the Southern Yacht Club by ^
Flo Scheib. Well, it has plenty of info not only about SYC, but about many yacht clubs in the GYA from Texas to Florida. It proved to be very .. interesting reading, but still nothing about Florence. On the final night of completing this issue, John at one computer and I at another, with this sketch in front of me, I leaned back for a moment, reached for the book FLAGSHIP^ and there on page 53, I see the name Florence.
Surprised, I yelled out loud, waking John up from his upright sleeping position at the computer only for him to jump up and ask me what was wrong. Anyway, here it is- Florence belonged to Lawrence O’Donnell, a respected Federal judge in N.O. and Commodore of SYC from 1895-1896. He designed the boat and was known as one of the best amateur boat designers in New Orleans. It was 55 feet long and the interior was done in white and gold trimmings. Redplush stuffed cushions and silk draperies adorned her cabin. The Commodore’s reputation as a host made Florence one of the most popular vessels ever to grace Lake Pon-chartrain and surrounding waters. The name Lawrence O’Donnell sounds familiar. Well it should. He is mentioned in several articles as being a regatta judge and is also mentioned in the article “Gossip of the Bay” as one of the notable people who had decorated elaborately for the parade. Quite possibly he was a summer resident of the Bay-Waveland area and a member of the Bay Waveland Y acht Club who moved his boat from N.O. to grace the waters of the Miss. Sound.
A GRAND CLUB”-1896—A charter was obtained in 1896 and the first club house was completed in late September of 1896. It was located near the center of town at the foot of Washington St. out over the water of the Mississippi Sound connected to the shore by a 1,100 foot pier. The view from land was quite attractive, but no adequate idea could be formed until viewing the club’s interior.
According to an article in The Sea Coast Echo, Oct. 1896, “ The club was erected for a sum of $2500, and was equipped with the water works service and departments for the ccommodations of ladies as well as for the gentlemen. The appointments seem to have all been well planned and carried out with equal precision. The “grandstand” double story, is spacious and the building’s location gives it a position of advantage that could not be secured anywhere else. It is gratifying to note such a fine building for the Bay and the association will be the agency of bringing many people here and doubling the prosperity of the Bay as a summer resort”. It was said that it was the most handsome, well- equipped, and prettiest clubhouse in the South. The club continued to grow until 1915 when a “West Indian Hurricane” destroyed the building. Meetings and regattas continued from an old steamship landing known as “Stokes Pier'’. In 1916 the club lapsed into inactivity until 1921.
The Sea Coast Echo, 1897
,-VEl.t Club dives « Succcssfur r* Entertainment aud Mop.
An audlcnce Isxlitg the .utmostcapacity ofKio opjHir floor ol the lfciy-WarelatKt Yacht Club, ajwemMcd Saturday utght, and a finer gathering would be bard to find. . Tim occasion, a* noted In llicxc colnmus last wock, trnu anciitortaluiiiciit aud hop, tbe proceeds of which were to help tbcClolrs building fuqtl.
• OiyIii£ to the extreme le/igih of I he prourammc and the qrcainoya of the crowd cou*i(ieriu* (lie limits of the hall, it waft found ucccsjtarY lo omit aome of the f<*a> tures promised*
The parts played were exceeding!? well rendered, aud the frequent applause as an ludicailoii of succos* cau bo takuu as reliable evUteuce.
Capt. Juhu P. Markcy. a?'stage manager, Is deserving a shower of bouquets.
The refreshment booths were attractive!/ (tecoiawd and In a most tasteful maooer, bat notbiug wa* more enhancing-than the pn seuce of that fcuilntue love-Ituess that presided, eucliautluc thetblrs-tr aud lover ol good things,
The hop, prof. G rlsal's orchestra on the band stand, «*a* a' l that coaid be desU**1, aud lu aj|, socially and financially, to the ■icrodll of Uie HMiMf;«inci»t, llic affair wan “a memorable success.