West St. Pete Journal ✫ September 2023

Exploring the awesome and unheralded history of West St. Pete.  In this issue: We look into the opulent life and tragic suicide of multi-millionaire Charles K. Eagle, the founder of Eagle Crest, we explore the ancient ruins of the Bear Creek Gateway in Pasadena and we expose, through genealogical research, the bogus Du Pont heiress who beguiled and conned St. Pete locals in 1922. A Victrola turntable plays scratchy vinyl hits by Earl Gresh and the Gangplank Orchestra, nationally renowned Capitol Records artists. Later, we discover a rare intact 1925 Jungle Hotel serving dish at an estate sale in Rhode Island. Then join us in Steve of the Jungle’s wild backyard kingdom for a wildlife photo shoot. Later, we take a colorized look at Babe Ruth’s eleven winter/spring seasons in St. Pete. And there’s more… West St. Pete Journal ✫ September 2023  CONTENTS: click on "read more" to open the article in a new tab Charles K. Eagle and the Eagle Crest Dream One of America's wealthiest men, Charles K. Eagle, landed in West St. Pete in 1925. Although his dream of building the most desirable home community in west Florida would never be realized, his improvements left a lasting impact on the character and landscape of the Eagle Crest neighborhood... read more Steve of the Jungle's Wild Backyard Kingdom Photos from Steve of the Jungle's wild backyard featuring nanday conures, monk parrots, European starlings, red-bellied woodpeckers, blue jays, brown thrashers, Eurasian collared doves, cardinals, grackles and some special guest stars... read more Greetings from St. Pete! Miniature Postcards from the Past A rare and colorful look at the tourism boom of the Roaring Twenties. Among these 24 miniature postcards, there are some that are not found anywhere else on the internet, including eight from the west side of St. Petersburg. The second postcard is of the Country Club, Davista, which was the original name of the Jungle golf course... read more Making a Grand Entrance: The Bear Creek Gateway in Pasadena There is a curious rock structure on 64th St near 5th Av S in St. Petersburg. It is the Bear Creek Gateway to the Country Club section in Pasadena, an eerie vestige of the Florida land boom. The walls were built in 1924 as an ornamental feature of Pasadena-on-the-Gulf, a planned community on the West Side of St. Pete. The Gateway marks the entrance to the prestigious Bear Creek Country Club section... read more A Bogus Du Pont Heiress Started the West Side Land Boom Evelyn Du Pont Taylor is an important figure in St. Pete history. Research shows that she is an imposter. Genealogical records and newspaper archives provide new insights into the history of Pasadena and the Jungle... read more 1914: Trolley at Jungle Pier Terminus St. Petersburg Times March 17, 1914. Vintage Photo colorized. Trolley at Jungle Pier Terminus. The trolley is preparing to depart for the Electric Dock in downtown St. Petersburg. This is the oldest Jungle photo I have published on this site... read more The Colorful Adventures of Babe Ruth From 1925 through 1935 the colorful, transcendent celebrity of the Roaring Twenties visited St. Petersburg, usually arriving a month before the beginning of spring training camp to enjoy golf, fishing, hunting and other extracurricular fun... read more Earl Gresh and the Gangplank Orchestra Earl Gresh may have been the most interesting and multi-talented person to ever call St. Petersburg home. Diverse careers each brought him national acclaim as a band leader, fishing expert, woodcarver, magazine editor and speedboat racer. In 1924, he became bandleader of the Gangplank Orchestra, the house band for the Gangplank speakeasy in the Jungle... read more Jungle Hotel Plate Returns Home After a Long Journey Last week I received an email from a reader in New England. He found a rare intact Jungle Hotel serving plate at an estate sale. I previously reported on broken pottery found in Jungle Country Club Creek and now on display at Admiral Farragut Academy. This is the first intact Jungle Hotel plate that I have seen... read more Published irregularly

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