Fountain of Youth
What
it reminds me of: an old-fashioned climb-and-crawl playground for adventurous
kids. What it actually is: reconstructions of 16TH century
structures that once stood on this site in the Fountain of Youth Park. I
believe these are meant to be Spanish structures and not Timucuan, as the
Native village is located behind the camera view. In the distance is the
watchtower lording over the Matanzas River. I’m sure I can’t be the only one
thinking that if you’re striving for historical authenticity, the picnic table
may be a little out of place. :-)
Mission Nombre de Dios
In
the past I’ve described myself as a taphophile (simply put, a person who enjoys
exploring historic cemeteries and gathering information on the folks buried
there) and the Mission Nombre de Dios is a great place to not only enjoy a
peaceful atmosphere but also do some sleuthing work. This little boy’s name was
Willie F. Lawler, son of “F. M. and M. J.” Lawler. I couldn’t find this family
in any census but I did find a “M. J. Lawler” (Mary Josephine) buried in
San Lorenzo Cemetery in St. Augustine. She was born December 18, 1852 and died
February 08, 1941 and was the wife of Frederick N. Lawler. (Could the “F. M.”
referenced on Willie’s tombstone actually have been “F. N.”?) I believe Mary
Josephine is probably Willie’s mother. I wish I knew the family’s story, if
there were other children, when Willie was born and died, but unfortunately I haven’t yet discovered any further information.
(c) 2015-2016 St. Augustine Fridays
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