Preservation on Parade 6-2002

Despite the tranquil moss-draped beauty revealed in the old photos, the Block 30 neighborhood was not without its lively characters and discordant elements. We have already mentioned Aunt Fanny who, in 1906, had the temerity to divorce a wealthy railroad man for a lifeguard and abscond to Lake Helen. Then we noted “Miss Polly” Whitson, the former thespian turned author who guided “zig-zag” over Enchantment Drive.

Neighborhood serenity seemed truly compromised, however, in the mid 1950’s when three retired men with too much time on their hands found themselves living next to one another along Rose Avenue.(1)

Roy and Bessie Cummings, Clestin and Daisy Penny, and Oscar and Clara Smith were next door neighbors from the year 1955 until the 1970’s. The Penny’s lived between the other two neighbors.

At first they were all friends, settling into nice, modest Florida lakefront homes with their wives.

The alleged falling out began in the late 1950’s over use of the Rose Avenue easement, the underlying land of which Smith owned. Penny and Cummings would scatter leaves and lawn trimmings along sandy Rose Avenue and Smith would soon pitch it back into their yards. Words (as the story goes) turned into shoving and at some point Smith allegedly drew a pistol on Cummings who then hit smith’s pistol hand with the brass nozzle of a hose, breaking Smith’s wrist. He wore an arm cast for some weeks. The three were in court several times over easement issues. As the story goes, Penny and Cummings once built a mock gallows along his lot line and hung Smith in effigy.

Another source of friction between Smith and his neighbors was over Muscovie ducks which Smith claimed ruined his gardens. This issue too went to court and Smith was ordered to cease and desist from shooting ducks with a sling shot.

But, its been told, local boys used sling shots on Smith, lobbing cherry bombs into his house from inner tubes out on the lake. Smith allegedly responded by shooting at the kids. The town magistrate responded by taking away Smith’s revolver.

Smith’s volatile nature, allegedly earned him the dubious nickname “Dynamite.” His real name, however, was Oscar Van Courtland Smith and he sometimes introduced himself by adding to his name, “The thirteenth.”

It’s been said that “Dynamite” claimed to have been a flyweight boxing champion and wore medals on the inside of his jacket as evidence of his prowess.

All this excitement sadly ended in 1973 when the Smith’s were in their eighties and their son, a piano tuner, came and took them to live with him in South Florida.

Clestin Penny, a leader in the C.I.A. (That’s Civic Improvement Association) of Lake Helen lived on here well beyond his wife, dying at home at the age of 93.

Ray and Bessie Cummings, too, were of advanced age when in 1981 they moved to North Carolina to be near family.

Given the relative longevity of these combatants, one might be sorely tempted to conclude that discord is good for one’s health.

It is rather unfortunate that such fiery sessions are no longer in our midst. The only consolation is to sit back and gaze at moss-draped sunsets.

(Oscar Brock leads a sheltered life. :-) - Pat)

(Footnotes)
1 The telling here of their feuds and frays of long ago is not done in disrespect I hope. I might even suggest that too much tranquility is not a desirable thing. In any case, the following episodes are essential to the local history I would argue.