Visitors to the museum on Aug. 14 were cousins Beva Karay of New Port Richey and Patty Stevenson of Inverness. Their grandfather, Richard D. Stevenson Sr., was elected to the Pasco school board in 1936 and served until 1955. They are also descended from Samuel and Elizabeth Stevenson, who were living in Hernando County by the 1860s, before Pasco County was created.
The museum has recently experimented with opening on Saturdays and Sundays. It appears now that our traditional schedule was more popular, so beginning Sept. 1, 2017, we will revert to our former schedule and open on Fridays and Saturdays. Hours are 1 to 4 p.m. both days. We also open at other times by request for group tours. (We will continue with Saturday-Sunday for the remainder of August.)
Two county officials were visitors to the museum on Aug. 2. They are Cathy Pearson, Assistant County Administrator, and Chris Cauley (far right), Program Administrator. Also in the picture are Dr. Rao Musunuru, honorary board member of the WPHS (left), and Bob Langford, President of the WPHS.
Among the visitors to the museum today (7/16) were Charles Blankenship, a son of Frances Mallett, and his daughter, Christine Orrell. Charles has studied family genealogy extensively. He attended Pierce Grammar School on Main Street in the 1940s.
At the stilt house of W. D. “Des” Little in March 1976: Johnny Cash, his wife June Carter Cash, Rev. Billy Graham, his wife Ruth Bell Graham. St. Petersburg Times photo provided by Clyde Hobby. (7210)
Walter J. Mallett, a life member of the West Pasco Historical Society and a World War II hero, died today (6/20). He was 94 years old. His wife Frances died five days earlier at age 97. Mr. Mallett came to Port Richey in the late 1940s and later, with his brother, operated Tropical Realty. A memorial service for both Walter and Frances will be held on July 15 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, time not yet determined. Two more pictures are in the comments. A wonderful article by Bill Stevens from 2011 is here.
Reynald Feldt Jr. was a visitor to the museum today. As soon as he puts on the finishing touches, he plans to donate a model of the New Port Richey railroad depot in 1925, which you can see in the lower right corner of this photo. Rey lived in New Port Richey as a child but graduated from Clearwater High School in 1953. His grandfather, Emil Nyman (1884-1927), was an early businessman in town, having arrived in 1912. Rey has allowed us to scan many old photos of his family in New Port Richey.
We are saddened to learn that Frances Clark Mallett, a great friend and life member of the West Pasco Historical Society, died this morning (6/15). She was 97 years old. Her father, Victor Malcolm Clark Sr., was the first elected mayor of Port Richey, and her grandfather, James Washington Clark, settled at the mouth of the Pithlachascotee River in the 1870s. He later persuaded Aaron Richey, who gave the town its name, to settle here also. This photo was taken at Port Richey Historic Preservation Sunday, an event she organized, on July 16, 2006.
This is better than a then-and-now. It’s a then-and-then-and-now. These pictures show what is now called Grand Boulevard, looking south from Main Street. The first picture is probably from the late 1920s. The second picture, by Angelo Deciucies, is probably from 1958-1962. The third picture was taken on June 14, 2017.
Then-and-now photos showing residences on Orange Lake. The old photo is from the 1920s and the new photo was taken on June 1, 2017. The first three homes in the old photo seem to be the first three homes in the modern photo, although the third homes in the two pictures do look different. The fourth home in the old photo burned. The last home on the right is the same home in both photos.