Florida Visit to Bill and Hilda Bohnenberg

In 1957 Mom, Dad and I visited Bill and Hilda Bohnenberg in Miami, Florida - their customary residence every Winter season. During the Summer they lived in their house in East Chatham, NY. We frequently visited them in the small country town. One memory is Hilda's great beef stews (made in her pressure cooker) and scalloped potatoes, which became a favorite of mine. She also typically served shrimp cocktail - arranged on a glass with cocktail sauce, a dish we were not familiar with at home.

Bill had a fascinating history - originally migrating from Germany. He tried many things - bicycle racing (a big sport then), sailor on ships on the West Coast, worked on a ranch as a cowboy, operating a vertical boring mill in the American Locomotive Plant in a WWII job and finally, farming in Columbia County. The memory is dim, but Dad must have met Bill when he also worked in Alco for a short time as a wartime lathe operator. Bill and Hilda lived in Scotia where we first visited them.

On the way South I had to photograph the Deleware Canal bridge, especially with the striking brooding clouds. Quite unusual, I labeled all of this set of Kodachromes with locations and the dates (hopefully reasonably correct).

03-02-1957

Same bridge, closer view of the striking structure of the bridge.

03-02-1957

A view of the marvelous Chesepeake Bay Bridge Tunnel which we traversed a few times in future years.

03-02-1957

The next day we stopped at a picnic area in Dunn, North Carolina. I-95 did not exist at the time so we traveled mostly on US 301 South. Two days to Florida - with an overnight stop. Note the instant Nescafe bottle on the table - Mom's favorite beverage.

03-03-1957

Mother and I in the apartment we rented in Miami. It was over the owners garage - quite private. Hot water was supplied by solar energy, pipes on the roof. Needless to say, in Miami we always had plenty of hot water!

03-10-1957

The poinsettia planting in front of the owners' house.

03-17-1957

A banana tree outside our apartment.

03-13-1957

The Music Bowl in Miami. On this day the temperature was in the 50's, remarkably cold!

03-10-1957

Hollywood Beach, Florida - looking North.

03-08-1957

Christmas Palm, inedible fruit. Fairchild Gardens, Miami.

03-10-1957

Century Plant and cactus. Fairchild Gardens, Miami.

03-13-1957

Orchid house, Fairchild Gardens, Miami.

03-13-1957

Orchid House, Fairchild Gardens, Miami.

03-13-1957

Orchid House, Fairchild Gardens, Miami.

03-13-1957

Orchid House, Fairchild Gardens, Miami.

03-13-1957

Exotic birds in Crandon Park, Miami.

03-07-1957

Mom and I in Crandon Park, Miami. Very evident in this picture, and others, is the 'high' view - cutting off the subject's feet. It was due to Dad's method of viewing the scene through the Ziess Contessa's finder (never could convince him to correct it).

03-11-1957

Bill and Hilda Bohnenberg.

03-13-1957

Hans and Ida Adolph (friends of Bill and Hilda), Hilda and Bill on a beautiful day in the park.

03-16-1957

A dwarf golden cocoanut tree in Fairchild Gardens, Miami.

03-13-1957

Fishermen (and ladies) lined up on one of the island causeways in Miami (labelled 'Crandon Park Bridge' on the slide).

03-17-1957

Palms on S,W, 7th street in the evening.

03-17-1957

Route 27, South of Miami.

03-17-1957

A typical Florida orange grove. The oranges were surprisingly better than the ones we bought in the markets in New York State.

03-19-1957

Strolling through the Edisto Gardens in Orangeburg South Carolina on the way home.

03-20-1957

Wisteria flowers in the Edisto Gardens of Orangeburg SC.

03-20-1957

Ending this web page pictorial is the typical Spanish Moss we find in Southern trees. Allendale South Carolina.

03-20-1957

Original completed February 4, 2022.