My father Harry Routzong and his contributions to Cocoa Village, Florida and surrounding areas
This article is about my father Harry Routzong and his contributions to Cocoa Village, Florida and surrounding areas.
It was 1908 and his family lived in Berryville Virginia. His mother had seen a magazine advertising land for sale in Florida so without telling anyone she started paying for it monthly. When it was paid for she announced to the family that they were moving to Florida.
This article is about my father Harry Routzong and his contributions to Cocoa Village, Florida and surrounding areas.
It was 1908 and his family lived in Berryville Virginia. His mother had seen a magazine advertising land for sale in Florida so without telling anyone she started paying for it monthly. When it was paid for she announced to the family that they were moving to Florida.
She and the three kids boarded a train and headed for their new life. The father stayed but came later but could not handle the humidity.
When they got off the train in Palatka, Florida, where the property was located, they located someone to take them to their future homestead.
Upon arrival they found out the property was nothing but a swamp filled with water and mud.
Someone in Palatka told them about the Merritt Island and Cocoa area so they came and Cocoa became home.
My father became a brick and stone layer at the very young age of fifteen.
He built many homes along the Indian River in Cocoa, Rockledge and Merritt Island but never really shared what he built with the family.
When they got off the train in Palatka, Florida, where the property was located, they located someone to take them to their future homestead.
Upon arrival they found out the property was nothing but a swamp filled with water and mud.
Someone in Palatka told them about the Merritt Island and Cocoa area so they came and Cocoa became home.
My father became a brick and stone layer at the very young age of fifteen.
He built many homes along the Indian River in Cocoa, Rockledge and Merritt Island but never really shared what he built with the family.
Years later when I was a teacher I had arranged a field trip to Cocoa Village.
It started at the Porcher House which was donated by that family to the city for the use of social functions. The guide was the granddaughter of the Porcher family and she started telling the students about her grandmother loving to play cards and that she had hired her friend Harry Routzong to install the coquina rock on the front of her home. He knew about her love of playing cards so as a surprise he cut one coquina rock the shape of each suit of cards. When he finished the job he had her come out and she loved what he had done.
I had never heard that story before and was speechless. My students asked me if I knew that man since we had the same name and it was very emotional but I was able to say yes he was my father!
The granddaughter then took us outside to find the special cut rocks. I look back now and think about the way I found out about this story and I’m still thrilled that I found out during the field trip with my students.
The next part of the trip was standing by the Indian River overlooking the bridge leading to Merritt Island. I told them about my father being in the first car that crossed the river on the first wooden bridge.
As we stood along the bank of the Indian River I showed them some coquina rock that was in it’s natural state along the water’s edge. This rock is made up mostly of shells.
This field trip accurred about 30 years ago and some of my students still remember this story about my father and the coquina rocks. They still enjoy stopping by the Porcher House whenever in that area and look for the special rocks and share the story with family and friends.
It started at the Porcher House which was donated by that family to the city for the use of social functions. The guide was the granddaughter of the Porcher family and she started telling the students about her grandmother loving to play cards and that she had hired her friend Harry Routzong to install the coquina rock on the front of her home. He knew about her love of playing cards so as a surprise he cut one coquina rock the shape of each suit of cards. When he finished the job he had her come out and she loved what he had done.
I had never heard that story before and was speechless. My students asked me if I knew that man since we had the same name and it was very emotional but I was able to say yes he was my father!
The granddaughter then took us outside to find the special cut rocks. I look back now and think about the way I found out about this story and I’m still thrilled that I found out during the field trip with my students.
The next part of the trip was standing by the Indian River overlooking the bridge leading to Merritt Island. I told them about my father being in the first car that crossed the river on the first wooden bridge.
As we stood along the bank of the Indian River I showed them some coquina rock that was in it’s natural state along the water’s edge. This rock is made up mostly of shells.
This field trip accurred about 30 years ago and some of my students still remember this story about my father and the coquina rocks. They still enjoy stopping by the Porcher House whenever in that area and look for the special rocks and share the story with family and friends.
RSS Feed
