St. Johns River Monster: 170 Years of Sightings

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Supposed sightings of the St. Johns River Monster go back 170 years. It’s been called “Johnnie,” for the river, and the inexplicable “Borinkus.” Bounties have been offered, but the beast has never been shot, by gun or by camera. Sea monster legends do, however, connect to real world monstrosities, headlines of lynchings and the Klan. And no explanations satisfy those who say they’ve seen it. 

One response to “St. Johns River Monster: 170 Years of Sightings

  1. What about the “Monster from the Black Lagoon,” that came ashore at the old Lobster House? I grew-up in the Granada area on the Southside, next door to the owner of the Lobster House, “Ducky” Glickstein. He was called “Ducky” because of the old, naval, amphibious “duck” that transported his downtown customers across the river for lunch, so that they wouldn’t have to use their automobiles.

    Maybe we can discuss the book I’m working on, centered in Jacksonville, entitled “The Virus of Hatred.” It goes all the way back to 1948, when I had an “exclusive dinner” with Ed Ball and my father, in Ball’s private, Florida East Coast Railway, dining car.

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