Good Day to all! I had planned on my “Moonshine” column this week, but with Dad’s passing early last Wednesday, August 23, changed to my Desguin family column. There will be an obituary in the paper, but service details are: Visitation, Thursday, September 7, 5-7, Kays-Ponger and Uselton Funeral Home, 635 East Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda; Mass of Christian Burial, Friday, September 8, 11am, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 211 West Charlotte Avenue, Punta Gorda; Celebration of Life, Saturday, September 9, 11am, Punta Gorda Woman’s Club, 118 Sullivan Street, Punta Gorda.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Kiwanis Foundation of Charlotte County (KFCC), P. O. Box 510273, Punta Gorda, FL, 33951, to help establish an endowed memorial scholarship for a Charlotte High student. Thank you all for the kind words and remembrances!
Did you know, if not for moving picture shows and a picture post card, my siblings and I would not be here? Louis Victor Desguin was born during the summer of 1898 in Cleveland, New York on the north shore of Oneida Lake. Growing up in a French speaking household, he attempted to enlist as an interpreter when the United States entered World War I, but at 18, was too young. Instead he went to work in a munitions factory where he met a young lady from nearby Taberg, Gertrude Mullen. They married in 1918 and by 1926, when their son Louis Victor, Jr. (Vic) was born, the family was in Oneida, New York where Louis worked as a silverware die cutter for the Oneida Community.
When the Great Depression hit, Louis lost his job with Oneida and for the next several years made a living at different occupations, including a theatre manager in Canastota. Meanwhile, his brother-in-law Fred had established a chain of theatres in south central Florida from Mulberry to Sebring. Louis enjoyed his time in the theatre business so one day mentioned to Fred he’d be interested in a theatre his family could operate. In August 1936, Fred phoned and said he’d found one in Punta Gorda, Florida. Louis’ response, “Where in the h… is Punta Gorda, Florida?”
Needless to say, although employed with IBM at the time, Louis loaded up the family and with Vic’s cousin Freddie in tow, headed to Florida. During a breakfast stop in the Carolina’s, a bowl of grits was brought to the table and the kids asked for cream and sugar to put on their “cream of wheat”, providing the waitress with her day’s amusement.
Arriving in town September 9, 1936, Vic and Freddie were immediately placed under two-week quarantine before attending school. Dad claimed it wasn’t “just because we were Yankees”, but I don’t know about that. When finally allowed to enter school, they were a real hit in their knickers, coats, and ties.
The New Theatre, in the 200 block of West Marion Avenue where the Ace Hardware parking lot is today, operated until the early 1960’s, with Gertie running the box office and the boys selling popcorn in the early days. After living in several rentals, they settled in a home at the southwest corner of West Olympia and Sullivan Street, now a vacant lot. During their years in Punta Gorda, Louis also served as president of the Kiwanis Club, on the city council during the early 1940’s, and as mayor in 1944.
Vic married Peggy Rigell in 1951 and together they had 5 sons and 1 daughter. When Vic and Peggy moved across the river to a home on the bay in Charlotte Harbor, their folks were apprehensive since they’d be so far out of town. In 1958, the family purchased the Charlotte Harbor Drive-In Theatre, on U. S. 41 where the Town and Country Shopping Center is now located. It closed in 1968. Gertie and Louis passed away in 1976 and 1977 respectively. Peggy also passed away in 1977 and Vic married Charlotte Oglesby a few years later, adopting her son Shane.
One of the things folks remember about the Desguins is how they brought moving pictures to Punta Gorda’s African-American community. One can say Louis was just an entrepreneur, but it had never been done before and in a highly segregated time, when public buildings had separate drinking fountains, waiting rooms, and restrooms, noted “white” and “colored”, if there even was one for black folks, it could have been risky.
Nonetheless, Louis rented a large wood frame building at the southwest corner of Milus Street and East Charlotte Avenue, installed wooden bleacher seats, and purchased a 35mm projector. The cartoon and movie would start about 30 minutes after the feature began on Marion Avenue with Vic and Freddie shuttling reels and popcorn on their bikes. A mural on an outside wall in the Event Center parking lot depicts the theatre operation. I can recall boxing up popcorn and accompanying my granddad in the late 1950’s.
I once asked Dad, since he didn’t move here until he was 10, why he considered Punta Gorda his hometown and this is what he said, “That first summer after we’d moved to Punta Gorda, I couldn’t wait to get back to Oneida for a visit with my friends. We got there all excited and began telling everyone about Florida. Florida, they exclaimed! We thought you had just moved across town.”
When the Desguins got back to Punta Gorda though, within a week, all their buddies had stopped by the house to visit saying how much everyone had been missed. Vic looked at Gertie and said, “I don’t care if I ever go back to New York.”
Visit Charlotte County’s website to view Desguin related photographs. Select “Community Services”, then “Libraries and History”. Click on “Physical Items”, then “Archive Search”. Enter the subject of your search on the “Search” line.
Check out History Services’ yearlong project, “Telling Your Stories: History in the Parks”. It began in January 2021 with placement of the first interpretive sign “Charlotte Harbor Spa” at South County Regional Park. The last was dedicated December 15, 2021 at Centennial Park featuring Florida postcards. All dedicated signs can be viewed at online library resources. Select “Programs and Services”, then “History Services” and “Virtual Programs”.
Visit the same site to access recently released oral histories featuring 40 local folks. Select “History Services” and scroll down, or phone 941-629-7278, to find out what history related programs and videos are available.
“Did You Know” appears, typically, every other Wednesday, courtesy of this newspaper and the Charlotte County Historical Society. The Society’s mission is to help promote and preserve Charlotte County’s rich history. We are also always looking for volunteers and interested individuals to serve as board members. If you believe our area’s history is as important as we do, please visit Charlotte County Historical Society on-line at https://cchistoricalsociety.com/, or call 941- 769-1270 for more information.
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August 30 column
