Old Photos, Jupiter Island’s Shoreline/Peck Lake’s 1960s Inlet Along the Indian River Lagoon

Local kids, Jupiter Island, ca. 1968
(ca.1971) Local Stuart kids swimming on Jupiter Island beaches, near Peck’s Lake. Pictured: (Jenny Thurlow, Mark Postsdam, Lynda Nelson, Jacqui Thurlow, Eric Potsdam, and Chris Williams. (Thurlow Family album)

My post yesterday about erosion at Bathtub Beach brought a lot of discussion and questions about when the inlet at Peck’s Lake broke through to the Indian River Lagoon as well as beach erosion in general.

Later in the day, my mother sent me some old Whiticar family photos of the Aurthur Ruhnke family. Her friend, John Whiticar, had shared these photos awhile back. I had seen them before as well, and in light of the erosion situation, I thought I would share them today. I often share the gorgeous IRL photography of Mr John Whiticar of the famous Whiticar Boatworks family (http://whiticar.com). John’s photos of the Ruhnke family’s photographs are outstanding and quite beautiful, especially in the black and white of the 1960s.

So whether looking at my own family photo on the beach in 1971 above, or the Whiticar/Ruhnke photos of the same era, one thing is for sure: the shorelines and tree lines may change, and the shifting tides of time may change as well; but one thing is constant: people, especially kids, love the beaches and shorelines of our Atlantic Ocean and St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon area….Enjoy!

Peck's Lake breakthrough inlet, early 1960s. (Photo Whiticar Family)
Peck’s Lake breakthrough inlet at Jupiter Island, early 1960s. (Photo Whiticar/Ruhnke.)
Wash through, Peck's Lake, ca. early 1960s. (Whiticar)
Wash through, Peck’s Lake, Jupiter Island, ca. early 1960s. (Whiticar/Ruhnke)
Another angle of Peck's Lake inlet, ca. early 1960s. (Whiticar)
Another angle of Peck’s Lake inlet at Jupiter Island, ca. early 1960s. (Whiticar/Ruhnke.)
News clip regarding Peck's Lake Inlet contract dated June 6th, with no year. (Whiticar, ca. early 1960s)
News clip regarding Peck’s Lake Inlet contract date to be closed,  “June 6th,” with no year. (Whiticar, ca. early 1960s)
Aerial of Peck's Lake area with new inlet. (Whiticar, ca 1960s)
Aerial of Peck’s Lake area with new inlet. (Whiticar/Ruhnke, ca. 1960s)
Boaters in the area of Peck's Lake, (Whiticar, ca. 1960s)
Driftwood, old trees, and “forest” of perhaps Australian Pines/erosion in the area of Peck’s Lake’s beaches, Jupiter Island. (Whiticar/Ruhnke, ca 1960s)
Boaters.... (Whiticar, ca. 1960s)
Boaters,  Peck’s Lake area…. (Whiticar/Ruhnke ca. 1960s)
Old tree... (Whiticar, ca. 1960s)
Huge old tree..perhaps a black mangrove/erosion. (Whiticar/Ruhnke ca. 1960s)
Old tree. (Whiticar, Ca. 1960s)
Ancient looking tree and beautiful lady… (Whiticar/Ruhnke ca. 1960s)
Shoreline...(Whiticar, ca. 1960s)
Shoreline…(Whiticar/Ruhnke ca. 1960s)
Old trees...(Whiticar ca. 1960)
Old trees…(Whiticar/Ruhnke ca. 1960)
Old tree....(Whiticar ca. 1960s)
Old tree….(Whiticar/Ruhnke ca. 1960s)
Thank you to John Whiticar for allowing me to use his family photos. If you regularly read my blog, you may have seen many of the beautiful sunrise and sunset photos I have shared of John's. He is a true artist and captures the beauty of our area.
Thank you to John Whiticar for allowing me to use his family’s Art . Ruhnke  photos. The Ruhnke’s had a photo shop in Stuart’s early days.

 

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Yesterday’s blog on erosion at Bathtub Beach, 12-11-14: (http://jacquithurlowlippisch.com/2014/12/11/looking-at-our-barrier-islands-through-new-eyes-srlindian-river-lagoon/)

Interesting site on Florida Beach Erosion and stats/”State of the Beach:” (http://www.beachapedia.org/State_of_the_Beach/State_Reports/FL/Beach_Erosion)

 

7 thoughts on “Old Photos, Jupiter Island’s Shoreline/Peck Lake’s 1960s Inlet Along the Indian River Lagoon”

  1. My mother and grandmother both told me of another short-lived inlet on north Hutchinson Island, near what is now the nuclear power plant. This supposedly occurred in the late 30s, prior to WWII.

    Reply

  2. Thanks for the fine photos, Jacqui. What should have been done to my mind, instead of closing the “new” inlet (inlets had opened there before as I recall), was to encourage it and allow the St. Lucie inlet to fill with sand.

    Peck Lake faces a natural (14ft? deep) break in the reef off shore, which is also the break that St. Lucie outflow naturally seeks if it doesn’t go straight out to sea. Much less maintenance dredging inside and outside would be required than is now required to keep the St. Lucie open. The jetties might have been much shorter.

    But the Corps didn’t take kindly to the Peck Lake inlet filling in a very brief stretch of “their” AICW (peanuts to remove compared to inside the St. Lucie).

    W.E. “Ted” Guy, Jr.

    643 SW Fuge Rd

    Stuart, Fl 34997

    (772) 287-4106 (home)

    (772) 485-1866 (cell/car)

    guywe2@gmail.com

    Reply

  3. Thank you Ted. The (ACIW) Atlantic Inter Coastal Waterway, as most dredging projects of the time was us/the ACOE trying forcing nature” instead of “working with nature.” This has been our problem the whole time…..We are now going to be forced to work with Nature as of late, she is getting the upper hand….

    Reply
  5. Pingback: Mystery Revealed! Exact Date of Peck Lake’s Inlet Break Through-“Ash Wednesday Storm, 1962″–Indian River Lagoon | Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch

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