LIVING HISTORY
to the end of his days, he blessed America and Florida for the
life they offered him in those pioneer days.”
Houston, Hovelsrud and Gignac are just three of the dozen
or so keepers to serve at the Indian River/Bethel Creek
House of Refuge. As more people settled in the region, the
keepers and their families became less isolated. In 1914, when
Vincent O. Coste was serving as keeper, a public bathhouse
was constructed on the beach near the House of Refuge.
In 1915, when the U. S. Revenue Cutter Service and the U.
S. Life-Saving Service were merged to form the U. S. Coast
Guard Service, Bethel Creek House of Refuge became Coast
Guard Station No. 205.
Walter Kitching, who was keeper at that time of transition
remained with his family and became a warrant officer with
the title Surfman No. 1. On Jan. 11, 1917, at 3 o’clock in the
morning Kitching and his wife were awakened to find the
building in flames. They escaped with only the clothes on
their backs.
Other Coast Guard buildings were built to replace the
former House of Refuge and Kitching had a crew of five men
placed under him during World War 1.
Of course the whole purpose of the Houses of Refuge was
to aid shipwreck victims. Although there were several shipwrecks
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through the decades within the boundaries patrolled
by the keepers of Bethel Creek House of Refuge, the duty of
the keepers and their families was usually uneventful and
monotonous. Their main service was just “being there if
needed’ ” a governmental presence in the wilderness, not just
in case of shipwrecks but also for travelers and early settlers.
Evidence of one shipwreck can be seen today. At very
low tide, the boiler of the steamer Breconshire can be seen
about a quarter mile off shore from Sexton Plaza. An iron
screw steamer built in 1885, the Breconshire sank in 1894.
It was a schooner-rigged ship with compound engines
complementing her sail power. During her last voyage, the
Breconshire sailed from England to Mediterranean ports
and then on to New York. On April 25, 1894, she sailed
from New York en route to Tampa to pick up an undisclosed
cargo. The captain, Robert Taylor, was unfamiliar
with Florida’s waters. He ordered charts of the coast but
neglected to open them until he was three days at sea.
When he finally looked at the charts he discovered that
they did not include a stretch of coast below Cape Canaveral.
The ship hit a reef in the wee hours of the morning of
April 30. All the men managed to escape from the sinking
vessel and stayed at the Bethel Creek House of Refuge for
three days before returning to London.
Other Coast Guard buildings were constructed on the
government land between Bethel Creek and the Atlantic
Ocean during World War I and II. During wartime, the
Coast Guard operated under the command of the Navy.
In April 1950, the 8-acre Bethel Creek Coast Guard property
was officially transferred from the federal government
to the City of Vero Beach. Six years later, the city accepted
a proposal by the Junior Chamber of Commerce to develop
the property into a park. This was just the beginning of the
Jaycee’s hard work to develop the beautiful park. Eventually,
it became known as Jaycee Park, its history all but forgotten.
ED DRONDOSKI
The Bethel Creek House of Refuge stood on what is now Jaycee Park in Vero Beach, recently voted by readers of Indian River Magazine as the best beach
on the Treasure Coast.