The land where Charles and Winona Jones grew up was mostly orange groves. Miles and miles of oranges grew for as far as one could see. Charlie and Winona grew up on Palm Harbor, Florida. Their families were pioneer families that moved to Florida in 1850. "My family homesteaded property on what is now known as Michigan Avenue," explained Winona.

The land where Garrison-Jones Elementary School is located was once a citrus grove owned and operated by the Garrison and Jones families. Most families made a living by owning or working in the orange groves up intil the 1980's. When Charlie grew up he continued to own and work in the citrus business. He worked with a tractor built in 1938. If you didn't work in the groves then you made a living by fishing, working in the saw mills or collecting turpentine from the pine trees.

Winona Jones' great grandfather started one of the first schools in Pinellas County. It was called Heidleberg Heights School. Charlie attended school at the Curlew School for primary grades and then went on to Palm Harbor Jr. High. He graduated from Tarpon Springs High. The Curlew school had one class which held many different grade levels. Kids kept warm around a pot belly stove. They brought lunches from home and ate them at school. "Teachers were pretty strict in those days," said Charlie. "Children got spanked with a wooden paddle if they misbehaved."

Today we are proud to have history that we can share with one another. But most of all, we are proud to have living history to make Garrison-Jones what it is today.