Here starts the Mize Family connection... 

John Aleis Mize, per family Bible: B: 01/17/1820 in Irvine, Estill County, KY. D: 12/22/1847. He was buried in Independence, Missouri. John owned a Merchant & Pharmacist-Drug Business. He married 11/06/1843 (11/22/1843 on Miller's 'Hist & Gen') to Marium Oldham. Marium was born 05/01/1822 Madison County, Kentucky. Daughter of William & Sallie (Gilbert) Oldham of Richman. Marium died 03/17/1858 in Clark County, Kentucky. They had two children: (Marium remarried 03/27/1951 to Thomas H. Blakemore of Richman, KY and had a son Johnny Blakemore of Independence, MO.

Marium & son William about 1850

2~Rowena (seen Rorverra) Mize B: 09/30/1846 D: 08/09/1847

Rowena Mize: Woodlawn Cemetery

1~William Oldham Mize I B: 09/22/1844 in Independence, Missouri D: 08/20/1915. Hon. William Oldham Mize I, as an orphan, in 1850, he went to Hazel Green (Richmond) to live with his Aunt & Uncle (Nancy Mize Trimble) who owned the Mercantile Business in Hazel Green. In early life William attended the common schools; he subsequently attended school at Millersburg, Ky, as well as a commercial college at Cincinnati, OH. In 1865 he engaged in the mercantile business at Hazel Green, Ky., in which business he continued until 1878. He was an attorney. In 1879, he was elected in the State Senate from Wolfe, Morgan, Magoffin, Lee, Owsley, Powell, Johnson, Menifee and Breathitt Counties, serving one term. Mr. Mize was a man of a great deal of natural ability as a writer and speaker, and has for many years been recognized as one of the leading men of Wolfe County.William married 04/27/1874 to Lou Ellen (Lula) Cockrell of Hazel Green, daughter of Rev McKinley Cockrell (01/16/1827-01/22/1855) & Emily Jane Trimble (01/04/1828-12/12/1897). Lou Ellen B: 06/15/1848 D: 04/06/1926. They had one Child: 

Lou Ellen Cockrell-Mize 9/12/1907 

The home was completed in 1878 and first occupied by William O. Mize, State Senator, local merchant and co-founder of Hazel Green Academy. He is shown sitting on the front porch in this photo. Standing next to him is his wife, Lou Cockrell Mize and son Carl is standing by the chair in the yard: 1885 apx

William O. Mize Residence in Hazel Green 2008Carl Mize, far left, mid 1890's

1-Carl B. Mize B: 07/23/1875 D: 01/17/1933. Carl married in 04/10/1910 to Carrie Lee Rose, daughter of John M. Rose(10/04/1849-1902) & Sarah Elizabeth Swango-Rose (1857-02/10/1913). Carrie B: 05/05/1885 D: 12/03/1964. Carl graduated from Centre College with an Academic Degree 06/06/1897. Carl was the Druggist in Indianapolis and then owned the General Store and a Movie Theater in Hazel Green. Was a member of the F & A M, was a Democrat, and an elder in the Christian Church. They had two children

1~Marium Elizabeth Mize B: 01/11/1913 D:

 

2~William Oldham Mize II B: 05/23/1915 D: 07/29/1987

US ARMY AIR CORPS WORLD WAR II

< William & Carl Mize

Carrie Lee Rose 

Carl owned the Hazel Green Motion Picture House and hosted the Old Time Fiddlers Contests there.

WILLIAM O. MIZE 9/12/1907

William Oldham Mize I dies 08/19/1915

1927 ~ William with the skates on

 

Hazel Green Academy

 

William Oldham Mize II graduated from Hazel Green Academy in 1934. William graduated from the South Plains Army Air Field of Lubbock, Texas in 11/13/1944, as a Glider Pilot. In 1942, the military established a glider school in Lubbock. Known as whisper ships, the gliders were used extensively in the airborne invasions of Burma and Normandy, carrying as much as 4200 pounds of men and equipment. Army Air Forces Glider School grew rapidly, gaining a new name, South Plains Army Flying School in May, 1942, and South Plains Army Air Field in May 3, 1943.

William Oldham Mize II, a Restauranteur, was married 07/26/1935 to Evelyn Swope and renewed their vows on 05/22/1965 Evelyn Swope was the daughter of James C. Swope. B: 08/20/1914, in Winchester, KY and died in Sacramento, CA, 1988

1950's First Free Flight In a Lite Plane

The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels

Kentucky Colonels are unwavering in devotion to faith, family, fellowman and country. Passionate about being compassionate. Proud, yet humble. Leaders who are not ashamed to follow. Gentle but strong in will and commitment. The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, as a Brotherhood, reaches out to care for our children, support those in need and preserve our rich heritage. “The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, Inc. is irrevocably dedicated to and is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes…” Bill was a proud member, Every year, The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, utilizing contributions from individual Colonels from all over the world, provides financial support to Kentucky charitable and educational institutions and organizations. 

Bill operated and owned several restaurants.

'The Bungalow' in Hazelgreen

'Bill's Boiler' a steak house in Jacksonville Beach, the beach adolescents preferred Bills Drive-In and then the Surf Maid. And then he owned the elegant 'Le Chateau' in Atlantic Beach, located on the Florida ocean front, great for a classy evening.

Bill brought Ed Kinlaw's drive-in called 'Ed's Eat' in May 1946. Located at 120 3rd Avenue North (the southwest corner with Second Street North). Ray Purdy had owned it as "Ray’s Eats" and then Fred Blas bought it and name it "Fred’s Eats." 

And converted it into Bills Drive-In. Mize would do more than change the name to Bill’s Drive-In and Restaurant. He expanded it into a full-scale restaurant with two dining rooms and more drive-in space. It became a popular, middle-range establishment.

Bills Drive-In

Bill's Main Dining RoomBill's Second Dining Room

The business quickly grew in popularity. Until the Surf Maid Drive-in was built on Beach Boulevard, it was the hangout for Fletcher Junior-Senior High School students. Mize participated full in the civic life of the community, even using his flying ability to land on the beach as Santa Claus. He prospered. The success of Bill’s Drive-In encouraged him to buy the Crosby house and convert it to a fine restaurant, Le Chateau...

 ~ Le Chateau in Atlantic Beach ~ 

Sitting on the ocean front at 39 & 7th Street in Atlantic Beach, Florida from 1954 to 1959 Le Chateau restaurant and bar was elegant. Silk brocade billowing on the ceiling of the main dining room provided beauty and mystery. Breathtaking! Well-spaced chandeliers punctured the cloth. A large window overlooked the sea with lights at night so diners could see the waves while sitting at well-appointed tables. Delicious food prepared and served by an excellent staff satisfied the eye as well as the palate. The patio at the entrance alerted patrons that this was no ordinary place. The upstairs was originally living quarters, but eventually became a banquet room reached by a staircase with wrought iron rails.

Le Chateau Post Card in Atlantic Beach

1950s Le Chateau Restaurant1950s Le Chateau Restaurant
1950s Le Chateau RestaurantChateau Courtyard Photo by Virgil Deane Source: Beaches Museum & History Park

Late 1950's - The Wishing Well Benefit1957~Up For Sell (Bill sold it in 1959)

Preben Johansen, a Danish immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1948, bought it in 1959. Johansen and his wife, Nina Hazelhurst, had met in Munich, Germany after World War II. He was working as a translator for the U. S. Army; she worked there as a stenographer for the U. S. government for a year, plenty of time to fall in love. She went home but missed him so much that she returned to Europe and they married. In the late 1940s, the United States economy was booming, so Johansen and his American bride moved to Florida. The Johansens made Le Chateau even finer before and after Hurricane Dora demolished much of the restaurant in September, 1964. The Greek statue, La Dora, stood In the center of the tiled patio. Her beauty was highlighted by carefully placed plantings. Eventually, a piano bar was built adjacent to the patio. He hired Gene Nordan to play in the new piano bar from 1970 until it closed in 1983 and he attracted customers including such visiting luminaries as Liberace, Barry Goldwater, Betty Grable, Jane Russell, Mamie Van Doren, Victor Borge, Prince Andrew, David and Julie Eisenhower, and Taylor Caldwell. He and the bar (named La Dora Lounge in 1965) passed into legend.

William Mize as Santa, with possible Mayor Of Jacksonville Beach

Sharing toys with children1964 Hurricane Dora destorys the Le Chateau Restaurant
Main Dining Room Ceiling

1964 Hurricane Dora destorys the Le Chateau Restaurant

1964 Hurricane Dora destorys the Le Chateau Restaurant

1964 Hurricane Dora destorys the Le Chateau Restaurant 

The indomitable Dane rebuilt with the aid of the United States government disaster loan. It took a year. Johansen was not quite 37 years old with a wife and four children (Kathy, Preban, Jr., Kit, and Jennifer). Le Chateau provided the family with a good income and would again. He had purchased the Homestead restaurant on Beach Boulevard in 1962 from Alpha O. Paynter not many months before she died at age 75. So he had income during the year of rebuilding and modernizing. When it reopened, customers were thrilled with what the Johansens had done. The dining room was larger, a new bar adjoined the glass-enclosed patio with La Dora at the center, and a banquet room built on the second floor, reachable by an attractive staircase.

Le Chateau postcard with Gene Nordan at the piano

Le Chateau prospered. Nina began teaching the young cooks her salad and dessert recipe. Kathy managed the restaurant from 1971-1983; Benny, as Preban, Jr. was called, co-managed and served as maître d'. Jennifer worked as hostess and cashier in 1981-82, and Kit worked summers during high school and college. Johansen was active in community life, serving as a commissioner for the City of Atlantic Beach (which named a park after him) and, after consolidation in 1968, as a District One Council member in Jacksonville, 1971-79. He had been elected City Commissioner of Atlantic Beach in October, 1981. He died on September 13, 1982, a little over a month before his 56^th birthday. He had been the heart and soul of the restaurant. None of his children wanted to take on the restaurant and Nina soon decided that someone else should be given the chance. She sold it to ten investors in December, 1982 but they lacked the savvy to operate a fine restaurant and declared bankruptcy in June, 1984. Nina bought the property back from the bankruptcy court in 1985. Her efforts to find a restaurateur to operate or buy it failed. Life at the beach had changed and it was off the beaten path. So she sold it to Dan Crisp who leveled it to build a ten-unit condo complex called Le Chateau Condominiums, preserving the name of the restaurant.  

Name: Mize, William Oldham
Date Of Death: August 20, 1915 Time: 8:00 PM
Place Of Death: Hazel Green, Wolfe County, KY
Residence: Wolfe County, Kentucky
Gender: Male
Race: W
Age: 71
Marital Status: Married
Spouse: Mize, Lou Cockrell
Date Of Birth: September 22, 1844
Place Of Birth: Independence, Missouri
Mother's Name: Oldham, Mariam
Mother's Birth: Clark County, Kentucky
Father's Name: Mize, John A.
Father's Birth: Irvine, Kentucky
Cause Of Death: Unavailable
Hospital: None Listed
SS Number: None
Occupation: Retired Merchant
Funeral Home: Henry H. Hall, Winchester, KY
Doctor: Taylor Center, MD, Hazel Gr
Coroner: None Listed
Informant: Carl Mize, Hazel Green, KY
Date Of Burial: August 22, 1915
Place Of Burial: Hazel Green Cemetery, Wolfe County, Kentucky
Date Recorded: Unavailable
Source Of Record: Kentucky Death Certificate
Certificate No.: 20842 

Mize-Buchanan Home

Take  step back into history with this unique home built in 1878 for Senator William O. Mize. (For a complete history, go to the Documents section of this website.)

This beautiful solid brick 2-story home has many of the original features intact, such as trim, doors, moldings, hardware, shutters, flooring, etc. yet has central heat and air, new shingles, new guttering, completely recently repainted soffits and trim, repainted and glazed windows. 

The first floor has a large living room with bay window, parlor with bay window, bedroom, large dining room, kitchen with breakfast area and bath.  Each room has a fireplace(non-operative).  The entry way and dining room have decorative hardwood flooring with a herringbone pattern and other patterns.  A one-of-a-kind stairway leads to the second floor which has 4 bedrooms, each with a fireplace.  The foundation is cut stone, ceilings are 11', baseboards 11", 13" interior walls, large covered front porch, blacktop driveway, storage shed, county water, natural gas and septic system. 

A tranquil setting among mature trees and 35 acres, with approximately 7 acres pasture and remainder in woodland, which has not been timbered since the 1940's. All mineral rights are included.

Truly a property steeped in history and tradition that deserves your viewing.

ROGER BUCHANAN ESTATE

PERSONAL PROPERTY

Antique 3-piece dining room set with 6’ table, 6 chairs, buffet and glass front china cabinet; Antique side chairs; Several old trunks; Antique 7’ wardrobe; Quilt rack; 4 cane bottom chairs; Glassware; Kitchen utensils and cookware; Old bottles; Antique corner cabinet with glass doors; Antique glass front display case; Antique beds; Antique tables; Rocking chairs; Walnut dresser with mirror and marble-top; Oak secretary with glass doors; Antique wardrobes; Figurines; Lamps; Prints; 26’ millstone; Whirlpool washer and dryer; Folding table; Kitchen table; Old alarm clocks; Old print of Governor Goebel; Antique oak map box, very unusual; Sofa; Armchairs; Glassware; Several antique dressers and chests; Many other miscellaneous items.  A very nice selection of antique furniture.

Mize Family

One of the Founders of Hazel Green Academy