Jacksonville’s History All Around Us
Jacksonville history is all around us. In addition to stories resident in our city’s cemeteries, historic site markers also tell a story of events and places. One such marker, The Kings Road – Florida’s First Highway, disappeared.
What’s Wrong with T. Frederick Davis?
The account of Jacksonville history, as written by T. Frederick Davis, a weatherman and insurance agent, are based on being a “man of his time.” A History of Jacksonville is a resource, but also an artifact.
How Far South is Jacksonville?
Is Jacksonville really part of what’s understood to be the American South? The growth of its contemporary cities – Tampa, Orlando and Miami – focus on travel and tourism. Jacksonville has prospered on manufacturing, the military and now, medical tourism.
A Place Worthy of Your Citizenship
Jacksonville deserves good citizens. Every city does, of course, but Jacksonville is complicated and authentic. Unlike some of our peer cities in Florida that have had to “imagineer” their brand […]
Who Cares About Preservation in Jacksonville?
Adapting an historic building to use in the 21st century is difficult and expensive, so why bother? In particular, why should any public resources go into such a project? Whether historic preservation is worthy of public support is a question… Read more…
What’s so hard about historic preservation?
Why are historic preservation projects so difficult and expensive? The most obvious answer is that architects, engineers, and contractors cannot see and never really know for sure what is within […]
Two Terms to Shape a Legacy
John T. Alsop, Jr., Jacksonville’s longest running mayor (18 years), began his first term 100 years before Jacksonville first woman mayor is sworn in.
A Glimpse of Jacksonville’s Maritime Past
One of the joys of being an historian is discovering old documents that let us see into the past. The past is what happened. History is how we understand and explain the past, and we are constantly understanding it in new ways. Jacksonville is full of stories, which is what makes it such a fascinating place to practice history.
The Long Historical Reach of “Redlining”
Nearly two-thirds of Americans are homeowners, and for them, the difference between their home value and their mortgage balance is the lion’s share of what they consider their wealth. What is “redlining” and when did it begin?
Jacksonville’s Second Century
How much history can a city accumulate in 200 years? A lot, and Jacksonville has more, and more interesting history, than any place in Florida. Compared to our peer cities though, we seem less concerned with our civic inheritance. Why that is so makes for a lively conversation about Jacksonville’s identity. Whether it’s to explain a place or a person, the past is always where we look. Every city is unique, but Jacksonville stands out for its beauty combined with grittiness, its imposing size contrasted with its small-city feel, its serious problems balanced against its undeniable promise.