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Jacksonville Begins Rebuilding Morning After Great Fire

1 May 2025

Nancy Gandy

From the Archive

The devasting Great Fire of May 3, 1901, became a showcase of the courage and resilience of Jacksonville’s citizens, who began the city’s rebirth the next day. Eight months later, the Windsor Hotel re-opened.

Looking at Our Future

1 May 2025

Alan Bliss

From the CEO

Four years away from its centennial, the Jacksonville History Center is the only professional public history organization serving all of Duval County, offering authentic representations of the people, places, and events of Jacksonville’s past.

The Shipbuilder’s Daughter: Helen Joanna Merrill

1 Apr 2025

Nancy Gandy

From the Merrill House Museum

Twice widowed, shipbuilder’s daughter Helen Joanna Merrill Slappey was noted as a humanitarian among Jacksonville’s medical community, organizing occupational therapy programs and campaigning for the Duval Medical Center’s occupational therapy building.

History Never Dies: Evergreen Cemetery, Part II

1 Apr 2025

Emily Cottrell

From the Archive

Founded in 1880, Evergreen Cemetery honors its long history while still operating as an active cemetery, funeral home and crematory. Over the years, sections were acquired from the Catholic, Jewish and African American communities.

The Future of Public History

1 Apr 2025

Alan Bliss

From the CEO

An important ingredient in creating a strategic plan is fresh thinking. The Jacksonville History Center’s five-year plan (2025-2030) includes new perspectives from constituencies across Jacksonville. We will be guided by our core belief that history matters.

History Never Dies: Evergreen Cemetery, Part I

1 Mar 2025

Emily Cottrell

From the Archive

The first Jacksonville resident buried in Evergreen Cemetery was Margaret Jamison, in 1881. She and husband William, also buried there in 1882, had six children. Their youngest son was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in 1919.