Category: Historical Interest
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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 or invent legends about their past (looking at you, Orlando and Tampa), the real people and events of Jacksonville are interesting enough. We don’t have…
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Will LaVilla be Jacksonville’s Ybor City?
Incorporated in 1869, the neighborhood known as LaVilla was annexed by the City of Jacksonville in 1887 and thrived into the early decades of the 20th century as the setting of Jacksonville’s richest multi-cultural, multi-ethnic life.
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Postcards from Christmas Past
For a long time, postcards were the most popular way for the people of Jacksonville to not only send their season’s greetings to those they cared about, but for them to receive letters of holiday joy in return.
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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?
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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…
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Jacksonville’s Great Fire Redefined the City
At 200 years old this year, Jacksonville retains very little of the built environment as it existed in 1822. For much of Jacksonville’s first 79 years of existence, development took place using timber construction. Consequently, the devastation of the Great Fire of 1901 created a clean slate on which to design and build a new…
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Jacksonville’s Bicentennial
How will you commemorate 200 years? Celebrating the Jacksonville Bicentennial in 2022 will take many shapes and forms.
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Special Bicentennial Membership Available
This year marks Jacksonville’s Bicentennial. Membership at the Jacksonville Historical Society is open to everyone with an interest in our city’s history. The Society welcomes members from near and far to join its community of people who care about Jacksonville, and offers several membership categories to invite your engagement. We’ve created a category for young…
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From the Library
From The Library — Named for its author, The Green Book provided a guide to safe travels for Black people in the segregated South from 1936 to 1966.
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Surprising Jacksonville
For newcomers to Jacksonville, the city can be surprising in many ways. Once you get past the city’s sprawling size, and begin to explore neighborhoods new and old, you begin to sense there’s more here than meets the eye.