Jacksonville, Florida
Learn about the exciting life of Captain James W. Floyd (1861-1940) with speaker Jerry Urso, the Grand Historian of the Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge of Florida. Captain Floyd was a celebrated hero of the Spanish American War, a business owner, and a civil rights activist from Jacksonville, Florida. Program Read More …
Mary Singleton one of the first black women elected to our City Council in 1967, she is also the first black woman from Jacksonville to be elected and serve in the Florida House of Representatives. Ms. Singleton is honored in so many ways here locally, Read More …
Jacksonville’s Bob Hayes is not only the first to win both a Super Bowl and an Olympic Gold Medal, he is the only person to accomplish both. The “Bullet” won gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics in both the 100m and 4x100m relay, setting Read More …
Brilliant pianist Conrad Tao returns to the Jacksonville Symphony, for the 100th Birthday of Gershwin’s jazzy masterpiece Rhapsody in Blue. Tao will also play Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Piano Concerto, a rich and sweeping soundscape full of the composer’s hallmark virtuosity. Rounding out this blockbuster program are Read More …
James Beard Award-winning author Adrian Miller shares his family recipe for the New Year’s Day staple. On New Year’s Day, millions of people will dutifully eat some amount of black-eyed peas with the hope that it will lead to prosperity throughout next year. This superstition Read More …
Three … two … one … Happy New Year! Every December 31, the planet prepares to put up a fresh calendar and roll into a new year. And for more than 100 years, a key component of New Year’s Eve traditions has been watching the “ball drop” Read More …
Mayor Donna Deegan announced that the Confederate statues are being removed from Springfield Park today. This memorial was erected during the peak of early 20th century Confederate monument-building, part of a widespread campaign to promote and justify Jim Crow laws in the South and intimidate Read More …
Ruth Wakefield was no cookie-cutter baker. In fact, she is widely credited with developing the world’s first recipe for chocolate chip cookies. In 1937, Wakefield and her husband, Kenneth, owned the popular Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. While mulling new desserts to serve at the inn’s restaurant, she Read More …
Move over twinkling fir trees and wreaths, eggnog, stockings and the office secret Santa — there’s a new kid in town. Over the last decade the ugly Christmas sweater has firmly embedded itself in yuletide culture. You know the one. It’s a wooly pullover, usually Read More …
If you’ve been, you know: One of the most spectacular holiday installations in the southeastern United States shines in Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore, George Vanderbilt’s 8,000-acre estate, puts on a show for Christmas like no other. Lizzie Whitcher, Biltmore House’s Floral Manager and the architect Read More …
Bill of Rights Day (by Presidential Proclamation) “Now, Therefore, I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate December 15, 1941, as Bill of Rights Day. And I call upon the officials of the Government, and upon the people of the United Read More …
Gravestone symbols from A to Z reveal interesting insights into our ancestors’ lives and beliefs. When you were learning to read as a child, you probably learned the alphabet from A to Z. Likewise, learning gravestone symbols from A to Z will help you learn Read More …
History of the Poinsettia Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 2–13 ft. The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure 2.8–6.3 inches in length. The colored bracts—which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or Read More …
The holiday season is full of traditions, some shared and some unique. For many, Christmas requires a tree, greeting cards, parties, food and the sharing of gifts and fellowship. The history of how Americans celebrate the holidays is as diverse and fascinating as the population. Read More …
The world’s love affair with coffee seemingly knows no bounds. Beginning in 13th-century Arabia and later migrating across the globe, coffee — and coffee culture — has shaped the way we work, socialize, and savor our daily rituals. Today, gourmet espresso drinks are an important piece of Read More …
The legend of the Roanoke colony is so enduring because it lies at the heart of the founding of America. Starting in 1584, 23 years before the establishment of the Jamestown colony in nearby Virginia, three English expeditions landed at Roanoke Island, nestled between the Read More …
Rock n’ roll will live on in an old casket factory. The Jacksonville Historical Society is working to renovate a vacant warehouse, which was once the Florida Casket Co., near Veterans VyStar Memorial Arena. The museum will showcase artifacts, posters and other memorabilia that share the long history Read More …
October 1, 1968: The Jacksonville city and Duval County governments merged to form the City of Jacksonville. This is a historic photo of Jacksonville’s first City Council following consolidation. Many of the members are known for their acts of leadership, advocacy, innovation and service