The Dreaded Yellow Jack

Yellow fever, also known as the “yellow plague” or the “yellow jack,” was one of the most dangerous and dreaded diseases prevalent in Florida during the 1800s. The disease is viral, spread primarily by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, but this knowledge was not widely known until the Read More …

Alcazar Hotel

The Alcazar Hotel, the name being Arabic(Al-kasr) for “royal castle”, was the second of the luxurious hostelries erected in St. Augustine by Henry M. Flagler, known first in the nation’s financial marts as an associate of John D. Rockefeller in the creation of the parent Read More …

History Chat: The Life of Captain James W. Floyd

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 …

The Forgotten History of Lincolnville

If you have ever visited St. Augustine, you might have noticed a large concentration of Victorian era homes just southwest of recognizable landmarks like the Bridge of Lions and the Cathedral Basilica. This is Lincolnville, a historically black neighborhood in America’s oldest city. Formed by Read More …

The first ball drops were for ship captains, not Times Square

Whether at home on the couch or among the crowds in Times Square, watching the New Year’s Eve ball drop symbolizes a fresh start. But as the ball descends to mark another year gone by, it also harkens back to an era when knowing the Read More …

Jacksonville City council could’ve should’ve would’ve, but they didn’t save the historic Ford Motor Plant, instead they voted for demolition

Nearly a hundred years ago (1923) Ford Motor Company purchased the former Bentley Shipyards property from the city of Jacksonville for $50,000. They commissioned architect  Albert Kahn to design a smaller version of the company’s River Rouge facility. The 115,200-square-foot, $2 million complex was completed Read More …

Jacksonville Civil Rights Conference

Saturday marks the 62nd anniversary of Ax Handle Saturday, a racially motivated attack that took place in Hemming Park in Jacksonville, Florida, on August 27, 1960. On that day, a group of white men attacked African Americans who were engaging in peaceful sit-in protests opposing Read More …

A short history of our National Forests in Florida

In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Ocala National Forest into existence as the third national forest east of the Mississippi (only the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota and El Yunque National Forest in Roosevelt’s beloved Puerto Rico are older). The Ocala was created to protect the world’s largest contiguous sand pine scrub. Read More …

LaVilla Heritage Trail

Jacksonville officials are moving forward on a plan for a heritage trail in the historically African American community of LaVilla — a cultural hub once known as the Harlem of the South. The path would include historical markers at the Richmond Hotel, Old Stanton High School, Read More …

The Florida Historical Society 2022 Public History Forum and the 33rd Annual Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society Conference

The Florida Historical Society 2022 Public History Forum and the 33rd Annual Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society Conference are being presented together May 19-21, at the Hilton Conference Center in Gainesville. Registration for the conference is now open at myfloridahistory.org where you will also find a Read More …

Andrews Causeway dedication

Today in 1948 – President Harry S. Truman attended the dedication ceremony of the Charles O. Andrews Causeway, bisecting Lake Estelle in Orlando.. Andrews represented Florida in the U.S. Senate from 1936 until his death in 1946. He was born in Ponce de Leon on Read More …

Jax historical facts

Jacksonville was named for General Andrew Jackson, the first military governor of Florida who, incidentally, never visited Jacksonville. Duval Street, like the county, was named for William Pope Duval, the first Territorial Governor of Florida. Isiah Hart, who founded Jacksonville, named two of the city’s Read More …

Story Tellers: Beaches Women Mayors

Join Beaches Museum for a discussion with the groundbreaking female mayors of the Beaches, past and present. The Mayors will discuss their service to the community and the stories behind their motivation to run for office. Learn what it takes to not only survive, but Read More …

Breaking Ground: Beyond Bathing Beauties

In a continued celebration of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, Beaches Museum is proud to present their new history exhibit: Breaking Ground: Beyond Bathing Beauties which opens today. The popular image of beach women as bathing beauties only hints at the diverse Read More …

Florida Pharmacy Association donates centennial plaque to the Jacksonville Public Library

To commemorate their shared history, the Florida Pharmacy Association donated their beautiful centennial plaque to the Jacksonville Public Library in a ceremony earlier today. Both the Florida Pharmacy Association and Jacksonville Public Library once occupied the Board of Trade Building on the corner of Main Read More …

The First Thanksgiving was on Florida’s First Coast

In 1562, French explorers landed on Florida’s northeast coast and traveled up the St. Johns River into present-day Jacksonville. Two years later, on June 29, 1564, French colonists led by Captain René Goulaine de Laudonnière (1529-74) constructed one of the first European forts in what Read More …