Jacksonville's LEGACY
Jacksonville’s LEGACY AFRIcan — AMERICAN HERITAGE TRAIL JACKSONVILLE HISTORIC PEOPLE & PLACES FIRST EDITION September 2013 QuickTime™ and a decompressor are needed to see this picture. Dear Friends: As mayor, s it i my pleasure to celebrate with you Jacksonville’s wealth of history, a cultural heritage that made our fair city what it is today. In its early days, our city uld was known as a place where cattle co cross the St. John’s River. Jacksonville was later named in honor of Andrew Jackson, first military governor of Florida and later president of the United States, and received its first charter in 1832. A great fire leveled much of the city in 1901, scouring across more than a hundred city blocks. Reflective of its citizens’ resilience, Jacksonville quickly got back on its feet. Lives were pieced back together as piers, buildings, docks and shipyards. Architects flocked to Jacksonville to build upon our, essentially, blank slate. In fact, our City Hall is now located in one of Henry J. Klutho’s structures, the St. James Building, which th celebrates its 100 anniversary this year. The historical legacy of African Americans in our community represents an important part of our past. Immediately after the Civil War, Jacksonville’s neighboring town, LaVilla, was predominantly African American. In the town’s short 18 year history, most of its political officers were African American. In later years, LaVilla became the cultural and economic center for African Americans in Jacksonville and surrounding areas. Many distinguished African Americans have called Jacksonville home including James Weldon Johnson, A.
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