Out of Cowford ... Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE 6 1s22·SESQUICENTENNIAL·t972 ANDREW JACKSON First American Governor of Florida, 1821; Seventh President of the United States, 1829-1837 ; ' COVER: Andrew Jackson by Courtenay Hunt, 1967. The artist worked from a costumed live model who bore a remarkable re semblance to the subject. This portrait was commissioned by the Jacksonville Historical Society as its gift to the city. It now hangs in the Council Chambers at City Hall. I 1822 JACKSONVILLE 1972 OUT OF COWFORD . .. JACKSONVILLE Published by The J acksonville Sesquicentennial Commission, Inc. 1972 -- -- - - --- -- - -- --------- - ----- -- --- --- - ~- -- -- -- - - ---- ----- --- -- --~ ---- - Dedication This publication is dedicated to those men and women, known "I and unknown, rich and poor, white, black and red, who have contributed of themselves to the life of this city from the years before its founding in 1822 on down through today. ---·.. .:•~·--- Scope T he flavor of life of other years is presented in this volume which commem orates the 150th anniversary of Jacksonville's founding. Fortunately a number of photographs published for the first time here, were made available, augment ing the several illustrated volumes published in past years. Among the rarest photographs are the views of business firms on Hogan Street; those of the partic ipants in the jousting contest; the shots of the fire of May 3, J 90 l and the panorama at the intersection of Forsyth and Main Streets. But the whole story is not to be found in this thin volume. A list of basic ) sources for Jacksonville history and where to buy or find them follows: T. F. Davis, History of Jacksonville and Vicinity, 1513 to 1924. University of Florida facsimile edition available in book stores. W. W . Davis, The Civil War and Reconstruction in Florida. University of Florida facsimile edition available in book stores. Richard A. Martin, The City Makers, to be published August, 1972, available from the author, P. 0. Box 10463, J ackson ville 32207 Jacksonville Historical Society, Papers, five volumes, most of them available from the Society at P. 0. Box 4343, J ack sonville 3220 l The above books are also in the Haydon Burns Library, Jacksonville, and in the Library of Florida History, University of Florida, Gainesville. In both libraries are to be found the records of the Spanish Land Grants and the Territorial Papers. Early Jacksonville newspapers are a virtually untapped source of the fascinating clay-to-day story. Check both libraries for these and for many more. .. They came by covered wagon and standing, the new settlers may have Too soon did any hopes for peace oxcart, bumping along the Kings been; still, they were the same. All ful settlement vanish for the Ameri Road from Georgia, filtering down shared a common bond: the search can R evolution brought skirmishing from the Carolinas and Virg,inia. for a new home in a new land. soldiers right down to the river's edge at the Cow Ford and the first They came too by sailboat or There never was any doubt that buildings on the future site of J ack sloop, or simply in a jammed-packed a town would some day be born at sonville were burned. Only the road canoe. the river crossing, now that it was and its name, the Kings Road, re For most, all of their worldly a part of the U nitecl States. Gone mained on the land. goods were with them: two or three were the European struggles for the And the lodestone remained: the chairs, a table, pots for outdoor cook New World; gone was the border lodestone of the narrow crossing. ing or boiling the wash, some china warfare between Georgia and Span So, like the British, the Americans and pewter ware, bedding and a few ish Florida which had long prevent provided a ferry and the more far clothes. ed peaceful settlement. sighted built small stores, a hotel of Books? Yes, the Bible. And think It was 182 1, the year the American sorts and a few homes along the ing of life to come, it was Mother flag first beckoned new settlers to road. who brought the seeds, the bulbs or come to Florida. And with that flag, A goodly number of settlers had cuttings for fruit trees and flowers. the bitter struggles for the land lived in peace with Spain and h ad Frontier life had its own faith and seemed far ago. established plantations and lumber beauty. Here at the Cow Ford, the river mills along the river, or had sought But there were others who came crossing of the Kings Road, the Brit protection near the Spanish fort, St. too, better dressed than most; usu ish had built a ferryman's house and Nicholas, on the Sou th side of the ally a!ane and riding in on a good a tavern in the l 770's for the con river. There were fully 250 people looking horse. This traveler sought venience and entertainment of trav up and down the river in Northeast out a home site, made friends and elers along their newly built high Florida who called themselves "In kept his eyes open. Perhaps he even way. This was Florida's first road habitants of the St. Johns" when built a sturdy and attractive log for the Spaniards had used trails or Spain's rule ended in 1821. house before bringing his family the natural waterways which were The land at the Cow Ford, on the down to live. fas ter and relatively safer from at North side where J acksonville was Different in social and economic tack. to grow, was owned by Lewis Z. Hogans, John Brady and Isaiah D . only slowly did it grow. Incorpora safety and most businesses were de Hart. It was Hart who suggested, in tion in 1832 and the election of its stroyed. The lumber mills were fact, insisted, that a town be laid out first Mayor, William J. Mills, helped burned by the Confederates to pre at this promising spot and that each but not enough. vent valuable shipbuilding material of the three owners give land for falling into enemy hands. And other streets. Not until the Seminole War, parts of the town were burned in a 1835-1842, did the city begin to show second conflagration. its latent possibilities. There were The clay the town was laid out two reasons for this awakening. First, was a busy clay: D. S. H. Miller was Peace did not come easy. And a the town was a staging area for the surveyor, Benjamin Chaires, renewal of spirit was even harder to troops and army supplies. Second, "I John Bellamy and Francis ]. Ross achieve. In a way, recovery was easier the war opened up the peninsula were advisors who helped decide in Florida than in other parts of the for settlement and Jacksonville, where the streets should run and South for the tourists returned astride the waterways, could not but the names to be given them. John in great numbers. Their presence benefit. W. Roberts acted as clerk. John meant a livelihood in those grim Warren, a former soldier under Most of the large plantations times, a firm knowledge that one's General Andrew Jackson, suggested grew up in Middle Florida and Jack family would eat. that the newly laid out town be sonville, with the added impetus of By the I 870's, the tourist rush named for him, a suggestion which the deep harbor at Middleburg, was on. Hotel building grew a-pace. was supported unanimously. served to ship out cotton and to The St. J ames, the Windsor, the ship in the needs of plantations and Everett and its annex, the Aragon Jacksonville's earliest records have farms. In addition, logs were brought went up. The finest cuisines and been lost through fires or careless in by monstrous ox-carts or were entertainment were provided for ness. Supreme Court records and floated down the river, bound to those who visited this world-re early secondary sources give June gether in huge rafts, as food for the nowned tourist mecca. Ocean steam of 1822 as the month and year of sawmills which lined the town's boats brought the tourists to the the city's founding. However, dili waterfront. And ·sailing vessels from city and smaller ones waited to take gent search for more than 30 years around the world came to load the them on excursions up-river to has failed to identify the day in products of farm and forest. Green Cove Springs, Si lver Springs, June. As a consequence, the Jack sonville Historical Society, in 1965, Manufacturing and trade became, Enterprise and to Tocoi for the over selected the 15th and the Mayor and have remained, essentially, the land jaunt to St. Augustine. Fort designated this date as the found basis of the city's economy. An im George Island and Mayport were also favored spots. ing date until such time as proof petus was added in the 1840's upon of another date might be discov the discovery of Florida by invalids Only temporarily were the visitors ered. The basis for the decision and tourists seeking a warm and frightened away by yellow fever. was a petition from Jacksonville healthy clime. And after each scourge or freeze, on 15 June 1822 to the United By the l 850's life was somewhat they reliably returned. But what States Secretary of State requesting easier than in pioneer days, made "yellow jack" and Jack Frost could that the city be made a port of gay by balls and parties, boat trips, not do, H enry M.

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