Timeline of Jacksonville, Florida

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The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Jacksonville, Florida, United States.

## Prior to 20th century

[edit]

History of Florida

Map of Florida et Regiones Vicinae from ca. 1640

Topics

* Cities

* Bartow
* Fort Lauderdale
* Gainesville
* Key West
* Sarasota
* St. Augustine
* West Palm Beach
* Ybor City

* Counties

* Brevard County
* Palm Beach County

* Politics

* Women's suffrage in Florida

Timeline

* Pre-history, until 1497
* Spanish Rule, 1513–1763
* British Rule, 1763–1783:
* American Revolutionary War, 1775–1783
* Spanish Rule, 1783–1821:
* War of 1812, 1811–1814
* First Seminole War, 1817–1818
* U.S. Territorial Period, 1822–1845:
* Capitol moved to Tallahassee, 1824
* Second Seminole War, 1835–1842
* Constitutional convention, 1838
* Statehood, 1845–present:
* Third Seminole War, 1855–1858
* Ordinance of Secession, 1861
* Civil War, 1861–1865
* 3rd Constitution, 1865
* Reconstruction, 1865–1868
* 4th Constitution, 1868
* 5th Constitution, 1885
* Great Migration, 1910–1930
* Land Boom, 1925–1929
* 6th Constitution, 1968
* Gore v. Harris, Presidential Election, 2000
* COVID-19 pandemic, 2020–2022

Florida portal

* v
* t
* e

* Prior to 1564 - One early map shows a village called Ossachite at the site of what is now downtown Jacksonville; this may be the earliest recorded name for that area.
* 1564 - French Fort Caroline established by René Goulaine de Laudonnière.[1]
* 1565 - Spanish forces take Fort Caroline.
* 1822
* Settlement named "Jacksonville" to honor Andrew Jackson.[2]
* Town grid laid out.[3]
* Jacksonville becomes seat of newly formed Duval County.[1]
* 1832
* Town incorporated.[4][3]
* William J. Mills becomes mayor.[1]
* 1838 - Bethel Baptist Church established.[5]
* 1845 - Florida becomes part of the United States.
* 1846 - October 12: Gale.[6]
* 1857 - City Park created.
* 1858 - Florida, Atlantic & Gulf Central Railroad begins operating.[7]
* 1862 - Town occupied by Union forces.
* 1869 - St. James Hotel built.[8]
* 1871 - Furchgott, Benedict & Co. dry goods store in business.[9]
* 1872 - Cookman Institute established.[3]
* 1873 - Florida Circulating Library active.[10]
* 1875 - Windsor Hotel built.[11]
* 1876
* Duval High School established.[12]
* Union Congregational Church built.[12][13]
* 1877 - Board of Health established.[12]
* 1878 - Library and Literary Association formed.
* 1881 - Florida Daily Times begins publication.[14]
* 1882
* Synagogue dedicated.[15]
* Florida Baptist Academy established.
* 1884 - Board of Trade organized.[16]
* 1885 - Park Opera House in business.[17]
* 1886 - Boylan Industrial Home and school established.[18]
* 1887
* Yellow fever epidemic.[19][3]
* The Metropolis newspaper begins publication.[14]
* St. Andrew's Episcopal Church built.
* 1888 - Subtropical Exposition held.
* 1890 - Population: 17,201.[3]
* 1892 - Edward Waters College active.[20]
* 1893 - Streetcars began operating.
* 1897 - Woman's Club founded.[21]
* 1900 -
* "Lift Every Voice and Sing" song first performed.[22]
* Population: 28,429.[3]

## 20th century

[edit]

### 1900s-1950s

[edit]

* 1901
* May 3: Great Fire of 1901.[1][3]
* Brewster Hospital established.[23]
* Continental Hotel opens.[21]
* 1903
* Mason Park opens.[21]
* Florida Automobile Association organized.[21]
* 1904
* Lincoln Park opens.[21]
* First Baptist Church built.
* 1905
* Jacksonville Free Public Library opens.
* Protestant Union Revival held.[21]
* 1907
* Manhattan Beach opens.[21]
* Dixieland Amusement Park opens in South Jacksonville.[21]
* South Jacksonville chartered as a city.[21]
* 1908 - Filmmaker Kalem Studios active.[1]
* 1909 - YMCA building constructed.[21]
* 1910
* Atlantic Boulevard laid out.
* Population: 57,699.[24][3]
* 1912
* St. James Building constructed.
* City Rotary Club formed.
* 1914 - Jacksonville Zoological Park established.[25]
* 1917
* National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Jacksonville chapter established.[26]
* John W. Martin becomes mayor.
* 1920 – Population: 91,558.[24]
* 1921 - St. Johns River Bridge opens.[1]
* 1923 - John T. Alsop becomes mayor.
* 1925
* Negro Welfare League organized.[26]
* WJAX radio begins broadcasting.[27]
* 1926 - Carling Hotel opens.
* 1927 - Florida Theatre and 5 Points Theatre built.[28]
* 1928 - Gator Bowl Stadium built.
* 1929 - Jacksonville Historical Society founded.
* 1930 – Population: 129,549.[24]
* 1934
* Jacksonville Junior College established.
* WMBR radio begins broadcasting.[27]
* 1938
* WJHP radio begins broadcasting.[27]
* Theatre Jacksonville built.[28]
* 1940
* U.S. military Naval Air Station Jacksonville commissioned.[1]
* Population: 173,065.[24]
* 1946 - Annual Gator Bowl college football game begins.
* 1947
* Jacksonville Urban League formed.[26]
* Hanna Park created.
* 1949
* WJXT (television) begins broadcasting.[29]
* W. Haydon Burns becomes mayor.
* 1950 - Population: 204,517.[24]
* 1953 - Mathews Bridge opens.
* 1955 - Jacksonville Expressway Authority established.
* 1957 - WFGA-TV (television) begins broadcasting.[29]

### 1960s-1990s

[edit]

* 1960
* August: "Ax Handle Saturday" racial unrest.[23]
* Population: 201,030.[24]
* 1962 - Civic Auditorium opens.[17]
* 1963 - December, Hotel Roosevelt fire
* 1964 - September 10, Hurricane Dora occurs.[1]
* 1967
* Hart Bridge opens.[30]
* Mary Singleton and Sallye B. Mathis became the first female African Americans elected to the City Council.[23]
* 1968
* Consolidation of city and Duval County governments.
* Hans Tanzler becomes mayor.
* 1970 - Population: 528,865.[24]
* 1973 - Florida Municipal Home Rule Powers Act ratified.[31][nb 1]
* 1979 - Jake Godbold becomes mayor.
* 1980
* Foreign trade zone established.[32][33]
* Population: 540,920.[24]
* 1984 - Jacksonville Bulls football team formed.
* 1989 - The Jacksonville Skyway begins operating[34]
* 1990 - Population: 635,230.[24]
* 1993 - Corrine Brown becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 3rd congressional district.[35]
* 1995
* Jacksonville Jaguars football team formed.[1]
* Jacksonville Municipal Stadium opens.
* John Delaney becomes mayor.[36]
* 1998 - City website online (approximate date).[37][38][chronology citation needed]
* 2000
* "Better Jacksonville Plan" for urban growth approved.[39]
* Population: 735,617.[40]

## 21st century

[edit]

* 2001 - Ander Crenshaw becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 4th congressional district.[41]
* 2003 - May 13: Jacksonville mayoral election, 2003 held; John Peyton wins.
* 2010 - Population: 821,784.[42]
* 2011 - March 22: Jacksonville mayoral election, 2011 held; Alvin Brown wins. He was the city's first elected African-American mayor.[23]
* 2013 - Corrine Brown becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 3rd congressional district again.[43]
* 2015 - Lenny Curry becomes mayor.
* 2022 - Jacksonville celebrates its bicentennial.
* 2023
* May 16 - 2023 Jacksonville mayoral election; Donna Deegan wins, becomes the city's first female mayor.
* August 26 - Mass shooting at a Jacksonville Dollar General store.[44]

## See also

[edit]

* History of Jacksonville, Florida
* List of mayors of Jacksonville, Florida
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Duval County, Florida
* Timelines of other cities in the North Florida area of Florida: Gainesville, Pensacola, Tallahassee

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ In Florida "'municipal home rule' power does not extend to fiscal home rule, however, because the state reserves all taxing authority to itself."[31]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Jacksonville Timeline". Jacksonville Public Library. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012.
2. ^ James Wood Davidson (1889), Florida of To-day: A Guide for Tourists and Settlers, D. Appleton and company, OCLC 1535118, OL 23527797M
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Britannica 1910.
4. ^ Florida Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations (2001), Overview of Municipal Incorporations in Florida (PDF), LCIR Report, Tallahassee, archived from the original (PDF) on April 28, 2017`{{citation}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
5. ^ Monroe N. Work, ed. (1922). "The Church Among Negroes: First Churches Organized (timeline)". Negro Year Book. Alabama: Negro Year Book Publishing Company, Tuskegee Institute. hdl:2027/wu.89073092546 - via HathiTrust.
6. ^ Davis 1911.
7. ^ Fenlon 1953.
8. ^ Federal Writers' Project 1939.
9. ^ Dry Goods Economist, New York: Textile Publishing Co., January 22, 1916, OCLC 8911005
10. ^ Davies Project. "American Libraries before 1876". Princeton University. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
11. ^ Varnum 1885.
12. ^ a b c Gold 1929.
13. ^ History, Jacksonville: Arlington Congregational Church, retrieved September 20, 2016
14. ^ a b "US Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
15. ^ Webb 1887, pp. 13–21: "Chronological"
16. ^ Board of Trade 1906.
17. ^ a b Fletcher 2015.
18. ^ Woman's home missions, Cincinnati: Woman's Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, August 1920
19. ^ Shumsky 1998.
20. ^ Nancy C. Curtis (1996), Black Heritage Sites, Chicago: American Library Association, ISBN 0838906435, OL 1274269M, 0838906435
21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Crooks 1984.
22. ^ McCarthy 1992.
23. ^ a b c d "Timeline of African-Americans in North Florida". Jacksonville Public Library. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
24. ^ a b c d e f g h i Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, US Census Bureau, 1998
25. ^ Vernon N. Kisling, Jr., ed. (2001). "Zoological Gardens of the United States (chronological list)". Zoo and Aquarium History. USA: CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4200-3924-5.
26. ^ a b c Bartley 2000.
27. ^ a b c Jack Alicoate, ed. (1939), "Florida", Radio Annual, New York: Radio Daily, OCLC 2459636
28. ^ a b "Historic Theatre Inventory". Maryland, USA: League of Historic American Theatres. Archived from the original on July 21, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
29. ^ a b Charles A. Alicoate, ed. (1960), "Television Stations: Florida", Radio Annual and Television Year Book, New York: Radio Daily Corp., OCLC 10512206
30. ^ Historic Highway Bridges of Florida (PDF), Florida Department of Transportation, 2012
31. ^ a b League of Women Voters Jacksonville; et al., Introduction to Duval County Government, retrieved April 30, 2017
32. ^ Susan Tiefenbrun (2012), Tax Free Trade Zones of the World and in the United States, Edward Elgar, p. 294, ISBN 9781849802437
33. ^ "Merchandise Received and Exports: Top 25, 2015", Annual Report of the Foreign-Trade Zones Board to the Congress of the United States, 2016
34. ^ Bell, Jon (December 1, 2007). "Jacksonville, Florida: The Skyway". www.jtbell.net. Jon Bell. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
35. ^ "Florida". Official Congressional Directory. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1993. hdl:2027/uc1.l0072691827 - via HathiTrust.
36. ^ "Office of the Mayor". City of Jacksonville. Archived from the original on February 2, 2003.
37. ^ "Welcome to Jacksonville's Virtual City Hall!". Archived from the original on December 6, 1998 - via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
38. ^ "Jacksonville hopes city's new website moves services online", Jacksonville.com, Florida Times-Union, December 28, 2010
39. ^ Prues 2003.
40. ^ U.S. Census Bureau, "Mini-Historical Statistics: Population of the Largest 75 Cities: 1900 to 2000" (PDF), Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2003
41. ^ "Florida". Official Congressional Directory. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 2003. hdl:2027/mdp.39015054040954.
42. ^ Florida Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research; U.S. Census Bureau (2011), "City of Jacksonville", 2010 Census Detailed City Profiles
43. ^ Civic Impulse, LLC. "Members of Congress". GovTrack. Washington, D.C. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
44. ^ n.a. (August 27, 2023). "Jacksonville shootings: What we know about the hate crime". AP News. Retrieved August 28, 2023.

## Bibliography

[edit]

### Published in 19th century

[edit]

* Edward H. Hall (1873), "Jacksonville", Appletons' Hand-book of American Travel: the Southern Tour, New York: D. Appleton & Co
* Jacksonville Directory. New York: W.S. Webb & Co. 1876 - via University of North Florida.
* "Jacksonville (Florida)" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (9th ed.). 1881.
* John L. Edwards (1881), "Jacksonville", Edwards' guide to East Florida, Jacksonville, Fla: Ashmead Bros.
* Varnum (1885). Jacksonville, Florida: a descriptive and statistical report. Jacksonville Board of Trade.
* John R. Richards, ed. (1886). "Jacksonville". Florida State Gazetteer and Business Directory. New York: South Publishing Company. OCLC 12186532.
* W.S. Webb, ed. (1886), Jacksonville and Consolidated Directory - via University of Florida
* George E. Waring, Jr.; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office (1887), "Florida: Jacksonville", Report on the Social Statistics of Cities: Southern and the Western States, Washington DC: Government Printing Office, pp. 181–184
* Wanton S. Webb, ed. (1887), Jacksonville and Consolidated Directory
* Joseph W. White (1890), "City of Jacksonville", White's Guide to Florida, Jacksonville, Fla: Dacosta
* "Jacksonville", Rand, McNally & Co.'s handy guide to the southeastern states, Chicago and New York: Rand, McNally & Co., 1899

### Published in 20th century

[edit]

* Jacksonville and Florida Facts; prepared for the Jacksonville Board of Trade, Jacksonville: H. & W. B. Drew Company, 1906, hdl:2027/nyp.33433007498706, OCLC 1540641
* "Jacksonville". Florida Gazetteer and Business Directory 1907-1908. R. L. Polk & Co. 1907.
* 1918 ed.
* Jacksonville City Directory. R. L. Polk & Co. 1908.
* 1918 ed.
* 1921 ed.
* "Jacksonville (Florida)" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). 1910. p. 112.
* Thomas Frederick Davis (1911), History of Early Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville: The H. & W. B. Drew Company, OCLC 1534543, OL 6537778M
* Jacksonville: A city with a sky line and a water front and the spirit that does things, Jacksonville: Arnold Printing Co., 1913, OCLC 1813903, OL 242620M
* "Jacksonville". Automobile Blue Book. Vol. 6\. USA. 1920.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) Map
* Thomas Frederick Davis (1925). History of Jacksonville, Florida and vicinity 1513 to 1924. St. Augustine, Fla.: Florida Historical Society. OCLC 250419240.
* Pleasant Daniel Gold (1929). History of Duval County. St. Augustine, Fla.: The Record Company - via HathiTrust. (fulltext)
* Federal Writers' Project (1939), "Jacksonville", Florida; a Guide to the Southernmost State, Best Books on, ISBN 9781623760090 `{{citation}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
* Paul E. Fenlon (October 1953). "The Florida, Atlantic and Gulf Central Railroad: The Railroad in Jacksonville". Florida Historical Quarterly. 32 (2): 71–80\. JSTOR 30138953.
* Richard A. Martin (1975). The City Makers. Jacksonville, FL. OCLC 1547826.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
* Ory Mazar Nergal, ed. (1980), "Jacksonville", Encyclopedia of American Cities, New York: E.P. Dutton, OL 4120668M
* James B. Crooks (April 1984). "Changing Face of Jacksonville, Florida: 1900-1910". Florida Historical Quarterly. 62 (4): 439–463\. JSTOR 30146594.
* James Robertson Ward (1985). Old Hickory's Town: An Illustrated History of Jacksonville. Miller Press. OCLC 8919363.
* James B. Crooks (1991). Jacksonville after the Fire, 1901–1919: A New South City. University of North Florida Press. ISBN 0813010675.
* Kevin M. McCarthy, ed. (1992). "Jacksonville". Book Lover's Guide to Florida. Sarasota: Pineapple Press. pp. 26–49\. ISBN 978-1-56164-021-8.
* Susan E. Clarke; Gary L. Gaile (1998). "Cities at Work: Cleveland and Jacksonville". The Work of Cities. Globalization and Community. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 107–150\. ISBN 978-0-8166-2892-6.
* Neil L. Shumsky, ed. (1998). "Jacksonville, Florida". Encyclopedia of Urban America: The Cities and Suburbs. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1849723362.
* Abel A. Bartley (2000). Keeping the Faith: Race, Politics, and Social Development in Jacksonville, Florida, 1940-1970. Greenwood. ISBN 978-0-313-31035-5.

### Published in 21st century

[edit]

* Jacksonville Historical Society (2001). Jacksonville in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0683-8.
* Don Prues; Jack Heffron (2003). "Jacksonville". Writer's Guide to Places. Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books. pp. 72–74\. ISBN 1-58297-169-2.
* Dorothy K. Fletcher (2015). Historic Jacksonville Theatre Palaces, Drive-ins and Movie Houses. Charleston, SC: History Press. ISBN 978-1-62619-770-1.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jacksonville, Florida.

* "Florida Collection". Special Collections. Jacksonville Public Library.
* Digital Public Library of America. Items related to Jacksonville, Florida, various dates

## Images

[edit]

* Bay Street, Jacksonville, late 19th c.

* 1886 advertisement for Park Opera House (est. 1885)

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