Jacksonville History Matters: NEWS & EVENTS

In this ninetieth year of the existence of the Jacksonville Historical Society, we sometimes ponder the historical moment in which the Society was founded. It was 1929, the year of the Great Stock Market Crash. In retrospect, the Crash precipitated the Great Depression, but that became clear only gradually. In Jacksonville, as throughout Florida, an economic depression was already entrenched, having begun in 1926 with the Florida real estate crash. By the time most Americans realized that a major depression was underway, Florida had been in one for several years.

In 1929, Jacksonville remained Florida’s largest and most important city, the center of commerce and shipping. Its economic profile compared to the rest of the state may be seen in a fact highlighted by the Florida Times Union on September 30, 1929, which read: “Duval County used more gas than in any other county in August, the state Inspection Bureau reported. Duval County consumed 1,985,185 gallons, leading Dade and Hillsborough counties, which used 1,847,864 gallons and 1,721,724 gallons, respectively. St. Johns and Nassau counties trailed far behind, using used less than 350,000 gallons combined.” (During the 1920s Dade and Hillsborough counties often vied with Duval for first place in gasoline consumption, then seen as a desirable marker of prosperity in a time of economic gloom).

One Jacksonvillian who had been grappling with the effects of the real estate crash was an engineer-turned entrepreneur named George W. Simons, Jr. (1891-1976). In 1916 Simons, newly graduated from MIT, had arrived in Jacksonville to go to work for the State Board of Health as Florida’s first sanitary consultant. In 1923, during Florida’s real estate boom, he joined the Jacksonville-based Consolidated Development Corporation as its principal engineer, designing the planned residential communities of Lake Forest in Jacksonville, Woodlawn (in St. Petersburg), and then Venetia in Jacksonville. By 1925, he resigned his position with the State Board of Health, turning entirely to real-estate development.

After the statewide real estate crash of 1926, land sales collapsed, and the Venetia project came to a halt. Falling back on his training and education, Simons became a municipal consultant. Long an advocate of city planning, he had previously helped establish Jacksonville’s planning advisory board, which by 1926 was led by some of the city’s most influential women, including Mrs. George W. Trout, Mrs. Arthur Gerrish Cummer, and Mrs. John T. Alsop Jr.

City planning had been languishing since 1923, when Mayor John Alsop (1874-1958) appointed the city’s first planning board. As Simons told the story forty years later, Jacksonville's women had by 1926 grown “restive,“ and were animated by ideas for city-wide beautification and improvement. In a letter to the city commission on July 28, 1926, the three influential women of the Garden Club's Governing Board (Alsop, Cummer, and Trout) called attention to the city's many problems, and declared, “[t]here is a need for prompt action...” Immediately thereafter, the Federated Garden Clubs of Jacksonville collectively made it their goal to establish city planning. By drafting a representative gentleman from each of Jacksonville’s many civic clubs, these astute ladies formulated a “men’s advisory committee,” deftly assuring themselves powerful support in the city’s male-dominated political culture.

The City hired Simons to craft its first municipal plan, which would become the first to be adopted in Florida. Topics of study included housing, development, roads and mass transportation, parks and recreation spaces, cultural life, the seaport and railroads, and the adequacy of fire stations. More buses and a ''belt-line railway around the city'' were proposed to reduce traffic congestion in downtown Jacksonville. Simons also proposed a metropolitan park system, a so-called “emerald necklace” running from McGirt’s Creek to the Trout River.

Recognizing the constraints of a depressed economy, Simons conceded that many planning ideas would be delayed. ''These recommendations are not necessarily for immediate realization but rather for future consideration when the demand is greater and financial possibilities more promising,'' he said.

Ninety years later, Simon’s 301-page plan of 1929 appears prescient in many respects. Mr. Simon's 1929 Plan can be viewed here. In other ways, it is frustrating to contemplate issues that he diagnosed and that remain unresolved nine decades hence. Simons himself went on to a distinguished career as a city planner, authoring plans for more than seventy cities throughout the American South. He died in Jacksonville in 1976, philosophical to the end about his profession’s occasional successes and more frequent unmet promises. Were he here today, he would likely urge us to plan afresh, making our best estimates of Jacksonville future needs and how to provide for them.

Alan Bliss
Executive Director

Earlier this month, the Jacksonville Historical Society had the honor of attending a stakeholders meeting with the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission. This full day event was held at White Oak Conservation in Yulee, and included a lunch and tour of the property between morning and afternoon sessions. The goal was to better understand what is being done in Nassau, Duval and St. Johns counties to help preserve, protect and share the history and culture of the Gullah Geechee communities of coastal Florida. Oftentimes, these stories are hiding in plain sight.

With an emphasis on the question: What do we know about Gullah Geechee Heritage?, each of us presented our goals to highlight these seldom told stories. One way the JHS can do this is to digitize its oral history collection, Conversations From Cosmo, compiled by Lynn Corley in 2015. This collection has already been transcribed, but remains on micro cassette. In order to preserve the voices of one of our very own Gullah communities, we'll need to digitize them as soon as possible.

We are grateful to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission for giving us a place at the table. We all have a responsibility to preserve these incredible stories and ensure that they are not lost to the ravages of time.

Mitchell Hemann
Head Archivist

CALLING ALL BUILDERS!

Reservations for Gingerbread entries are now being accepted. If you or your group wish to participate, please send in your registration soon. Reservations will be accepted until space is full.

The Gingerbread Extravaganza is one of the most creative design shows that occurs in Northeast Florida each year. Amateurs and professionals of all skill levels design and construct 85% edible creations based on a subject or theme of their interest. The building experience reinforces team-building and project management skills. Participation provides great PR exposure as the event receives significant media coverage and over 4,000 visitors parade through the show each year.

A completed Builder Permit Form is required to reserve space in the show. Click on Gingerbread Builder link below to reserve your spot. Space is limited.

Special opportunity: Holiday parties at Old St. Andrews!

Impress your friends, clients or staff by hosting your holiday party in this beautiful building surrounded by Gingerbread Extravaganza. Our Venue Coordinators have catering resources available to provide a turnkey event for you! For more information, contact our Venue Coordinators:
Jade Stanley: 904-878-8122
Rob Jackson: 904-878-2241
Email: Events@JaxHistory.org

Visit www.jaxhistory.org to make reservations for these and other events.

Make gift giving easy this year. Order some of these impressive books or historic ornaments for your friends and family. JHS is proud to be a retailer for the 50th Anniversary Edition of the Quiet Revolution, which chronicles the consolidation of Jacksonville and Duval County governments. Hardback history books are always an impressive gift to recieve. And you will find many more great ideas in the JHS Bookstore!

JHS is thankful for the many organization that support us in our mission!