10 Cool Places In Jacksonville That Don't Exist Anymore

7. McCoys Creek Greenway


Newly completed McCoys Creek bulkhead and Riverside Avenue culvert in 1930.

Much like Springfield Park, McCoy’s Creek is still around; though, its glory days are long gone. McCoy’s Creek is a green and a body of water that stretches as far south as Murray Hill, and as far north as Grand crossing. In the city's early years, McCoy’s was known as the biggest swamp in any city that was close to the size of Jacksonville.

Known as a wild, meandering waterway associated with yellow fever outbreaks, over $600,000 was spent in 1930 to bulkhead and dredge the creek, construct seven bridges, and build a park. An additional $50,000 was spent for a railroad bridge crossing over the new shipping channel.

Due to a lack of continuing maintenance, the new McCoys Creek Greenway quickly fell victim to the adjacent industrial environment and pollution. Today, it is mostly known for flooding the North Riverside area of Jacksonville.


After eight decades of neglect and silting, Joseph E. Craig's vision of an inland waterway for barges and sport boating can still be seen from the Cash Building Materials bridge.

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Lost Jacksonville: McCoys Creek