5 More Places That Existed Then That Are Better Now

1. Maxwell House


Maxwell House around 1950. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/51410


Maxwell House opened in Jacksonville in 1910 under a different name-- the Cheek-Neal Coffee Co. West Bay Street was selected for the plant site because of its ability to receive coffee beans by barge. Since then, it has grown into a massive 400,000 square-foot coffee roasting plant downtown.

While the company itself has had notable success, it was not always easy for the Jacksonville plant. In fact, in 1990, the plant was almost shut down. The company was faced with the decision to close one of their two major plants—the one in Jacksonville, or the one in Hoboken. A city wide protest in Jacksonville, “Keep Max in Jax,” helped the plant in Jacksonville win.

Since then, the Jacksonville plant has seen a large amount of success and expansion. The plant operates around the clock and employs over 200 workers. The plant received over $25 million for technology advancements and expansion as a way to accommodate increased production. The plant is said to have a $600 million impact on Jacksonville annually.