The Best Books About Jacksonville

[jaxlongtimer]

https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/the-best-books-about-jacksonville-page-3/

This is a great list and resource.  Thanks for sharing.  All the books that came to my mind were on it.

Agree that Wayne Wood's book is at the top as it synthesizes both architecture and history into a compelling and wide ranging review of the entire City over time.  Kind of an "Antiques Roadshow" approach by focusing on tangible objects and enhancing their meaning with historical backgrounds.  A fun way to learn and share history without even trying.

[thelakelander]

I'd love to see a remake of Wayne Wood's book that takes a deeper dive into the historically Black neighborhoods and architects of the late 19th and early 20th century. I think you can easily fill up a book just a thick as the original.

[Tacachale]

I'd love to see a remake of Wayne Wood's book that takes a deeper dive into the historically Black neighborhoods and architects of the late 19th and early 20th century. I think you can easily fill up a book just a thick as the original.

Is that a challenge?

[jaxlongtimer]

I'd love to see a remake of Wayne Wood's book that takes a deeper dive into the historically Black neighborhoods and architects of the late 19th and early 20th century. I think you can easily fill up a book just a thick as the original.

Agreed.   No doubt Wayne might find other overlooked or newly discovered structures to enlighten his audiences with.  And update it for the mid-century and later significant buildings that are now on the chopping block or "coming into their own" as historic.  You have highlighted many on the Jaxson if he needs some additional inspiration  .  Don't know if you communicate regularly, but maybe he would be willing to "co-author" with you volume 2 since you have obviously done a lot of research already.

[thelakelander]

I'd love to see a remake of Wayne Wood's book that takes a deeper dive into the historically Black neighborhoods and architects of the late 19th and early 20th century. I think you can easily fill up a book just a thick as the original.

Is that a challenge?

It's an opportunity! There's a ton of interesting things still standing in these neighborhoods and the stories behind them are pretty amazing.

[thelakelander]

I'd love to see a remake of Wayne Wood's book that takes a deeper dive into the historically Black neighborhoods and architects of the late 19th and early 20th century. I think you can easily fill up a book just a thick as the original.

Agreed.   No doubt Wayne might find other overlooked or newly discovered structures to enlighten his audiences with.  And update it for the mid-century and later significant buildings that are now on the chopping block or "coming into their own" as historic.  You have highlighted many on the Jaxson if he needs some additional inspiration  .  Don't know if you communicate regularly, but maybe he would be willing to "co-author" with you volume 2 since you have obviously done a lot of research already.

We communicate from time to time. I don't have the time these days but I'm happy being a resource for anyone looking to take a deeper dive into this area.

[thelakelander]

I'd love to see a remake of Wayne Wood's book that takes a deeper dive into the historically Black neighborhoods and architects of the late 19th and early 20th century. I think you can easily fill up a book just a thick as the original.

Is that a challenge?

It's an opportunity! There's a ton of interesting things still standing in these neighborhoods and the stories behind them are pretty amazing.

Much of this stuff was built at a time when Black residents, architects and builders couldn't walk in the city hall and easily pull a permit. So the sweat equity and hands on craftsmanship put into many of these structures is pretty amazing. The stories of places associated with the likes of MLK, Booker T. Washington, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Zora Neale Hurston, A. Philip Randolph, etc. are pretty cool as well.

[tufsu1]

I believe Wayne has a new book coming out soon

[thelakelander]

Sweet! Can't wait to read it.

[Ken_FSU]

Amazing list, so many great choices.

Hard to pick a favorite, but in terms of importance, It was never about a Hot Dog and a Coke by Rodney Hurst remains my GOAT.

Should be required reading in local classrooms.

Does anyone know if local high school curriculum includes much Jacksonville-specific history, or is it the same general U.S. history that's taught everywhere else? In a city that's typically struggled with voter participation, would be cool if schools dedicated a semester or so to actual local history and taught about things like consolidation, civil rights struggles, etc.

Thanks for the shout as well.

Can say with certainty that 100% of my love for this city, its history, and its future comes from discovering this site when I first moved to Jacksonville 15 years ago. I think I would have been out of here a decade ago if not for stumbling across the old MetJax. Sad to see so many of the same mistakes you were writing about way back when with the Frankensteining and mass transit repeating themselves, but really admire the fact that you guys keep pushing forward and fighting the good fight.

[jaxlongtimer]

Amazing list, so many great choices.

Does anyone know if local high school curriculum includes much Jacksonville-specific history, or is it the same general U.S. history that's taught everywhere else? In a city that's typically struggled with voter participation, would be cool if schools dedicated a semester or so to actual local history and taught about things like consolidation, civil rights struggles, etc.

My recollection from growing up here was city history, with highlights that I recall of the Timucuans, Ft. Caroline and the great fire in 1901 (with a field trip to Ft. Caroline) in 3rd grade, state history, mainly the early explorers from Europe (with a field trip to St. Augustine and a booklet on a Florida county drawn from a hat) in 4th grade, U.S.. history/geography (project on one of the 50 states drawn from a hat) in 5th grade and world geography (booklet on a country of the world drawn from a hat) in 6th grade.  Junior high included a civics class and other junior and senior high classes focused mainly on more in-depth American and world history and cultures/humanities.  In college, we focused on very specific countries or events in history to harvest "lessons learned." 

Don't recall much history in school being taught beyond WW II.  Of course, back then, there were decades less of that than today  .  We actually lived consolidation and civil rights if one followed the nightly news closely as we did in our household so no reason to teach it in the schools as history then - it was still unfolding in real time.

[Ken_FSU]

Amazing list, so many great choices.

Does anyone know if local high school curriculum includes much Jacksonville-specific history, or is it the same general U.S. history that's taught everywhere else? In a city that's typically struggled with voter participation, would be cool if schools dedicated a semester or so to actual local history and taught about things like consolidation, civil rights struggles, etc.

My recollection from growing up here was city history, with highlights that I recall of the Timucuans, Ft. Caroline and the great fire in 1901 (with a field trip to Ft. Caroline) in 3rd grade, state history, mainly the early explorers from Europe (with a field trip to St. Augustine and a booklet on a Florida county drawn from a hat) in 4th grade, U.S.. history/geography (project on one of the 50 states drawn from a hat) in 5th grade and world geography (booklet on a country of the world drawn from a hat) in 6th grade.  Junior high included a civics class and other junior and senior high classes focused mainly on more in-depth American and world history and cultures/humanities.  In college, we focused on very specific countries or events in history to harvest "lessons learned." 

Don't recall much history in school being taught beyond WW II.  Of course, back then, there were decades less of that than today  .  We actually lived consolidation and civil rights if one followed the nightly news closely as we did in our household so no reason to teach it in the schools as history then - it was still unfolding in real time.

Thanks for sharing!

Great info!

I grew up in Southwest Florida, and besides a quick lesson on Thomas Edison and a visit to his winter home, we got very little local history.

[Charles Hunter]

The most chilling literary Jacksonville reference was pretty much in passing.  "Alas, Babylon"  follows a small group of survivors in central Florida (pre-Disneyfication) after a nuclear attack. A banker among the group wants to contact the Federal Reserve in Atlanta. When told there were no calls (this was when long-distance required an operator) going out of Florida, he demands to be connected to the Branch Federal Reserve Bank in Jacksonville.  After some trying, the Operator tells Mr. Banker that, "Jacksonville doesn't seem to be there anymore."  Pretty chilling to tween-age me reading this while living in Jacksonville.

[BridgeTroll]

The most chilling literary Jacksonville reference was pretty much in passing.  "Alas, Babylon"  follows a small group of survivors in central Florida (pre-Disneyfication) after a nuclear attack. A banker among the group wants to contact the Federal Reserve in Atlanta. When told there were no calls (this was when long-distance required an operator) going out of Florida, he demands to be connected to the Branch Federal Reserve Bank in Jacksonville.  After some trying, the Operator tells Mr. Banker that, "Jacksonville doesn't seem to be there anymore."  Pretty chilling to tween-age me reading this while living in Jacksonville.

A favorite book from the past...  NAS Jax and Mayport are still targets...

[Tacachale]

The most chilling literary Jacksonville reference was pretty much in passing.  "Alas, Babylon"  follows a small group of survivors in central Florida (pre-Disneyfication) after a nuclear attack. A banker among the group wants to contact the Federal Reserve in Atlanta. When told there were no calls (this was when long-distance required an operator) going out of Florida, he demands to be connected to the Branch Federal Reserve Bank in Jacksonville.  After some trying, the Operator tells Mr. Banker that, "Jacksonville doesn't seem to be there anymore."  Pretty chilling to tween-age me reading this while living in Jacksonville.

A favorite book from the past...  NAS Jax and Mayport are still targets...

You know, I haven't read it. Feels like a failing of both my English major and Florida Man backgrounds.