America's Best City Parks

[Ocklawaha]

Ock, do you mean the May Mann Jennings Park up by the cemetary?  The WPA or the CCC (don't remember which) improved it during the depression.  COJ.net tells us the park has "in recent years been allowed to return to it's natural state" or something like that.  A/K/A "After the govt spent money on it in the 1930's, we didn't keep it up."

A real shame after all May Mann Jennings did for the parks in this state.

Yep, that's the one... and I think Cousin May would want me to stir up a hornets nest over that! BTW, that is EXACTLY how I read that line too - another case of lost by neglect. "LOST BY NEGLECT" A HISTORY OF JACKSONVILLE'S BOLD AND BAWDY PAST... Hum has a ring to it doesn't it?

May Mann Jennings

May Mann Jennings was born in Bayonne, Centerville, New Jersey in 1872. Her family moved to Jacksonville, Florida while she was an infant. She graduated from St. Joseph's convent in St. Augustine and married William Sherman Jennings on May 12, 1891. During her husband's administration as Governor, she was known in Florida for her outstanding civic and political service. Jennings was an organizer of the Duval County Federation of Women's clubs and was president of the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs. Jennings was known as the "Mother of Florida Forestry" for she took a large part in securing the legislative act creating the state Board of Forestry. She was also instrumental in the development of Royal Palm State Park near Homestead, now part of the Everglades National Park. Mary Mann Jennings died on April 25, 1963.

Biography prepared by Ruthanne Vogel, University of Miami

Excerpts from May Mann Jenning's letter to Minnie Moore-Willson, May 12, 1915, University of Miami Libraries.

"I am thoroughly acquainted with the work in the Glades and probably know more of it than any other woman in the State, and my husband has had a great deal to do with the work for the State a well as private individuals as a lawyer, and I know of no scandal of any kind that could be unearthed in connection with the Glades, and even if there was, it would not be the part of the Federation to take part in giving Florida a black eye...

I think you realize from this letter that there is not the difference that you imagined existing in our attitude towards the Indians, except that I do not feel that the drainage of the Everglades and the exploiting of land scandal, even if it exists, has anything whatsoever to do with the State's attitudes towards the Indians, nor its duty to provide for them...'"

SOURCE:  http://everglades.fiu.edu/reclaim/bios/jenningsmm.htm

OCKLAWAHA

[PeeJayEss]

If your contention is that Jacksonville's best residents are those from NJ, I'm with ya 

[Ocklawaha]

Not at all my friend, it's just one more case of a great American from New Jersey that saw the error of her ways and moved to JACKSONVILLE! 

Otherwise, it's just a fine example of a park that we "had", that was once on a primary streetcar route to the Northside, and languishes today having been largely bypassed by the road builders. A park for which millions (in today's dollars) were spent, great amounts of love and labor, and we've completely wasted it.


OCKLAWAHA

[north miami]

I'm so disappointed that our own ROOSEVELT PARK, MASONS PARK, PANAMA PARK, MANN-JENNINGS PARK, OSTRICH FARM nor DIXIELAND made the list... 

Oh, my bad, we tore them down or otherwise abandoned them. In fact I smell a MJ article on MANN-JENNINGS PARK just around the bend. Noone ought to love this because Long Branch Creek flows right alongside.

Shame is, BALBOA in San Diego had NOTHING over our DIXIELAND Park except that it's still there.

OCKLAWAHA

Is this the mae Mann Jennings of the Jennings land empire??? Governor jennings-67,000 acres at one time.A conservation/park ethic living on to this day in Jennings State Forest,via Sanlebrydo Lumber??

[BrSpiritus]

I'm a Baltimore native and I can say that including Patterson Park was an error.  You don't want to be in that area after dark unless you're looking to hook up with a drug dealer or male prostitute.  Besides all that most of these parks are no longer parks in the 1910's sense.  They are commons or greens having long since had their horticultural diversity lost through neglect.  You can get a sense of what Confederate Park was like at one time if you walk under the rose arbour when it's in bloom, beautiful and fragrant.

[stjr]

Articles like this just further my thoughts that the Shipyards and/or JEA Southbank lands should be converted into world class "signature" legacy parks/venues for Jacksonville.  The posts in response demonstrate the impact of such parks on visitors and community residents, alike.

I also redirect those interested to my thread related to this subject at: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,4434.0.html

[PeeJayEss]

You don't want to be in that area after dark unless you're looking to hook up with a drug dealer or male prostitute. 

Maybe that was heavily weighted in their rating system.