Five decades before the Pilgrims celebrated their feast at Plymouth, Massachusetts, French and Spanish colonists held celebrations of Thanksgiving on Florida’s First Coast. Here are the stories of some of the first Thanksgivings in the New World. Read More
The Laura Street Trio are a collection of irreplaceable historic buildings located on a corridor that’s vital to Downtown’s resurgence. Despite the City of Jacksonville and business community pulling out all the stops to save and restore the Trio, owner Steve Atkins and Southeast Development Group have been unable to close the deal for over a decade. For the sake of this crucial Downtown property, it’s time for new ownership. Read More
This video from www.travelfilmarchive.com captures scenes of downtown Jacksonville and the rest of the state in 1950. It is a much watch for anyone who desires to see what our cities looked like before Walt Disney World, interstate highways and suburbia. Read More
American musical icon Ray Charles launched his career as a pianist, singer, composer, and bandleader in Jacksonville. Ray Charles Robinson was born in Albany, Georgia on September 23, 1930. His parents were Bailey Robinson and Aretha (or Reatha) Robinson. Known by his friends as R.C., he lost his sight by the age of seven, while growing up in Greenville, Florida. He attended the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine from 1937 to 1945. Following his mother's death in spring 1945, he quit school and moved to Jacksonville at the age of 15 with the intent to gain professional music experience in the big city. Here are six sites associated with Ray Charles' time as an up-and-coming musician in Jacksonville. Read More
