JAX FROM 1945 THROUGH 1975

SUMMARIES OF FLORIDA HISTORY

• OUTLINE OF FLORIDA HISTORY -- From the Florida Heritage Collection.  Includes info about post-World War II Florida.

• SUMMARY OF FLORIDA HISTORY -- "The Floridians: A Social History."  Includes info about post-World War II Florida.

• FLORIDA HERITAGE COLLECTION -- Info about the subjects on this webpage may be available at the the marvelous "Florida Heritage Collection." This website gives full-text, online copies of hundreds of Florida books.  NOTE: When you get to the website, you can search in different ways.  These searches include by "Florida Themes" or by "Florida History Timeline."  You can also search by "Florida County" and by "Keywords."  With keyword searching, just type in "Jacksonville," "Duval County," or other keywords, such as words from a title.  ALSO NOTE:  Many of the individual Jacksonville items in the Florida Heritage Collection are listed in JacksonvilleStory.com, the site you're now in. However, Jacksonville info can often be found in books about Florida in general. Many of theses books are at the Florida Heritage Collection website.

JAX INFO BY YEAR & TIME PERIOD

• 1940s -- LIFE IN JAX -- Article from Jacksonville Journal called "My Kind of Town," by John Carter. Provides a reporter's impression of Jacksonville during the 1940s.

• 1940s -- LIFE & DEATH IN FLORIDA -- "Life and Death in Florida, 1940-1949" (Is from 1950) -- NOTE:  The entire text of this source is available online.  It's provided in the wonderful website called the "Florida Heritage Collection," maintained by the State University System of Florida.   When you get to the website, you can search by keywords.  Just type in "Jacksonville," or "Duval County," or other keywords, such as words from a title.  ALSO NOTE: Most of the individual Jacksonville items in the Florida Heritage Collection are listed in JacksonvilleStory.com, the site you're now in. 

• 1940s -- JAX ROADS -- "The Express Parkway and Toll Bridge System Connecting Inter-State Highways at Jacksonville, Florida" (Is from 1947)  -- NOTE:  The entire text of this source is available online.  It's provided in the wonderful website called the "Florida Heritage Collection," maintained by the State University System of Florida.   When you get to the website, you can search by keywords.  Just type in "Jacksonville," or "Duval County," or other keywords, such as words from a title.  ALSO NOTE: Most of the individual Jacksonville items in the Florida Heritage Collection are listed in JacksonvilleStory.com, the site you're now in. 

• 1940s -- JAX ROADS -- "A Traffic Survey Report and Interstate Highway Plan of the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area" (Is from 1947) -- NOTE:  The entire text of this source is available online.  It's provided in the wonderful website called the "Florida Heritage Collection," maintained by the State University System of Florida.  When you get to the website, you can search by keywords.  Just type in "Jacksonville," or "Duval County," or other keywords, such as words from a title.  ALSO NOTE: Most of the individual Jacksonville items in the Florida Heritage Collection are listed in JacksonvilleStory.com, the site you're now in.

• 1951 -- GREAT FIRE ANNIVERSARY -- Florida Times-Union article entitled "Millenium Moments: March 27, 1901 [NOTE: Should read "1951"]," by  Bill Foley.  Tells about the fiftieth anniversary celebration of Jacksonville's Great Fire of 1901.  

• 1950s & 1960s -- LIFE IN JAX -- Reminisces from Don Barrett, a sociology professor & Jax native who grew up on the Southside during the 1950s & 1960s.  If you're been in Jacksonville for a while, you'll recognize many of the places mentioned.  From the personal website of Don Barrett.

• 1950s & 1960s -- HAYDON BURNS -- Florida Times-Union article entitled "The Jacksonville Story: Haydon Burns, Called Both a Master Magician and Slick Politician, Put Jacksonville on the Map and Kept it There by Wooing Big-Time Businesses and Building, Building, Building," by Bill Foley.  Tells about Haydon Burns, a Jacksonville mayor & Florida governor during the mid-1900s.

• 1950s -- McCARTHYISM -- A sad period of history revisited:  The communist "witch hunts" of the 1950s.  This link goes to a web site entitled "Behind Closed Doors:  The Dark Legacy of the Johns Committee."  It describes a State of Florida committee that was designed to weed out communism and homosexual activity.  The committee was led by a former governor from Northeast Florida, Charley Johns. 

• 1950s -- McCARTHYISM -- "McCarthyism in Florida: Charley Johns and the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee July 1956 to July 1965" is available online in its entirety.  It is being provided by the Florida Heritage Collection.

• MID-1900s -- CLAUDE PEPPER VS. ED BALL -- Very interesting article from Folio Weekly entitled "Florida Power and Might," by Tracy E. Danese.  Describes the battle during the mid-1900s between Claude Pepper (a popular Florida politician) and Ed Ball (a prominent Jacksonville businessman & political powerhouse).

• 1955 -- JOAN CRAWFORD VISITS -- Florida Times-Union article entitled, "Mommie Dearest, Nicest Lady: A Little of Both in Jacksonville," by Bill Foley. Tells about actress Joan Crawford's visit to Jacksonville in 1955.

• MID 1950s -- NORTHSIDE TRAILER PARK -- Picture & brief info in regard to a photo from a trailer park on the Northside.  Provided by JacksonvilleStory.com.

• 1957 -- SPUTNIK -- Florida Times-Union article entitled, "The Evil Empire's Beep-Beeps Traumatized Americans in 1957," by Bill Foley. Jacksonville reacts to the Soviet Union's Sputnik satellite.

• 1959 -- CUBAN REVOLUTION -- Florida Times-Union article entitled "Millennium Moment: January 1, 1959," by Bill Foley.  Tells how some of Cuba's former leaders stopped over in Jacksonville after Fidel Castro assumed power.

• 1960 -- HURRICANE DONNA -- Florida Times-Union article entitled, "Remember Donna? Forgotten after Dora," by Bill Foley. Tells about the threat of Hurricane Donna in 1960.

• 1960s -- POLITICAL CORRUPTION -- Florida Times-Union article called "Millennium Moment: Nov. 29, 1966," by Bill Foley.  Tells about the indictment of a city commissioner for accepting bribes during the mid 1960s.  This & many other indictments of Jax politicians helped spur the movement toward Consolidation.  

• 1962 -- SPACE FLIGHT -- Florida Times-Union article called "Millennium Moments: February 21, 1962," by Bill Foley.  Tells about how a Mayport navy ship picked up John Glenn after he came back to earth from orbit.

• 1962 -- CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS -- Florida Times-Union article called "Those Close to Cuban Missile Crisis Recall How Disaster Narrowly Averted," by Steve Patterson.  Gives the recollections of local residents about the crisis.  

• 1962 -- CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS -- Florida Times-Union article called "Reflections of a Crisis," by Roger Bull.  Gives Bull's recollections of the predicament.  

• 1962 -- CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS -- Florida Times-Union article entitled, "Big One of '62 Had Everyone Prepared, Even the News Club," by Bill Foley. Tells about Jacksonville's preparation for nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

• 1964 -- HURRICANE DORA -- Florida Times-Union article called "Millennium Moment: Sept. 9, 1964," by Bill Foley.  Tells about the impact of Hurricane Dora on North Florida in 1964. 

•  1960s & 1970s -- VIETNAM CONFLICT -- Florida Times-Union article entitled "River Rats' Fix Up Patrol Boat to Keep War's History Relevant," by R. Michael Anderson.  Describes efforts to restore a river patrol boat from the Vietnam Conflict.  The boat is docked in Green Cove Springs, south of Jacksonville.

• 1960s & 1970s -- VIETNAM CONFLICT -- Florida Times-Union article entitled "Memory of old conflict: POW a symbol of resistance," by John Carter.  Tells about First Coast resident, retired Navy Capt. Richard Stratton, who was a well-known POW during the Vietnam War.

• MID-1970s -- VIETNAMESE IMMIGRANTS-- Florida Times-Union article entitled "Jacksonville Family Looks Back on Narrow Escape from Vietnam," by Margie Mason.  Tells about a local Vietnamese family's escape from their homeland in 1975.

• 1973 -- TORNADO HISTORY OF FLORIDA -- Tornado history of Florida, 1950-1995.  Links to other web pages are also provided.  Info provided by "The Tornado Project."  INTERESTING FACT:  According to this web site, the most deadly tornado in Duval County during this time period occurred in 1973.  Four residents lost their lives.

• LATER 1900s -- Florida Times-Union article entitled, "Where'd we be without big Plans?," by Bill Foley. Tells about some of the urban plans for Jacksonville during the later 1900s.