There used to be sailing ships galore in the River City.  If you stood just south of Bay Street one hundred or so years ago, you would've seen a forest of masts along the waterfront.

This wonderful birds-eye view of Jax comes from 1876.  It depicts the area shown in the previous photo of the wooden vessel.  Let's get our bearings:  See the tree-lined park above the row of ships at dock?  It belonged to the Grand National Hotel.  This park was probably the empty front lawn in the previous picture.  Apparently, the trees were lost over time, between the taking of the last picture and this one.  Nowadays, the Omni Hotel parking lot lays where the park was situated.  The spot with the line of vessels is occupied by the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts.

The Grand National is the big, four-story building with the copula-topped tower.  It was located next to today's Sun Bank Building, or across from the front doors of the BellSouth Building.  In later years, its site included a McCrory's five & ten store.