Jacksonville

Jacksonville's Consolidation of 1967 marked the end of individual towns in Duval County, but it established Jacksonville, all 840 square miles of it, as the largest city in the continental United States. Jacksonville Revisited is a visual and written documentation of how the city has grown and developed since the introduction of postcard communication. The changes in commerce and landscape are illustrated and preserved through postcards.

This book explores Jacksonville's transformation into the largest city (by land area) in the contiguous United States with images of significant events in its history. Like many of the country's older cities, Jacksonville suffered from the negative impacts of rapid urban sprawl after World War II. Amid a declining tax base, public schools losing their accreditation, and government corruption scandals, Jacksonville voters approved a referendum to consolidate the struggling city with Duval County to create the "Bold New City of the South." These changes, along with many others, have continued to guide this Southern metropolis into the 21st century.

The city of Jacksonville has hundreds of buildings that have withstood the test of time. Yet these lasting landmarks tell only a portion of Jacksonville's history. Dozens of other buildings have been abandoned and left to wither, turning into shadows of their former grandeur. Each place has a rich and storied history that belies modern appearances, like the Annie Lytle Elementary School, now known as the most haunted landmark in the city, and the Jacksonville Brewing Company, which had to come up with a creative way to stay afloat (think ice cream) when Prohibition hit. Join local writers Ennis Davis and Robert Mann as they go behind the scenes of fourteen crumbling but ethereally beautiful structures to reveal their true pasts. Enhanced with stunning color photography, Reclaiming Jacksonville is a must-have for every resident of the River City.

It was the winter of 1851-1852 when the word "gold" echoed throughout the valley. Soon hundreds of gold miners flocked to Table Rock City, later renamed Jacksonville. In short order, families arrived and took out donation land claims and began farming, raising stock, and opening businesses. Many had already emmigrated from Europe, Canada, Ireland, and England. Jacksonville had its own Chinatown that was home to the many Chinese who had traveled far seeking their fortune through gold mining. When the railroad bypassed Jacksonville in 1883 in favor of the new town of Middleford, later renamed Medford, Jacksonville's fortunes reversed. During the ensuing decades, the town's buildings fell into disrepair. The threat of bulldozers leveling the downtown core in the late 1960s brought out a renewed interest in preservation. Today Jacksonville is a National Historic Landmark District and looks much as it did 150 years ago.

The books in the Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series demonstrate the University Press of Florida’s long history of publishing Latin American and Caribbean studies titles that connect in and through Florida, highlighting the connections between the Sunshine State and its neighboring islands. Books in this series show how early explorers found and settled Florida and the Caribbean. They tell the tales of early pioneers, both foreign and domestic. They examine topics critical to the area such as travel, migration, economic opportunity, and tourism. They look at the growth of Florida and the Caribbean and the attendant pressures on the environment, culture, urban development, and the movement of peoples, both forced and voluntary. The Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series gathers the rich data available in these architectural, archaeological, cultural, and historical works, as well as the travelogues and naturalists’ sketches of the area in prior to the twentieth century, making it accessible for scholars and the general public alike. The Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series is made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, under the Humanities Open Books program.

Food trucks in Jacksonville are a smashing success. The early popularity of trucks like Corner Taco and On the Fly set the stage for a mobile dining revolution. Innovators such as Mike Field and Jax Truckies supplied the vision and passionately advocated for the cause. From Beer Cheese Soup to Chicken Madras, the astounding variety of menus, themes and trucks means there's something for all locals to enjoy. Author and "Nourish the Beast" blogger Nancy White includes fascinating stories and mouth-watering recipes as she chronicles the rise of food trucks on Florida's First Coast.

Get your football fanatic readers into the action. Inside the NFL uses chronological narratives to tell the beginnings of the Jacksonville Jaguars, relate the greatest and lowest moments of the team, introduce the best players and coaches, and share other fun facts that help round out Jaguars' history. Mini-biographies, sidebars, fun facts, fantastic quotes, and full-color, action-packed photographs will bring the NFL to your library.