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6 days ago | 
thejaxsonmag.com | Ennis Davis
History of the S-Line Urban GreenwayIn 1886, the Jacksonville Belt Railroad was constructed between Springfield and the Jacksonville Terminal area in LaVilla to connect the Fernandina & Jacksonville Railroad to the Florida, Atlantic & Gulf Railroad. The railroad was acquired by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) system in 1902.
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1 week ago | 
jaxtoday.org | Ennis Davis
The recently completed Union Terminal Warehouse project stands as a compelling example of industrial adaptive reuse—a growing trend in urban revitalization. Industrial adaptive reuse involves repurposing old industrial buildings such as factories, warehouses, power plants, and mills for new functions that differ from their original use, all while preserving the structures’ historic character and architectural integrity.
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2 weeks ago | 
thejaxsonmag.com | Ennis Davis
American Motors Export Company801 West 15th StreetThe American Motors Export Company plant in Northwest Jacksonville. | Florida State ArchivesIn 1921, American Motors opened in Jacksonville with the goal of manufacturing the Innes automobile. The car was the brainchild of Henry L. Innes and was intended as a revival of the short-lived Simms automobile, which had been produced in Atlanta, Georgia, only a year earlier in 1920.
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2 weeks ago | 
newsbreak.com | Ennis Davis
During the late 19th century, Jacksonville experienced a major industrial boom. Factories, mills and shipyards were established along the St. Johns River and near key railroad lines. By 1960, the city was home to more than 500 manufacturing and processing firms, earning Jacksonville the nickname “Industrial Capital of Florida.” However, by the end of the 20th century, many of these original industrial sites had closed.
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3 weeks ago | 
jaxtoday.org | Ennis Davis
During the late 19th century, Jacksonville experienced a major industrial boom. Factories, mills and shipyards were established along the St. Johns River and near key railroad lines. By 1960, the city was home to more than 500 manufacturing and processing firms, earning Jacksonville the nickname “Industrial Capital of Florida.”However, by the end of the 20th century, many of these original industrial sites had closed.
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3 weeks ago | 
thejaxsonmag.com | Ennis Davis
A coal locomotive engine at the shops in 1941. | State Archives of FloridaIn the late 19th century, the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad (FC&P) established its West Jacksonville rail yard and maintenance shops on the city’s western edge. In 1903, the Seaboard Air Line Railway (SAL) acquired FC&P and expanded the site, making it one of Jacksonville’s largest employers by 1909, with over 1,000 workers.
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1 month ago | 
jaxtoday.org | Ennis Davis
Free local news and info, in your inbox at 6 a.m. M-F. Sign up for the Jacksonville Today newsletter. For much of the 20th century, the West Jacksonville Yard and its locomotive maintenance and repair shops served as a key economic anchor on Jacksonville’s Westside. Here’s a look back at the rich history of this iconic industrial site. The beginningA coal locomotive engine at the shops in 1941.
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1 month ago | 
thejaxsonmag.com | Ennis Davis
The BeginningStudents of Walker Business College, c. 1916 | State Archives of FloridaWith her first husband Richard Wendell Walker, Dr. Julia S. Walker-Brown founded Walker’s Business College in 1916. Julia Saphronia was born in Georgia and attended Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. Richard W. Walker was from Kansas and had previously attended Fairmont University in Wichita. The school’s first location was in LaVilla, across the street from the Masonic Temple at 417.5 Broad Street.
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1 month ago | 
thejaxsonmag.com | Ennis Davis
Designed by landscape architect Richard Forester, the park was built by the City of Palatka between 1933 and 1939 through the Works Progress Administration. Covering 57-acres, the park is a Northeast Florida destination for picnicking, jogging, hiking and biking. It is also known for hosting the annual Florida Azalea Festival the first weekend of March, when nearly 100,000 azaleas planted bloom.
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1 month ago | 
jaxtoday.org | Ennis Davis
For nearly 50 years, Walker’s Commercial & Vocational College was a major Jacksonville educational institution. In honor of Women’s History Month, here’s the story behind the school and its founder Dr. Julia S. Walker-Brown. With her first husband, Richard Wendell Walker, Dr. Julia S. Walker-Brown founded Walker’s Business College in 1916. Julia Saphronia was born in Georgia and attended Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. Richard W.
