Exploring History in Jacksonville
Of Florida’s First Coast Communities, when people talk about exploring history Jacksonville isn’t one of the most commonly brought up – people focus on Ponce Inlet named for the Spanish explorer and St. Augustine which got its start as a Spanish colony. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to explore the city’s history.
One way to do so is to spend some time visiting the Mandarin Museum and Historical Society:
The Mandarin Museum & Historical Society is a private, non-profit educational and research institution founded in 1991 to preserve buildings, artifacts, and sites related to the history of Mandarin and its residents.
Major William Webb purchased 31.2 acres on the St. Johns River in Mandarin in 1873. He built a home, barn and 1,000-foot dock extending into the St. Johns River. Major Webb cultivated oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, and beans. The farm produce was shipped north on steamships that regularly stopped in Mandarin. Major Webb played an active role in the community, which by 1881 had a population of 1,200 people
Sometimes exploring the history of a place is the best way to really appreciate and celebrate what it’s become. Getting in touch with the roots of a place helps to ground us – in the present and for the future.
Jacksonville is a great place to call home. With access to the arts, business, sports and modern homes – along with the history of the area – it’s easy to see why.