A History Of Jacksonville, Florida To 1876

Anyone who takes the time to look into the history of Jacksonville, Florida will discover, perhaps to his surprise, that it is as exciting and dramatic as the history of the United States itself. A few hardy pioneers cleared the virgin forest along the part of the St. Johns River called "Cow Ford" and erected their crude homes. Soon, one man persuaded the others that streets should be surveyed and the settlement incorporated as a community. After a slow start, Jacksonville, as it was now named, grew and soon there was talk of railroads, banks, and newspapers. Almost immediately the Seminole War intervened, and plans were suspended . . . After a decade of tragic epidemics and one large fire, the city by 1860 was known as a tourist resort and shipping center for timber, cotton, and naval stores. All this changed soon after the Civil War began . . . This thesis is an effort to present a readable, accurate, and scholarly account of early Jacksonville history, emphasizing the part the city played in the Civil War.