Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Jacksonville is the geographicaly largest city in the United States. It is also the largest by population in the State of Florida, with just under 1 million people, and it has 22 miles of beach. The town was established in 1822, just a year after the US acquired Florida from Spain.

Prior to the European arrival, the land around Jacksonville had been occupied for thousands of years. Some of the oldest remnants of pottery in the US have been found here, dating as far back as 3500 BCE.

Our guide yesterday told us the story of how some of her ancestors came to the St. Augustine area from Minorca, Greece. In the early 1800’s, Indigo farming was introduced to central Florida by the British. One of the plantation owners, Alexander Turnbull, went to Minorca to recruit people to work his plantation at New Smurna. He succeeded in recruiting 1,400 people who agreed to indentured servitude in exchange for land at the end of their indenture of 9 years. However, when their term was done, they were told they would not get their promised land because they were Catholic and could not own land under British rule. They remained captive, much like slaves, until a few escaped and found refuge with the Spanish near St. Augustine. They returned to their families and brought them to St. Johns County, where they survived and thrived. Minorcan descendants now make up about 10% of the population there.

In May, 1901, the downtown was almost totally destroyed by a fire that started as a kitchen fire. A nearby mattress factory was quickly engulfed when the spanish moss that was used as filler caught fire. In only 8 hours, over 2,000 buildings were destroyed, and 10,000 people were left homeless. Seven residents were killed. The city rebuilt. Soon after, more than 30 silent film studios were established, earning Jacksonville the title of the “Winter Film Capital of the World.” Only one studio remains today – Norman Studios.

Jacksonville is home to a marine base and three naval bases, giving it the largest military presence in the United States.

We took a shuttle bus to nearby Beaches Town Center, home to a few boutiques and restaurants, as well as access to the beach. The rain had stopped, so it was a good time to wander a bit.

We left port today at 6pm, next stop Nassau, Bahamas after a day at sea. As we left port, we could see the moon and Venus as they peeked out of the clouds.