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 I have just joined the Society for One-Place Studies.  The organization is based in Great Britain, but is a place for one-place studies of anywhere in the world.  

My one-place study is of the city I grew up in.  I lived there from 1954 to 1980, when my husband wanted a more rural life, and we moved down into the next county south of Jacksonville.

Jacksonville started as a village with the pragmatic name of Cowford (also seen as Cow Ford) on the banks of the St. Johns River.  The location was at a shallow part of the river that allowed for the passage of cattle from one side of the river to the other.  In 1822, people figured that Cowford was not the name that would grow the city into the metropolis it is today, so the city was formally founded as Jacksonville, named for Andrew Jackson.  These days, when old Andy has fallen into disfavor for some of his policies while President of the United States, the name of the city is not likely to be changed.  No, we're not going back to being Cowford.

Jacksonville has hosted immigrant populations for over one hundred years, from Lebanese and other Middle Eastern immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s to a large influx of Cubans in the 1960s.  You'll find surnames such as Khoury and Abdullah, and Maduro and Pulido just as likely here as the names Davis, Bowden, and Hogans.  Jacksonville also has a large Jewish population, with synagogues of the Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform denominations.  All this has added much to Jacksonville's food choices, with Jewish delis, Arab bistros, and hispanic, Indian, Hawaiian, and Asian restaurants in the mix.

Jacksonville has a vibrant and extensive black community, centered on LaVilla, with the Ritz Theater and Museum a prime attraction.  The city was home to the famous black poet, songwriter, and educator James Weldon Johnson, author of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," known as the Black National Anthem.  According to the Census Bureau, Jacksonville's black population is 30.7% of the total.

All of this and more will be explored in this blog.


Comments

  1. MartiJanuary 29, 2025 at 7:58 PM

    Don't forget the Norman Studios Museum!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2025 at 5:19 PM

    That's the second post, put up just now. Check it out.

    ReplyDelete

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