Lost Jacksonville: The urban core in 1928

[thelakelander]

Sights and scenes of Jacksonville's neighborhoods in 1928 and 1929 by George W. Simons Jr.

Read More: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/lost-jacksonville-the-urban-core-in-1928/

[Charles Hunter]

Very interesting.
Having grown up in the area, I'm wondering where on Lake Shore Boulevard that photo was taken.

[jaxlongtimer]

Then and now.  Sadly, the historic railroad tower was removed with no fanfare or public discussion when the Beaver Street overpass was replaced.  Not sure its removal was necessary or couldn't be worked around but the railroad probably wanted it gone and had an excuse to do so.  I am guessing it might have dated as far back as the late 1800's but maybe someone here knows for sure.

Great set of pictures.  Thanks for sharing. The city seemed a lot more vibrant then...  a real sense of community too with mom and pop businesses that were much more approachable and intimate than today's corporate behemoths.

[Josh]

Then and now.  Sadly, the historic railroad tower was removed with no fanfare or public discussion when the Beaver Street overpass was replaced.  Not sure its removal was necessary or couldn't be worked around but the railroad probably wanted it gone and had an excuse to do so.  I am guessing it might have dated as far back as the late 1800's but maybe someone here knows for sure.

Great set of pictures.  Thanks for sharing. The city seemed a lot more vibrant then...  a real sense of community too with mom and pop businesses that were much more approachable and intimate than today's corporate behemoths.

This video about Jax railway circa 1999 talks about the tower and shows it in its last day of operation. 16 min mark if the link doesn't work.

https://www.youtube.com/v/4P9XiTyvq0w?start=960

https://youtu.be/4P9XiTyvq0w?t=960

The whole video is a great watch, and the YouTuber is worth subscribing to.

The video also talks about the fact this rail crossing is actually known as McGirt's Creek, which was the original name of the Ortega River.

[thelakelander]

The Beaver Street Railway Tower was built in 1919. Basically during same time of the Jacksonville Terminal's construction.

[jaxlongtimer]

^Josh, great video.  Fascinating and a neat reflection of Jax's substantial railroad history.  This should be part of all local history presentations and CSX should use it as a promo video for their company .

Also, Lake, thanks for the info on the tower which is also included in the video.

[acme54321]

Very interesting.
Having grown up in the area, I'm wondering where on Lake Shore Boulevard that photo was taken.

Your comment got me curious so I went digging. 

This picture is in a section of the source document that discusses the need for more sidewalks.  It describes this as an image of children walking down the side of the Lake Shore Blvd after getting out of Fishweir School.  Lakeshore as we know it wasn't developed until like15 years after this picture was taken, and if kids were walking from Fishweir there would be quicker routes to most of the modern Lake Shore Blvd too. I'm wondering if Herschel or Lakeside Dr south of San Juan was called Lake Shore at some point before Roosevelt was built and the road was severed.  I can't figure it out.                                 

[Charles Hunter]

Very interesting.
Having grown up in the area, I'm wondering where on Lake Shore Boulevard that photo was taken.

Your comment got me curious so I went digging. 

This picture is in a section of the source document that discusses the need for more sidewalks.  It describes this as an image of children walking down the side of Lake Shore Blvd after getting out of Fishweir School.  Lakeshore as we know it wasn't developed until like15 years after this picture was taken, and if kids were walking from Fishweir there would be quicker routes to most of the modern Lake Shore Blvd too. I'm wondering if Herschel or Lakeside Dr south of San Juan was called Lake Shore at some point before Roosevelt was built and the rod was severed.  I can't figure it out.                                 

Thanks for the digging. If only those mailboxes had visible numbers. Your speculation on the "Lake Shore" name continuing east of (what is now) Roosevelt Boulevard makes sense.

Interesting the photo was to illustrate the need for sidewalks. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, I, and many classmates, walked to Hyde Park Elementary School along a section of Lake Shore Blvd. that had no sidewalks. This was south of Park Street, where the school is located. Looking at Street View, I see there is now a sidewalk along one side of the street (which has some children, apparently walking home from school).

[thelakelander]

Very interesting.
Having grown up in the area, I'm wondering where on Lake Shore Boulevard that photo was taken.

Your comment got me curious so I went digging. 

This picture is in a section of the source document that discusses the need for more sidewalks.  It describes this as an image of children walking down the side of the Lake Shore Blvd after getting out of Fishweir School.  Lakeshore as we know it wasn't developed until like15 years after this picture was taken, and if kids were walking from Fishweir there would be quicker routes to most of the modern Lake Shore Blvd too. I'm wondering if Herschel or Lakeside Dr south of San Juan was called Lake Shore at some point before Roosevelt was built and the rod was severed.  I can't figure it out.                                 

This is definitely a mystery. Lake Shore was a 1920s Florida Land Boom subdivision that died with the 1926 bust and rebounded with the opening of NAS Jax. Historic topographic maps show that Lake Shore Boulevard was present prior to World War I as well. I'd also say this probably was a stretch of what is now known as Herschel, in the vicinity of San Juan. A streetcar line would have been present around this time though. That grassy area to the right could be it? I'll have to scan the Sanborn maps to see what the street names were back during the 1920s.

[acme54321]

Very interesting.
Having grown up in the area, I'm wondering where on Lake Shore Boulevard that photo was taken.

Your comment got me curious so I went digging. 

This picture is in a section of the source document that discusses the need for more sidewalks.  It describes this as an image of children walking down the side of the Lake Shore Blvd after getting out of Fishweir School.  Lakeshore as we know it wasn't developed until like15 years after this picture was taken, and if kids were walking from Fishweir there would be quicker routes to most of the modern Lake Shore Blvd too. I'm wondering if Herschel or Lakeside Dr south of San Juan was called Lake Shore at some point before Roosevelt was built and the rod was severed.  I can't figure it out.                                 

This is definitely a mystery. Lake Shore was a 1920s Florida Land Boom subdivision that died with the 1926 bust and rebounded with the opening of NAS Jax. Historic topographic maps show that Lake Shore Boulevard was present prior to World War I as well. I'd also say this probably was a stretch of what is now known as Herschel, in the vicinity of San Juan. A streetcar line would have been present around this time though. That grassy area to the right could be it? I'll have to scan the Sanborn maps to see what the street names were back during the 1920s.

Good idea.  I didn't check the Sanborn maps because I figured there wouldn't have been anything covered down there in that period.  After your comment though I remembered that there was the lumber mill down there and it might have been included.  Sure enough, in the 1913 maps it's shown and the road on the east side of the tracks was called Lake Shore.   Then the 1924 maps confirmed that the Lake Shore name originally extended all the way to the intersection with St John's Ave at Fishweir Creek.

So my guess is that this modern day Herschel looking north towards Fishweir Creek.  If I had to narrow it down even more I'd say that the road coming in from the left is Lexington St and the tall structure on the left in the background is the fire station.  Check out this present day view and see how the cornice and roof vent look the same, https://goo.gl/maps/vujwjHQMxcd6RJaH9. Lack of clear evidence of trolley tracks makes me second guess that but they could be buried in the grass.

[Charles Hunter]

Seems reasonable, good detective work.

[thelakelander]

Good research work! I believe the Ortega car line was one of the early ones to be replaced by bus service. These photographs would have been taken during the years where the streetcar system was still operating, but being reduced in size incrementally. So, that overgrown area is likely where the streetcar tracks would have been.

[jaxlongtimer]

It wouldn't be perfect, but the orientation to the sun via an analysis of shadows might give you some added idea of what direction this picture was facing, at least if it is a north-south or east-west orientation.  However, I had trouble finding clearly defined shadows in the copy posted so maybe it was taken at "high noon." .