The L'Engles. Jacksonville's Belle Lettrists, Muckraking, Artistic Family.

[stephendare]

This thread is a result of the research done by STJR, Wacca Pilatka and myself over the past few days.

The interest in the L'Engle family arises from the recovery of Pre 1901 land platt maps that show the extensive involvement and holdings of the L'Engle and Fatio Families prior to the last century.

Starting here, http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,5674.0.html and here: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,5704.15.html  more stories about this delightful and creative family keep appearing.  The L'Engles were a brilliant, irrepressible bunch and they left quite a legacy.   Anyways this thread is for the purpose of containing all the posts which document this wonderful clan's history.

In my opinion, this is the 'real' Jacksonville.

http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/lenglepapers.htm

Congressman Claude L'Engle of Florida was a representative in the 63rd U.S. Congress, which was in session from March 4, 1913 to March 3, 1915. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 19, 1868, L'Engle was a member of a prominent local family descended from the colonial-era Fatio family. L'Engle was educated in Duval County, after which he eventually became a newspaper editor in 1901. He worked on a series of papers including The Sun (published in Jacksonville and Tallahassee) and later was the owner of Dixie (1912-1914) published in Jacksonville. L'Engle married Nannie Baker Bradely of Marietta, Georigia, and they had six children. He died in Jacksonville on November 6, 1919.

Source: Gold, Pleasant Daniel, History of Duval County Florida (The Record Company, St. Augustine, 1928), 241. For additional information on Claude L’Engle see Eastman, Joel Webb, Florida Historical Quarterly 45, "Claude L'Engle, Florida Muckraker," 243-252.
Scope and Content

Spanning the years 1910- 1919, the collection contains materials relating to L'Engle's career as an editor and a Congressman. Of particular interest are his articles and speeches on the subject of General Extension at the University of Florida. L’Engle wanted to create a governing body to broaden educational opportunities for Florida citizens. He promoted this goal with enthusiasm through his newspapers and articles. His desire to sit on the Extension Board led to conflict with Albert A. Murphree, the second President of the University of Florida, who opposed his appointment. In addition, personal letters addressed to his son Frank L’Engle, during the years 1917-1918 when Frank was in the Navy, touch briefly on control of the extension board and World War I. L’Engle’s opinion on the war, the U.S.'s participation and the making of the peace, is occasionally represented within his correspondence and editorials. Papers from his term in the U.S. Congress include bills he sponsored. Additional materials include samples of L’Engle’s fiction, which tend to show his prejudices against African-Americans.

A scrapbook contains newspaper clippings that cover a 1907 trial in which L’Engle was accused of libeling Peter O. Knight, an attorney. For particulars on this scrapbook see the separate description at: http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/lengle.htm

Claude L'Engle was a noted news editor and supporter of Gov. Napoleon Broward. After Broward was elected to office L'Engle became state printer. In 1907 L'Engle was almost arrested for libel against John Graham- his arrest being prevented only by the personal influence of the newly elected governor. L'Engle alleged a conspiracy against Peter O. Knight, a corporate lawyer who L'Engle had targeted in several of his articles for influencing the Manatee County officials in his attempted arrest. What followed was an interesting trial in which L'Engle was eventually acquitted.

Hmm. He was a Libra and a journalist muckraker.  I like him already.

Be was a bit of a racist however, which must have made him stick out with the rest of the family.

I wonder if this Knight person is a forbear of the modern day Holland and Knight?

[Wacca Pilatka]

There is some discussion on Susan L'Engle's friendship with Anna Kingsley in Daniel Schafer's "Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley," available at the Historical Society HQ, the Plantation's gift shop, and I believe at the Cummer Gallery.

http://www.jaxhistory.com/Book-page-anna.html

[Wacca Pilatka]

Stephen, pardon my ignorance but what is Majigeen?  Is it a performance piece?  Another book?  (I'm sure the video answers that question but I can't access it from my work computer.)

[Wacca Pilatka]

Great to know - thank you.

[ricker]

I grew up admiring one of Mrs. Nan's grand-daughters who oddly drove the exact make and model station wagon as my mom (I usually walked to her car by mistake) and still have one of Mrs. Nan's hand written recipes for tea cakes!  Incredibly sweet family.  Giving, humble, modest in habits, talented, gregarious, warm-hearted and well educated.

Interesting history.
Some of this I knew.
Other bits now make some past conversations make more sense.

Oh how I do miss the old original Friday Musicale from before the (1990s?) fire.

Very interesting read, again as always MJers thanks for the local lore and history lesson!