The Great Jacksonville Fire of 1901

[Dan B]

Yup.

[thelakelander]

Yes. Most of Jax's well known architects from that era came because of the fire.  I agree with Dan B.  Although it was disaster, the fire was one of the better things to happen to Jacksonville.  The city that came out of its ashes was something that was and still is unique to the Southeastern US.

[stjr]

Yes. Most of Jax's well known architects from that era came because of the fire.  I agree with Dan B.  Although it was disaster, the fire was one of the better things to happen to Jacksonville.  The city that came out of its ashes was something that was and still is unique to the Southeastern US.

Lake, maybe another "fire" would move us into the next century?  Since we are tearing down all our historic buildings anyway, we won't be sacrificing much.     We aren't doing too well on our own, are we?  See the thread I started yesterday about Top 10 things to do to make downtown boom again:  http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,6638.0.html .  Feel free to add your ideas.

[Ocklawaha]

Interesting side note from an Unreconstructed Seccish Confederate... I think we've had enough fires.

During the War of Yankee Aggression, Jacksonville was invaded by the Union Fleet and Army in 1862, and thereafter three more times. The first invasion wasn't complete until an incredible fire fight between Confederate Battery's on St. Johns Bluff and the Fort at Yellow Bluff (National Park Site today). The Yankees over ran both sites, and built a signal tower at Yellow Bluff and Hemming Plaza. The City was burned to the ground by wild troops from NEW YORK, who started their fires in the churches. When they left town, the people tried to rebuild only to be burned out again, each invasion heavy with NEW YORK soldiers, in fact we were burned out three times. The Confederate Line finally pulled back to about 15 miles of earthworks west of town (also a park today).

We were then hit by the Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886, and a national depression in the 1890's. Finally on a roll, the City was booming by 1901, ironically with a huge influx of former (mostly) New York Soldiers, who loved the area so much they came back and invested. When the Great Fire Hit, perhaps the first and greatest aid we got was from the CITY OF NEW YORK. They donated nearly a million dollars, and a great deal of love for Jacksonville. History is stranger then fiction.

OCKLAWAHA
DEO VINDICE Y'ALL!

[stjr]

Finally on a roll, the City was booming by 1901, ironically with a huge influx of former (mostly) New York Soldiers, who loved the area so much they came back and invested. When the Great Fire Hit, perhaps the first and greatest aid we got was from the CITY OF NEW YORK. They donated nearly a million dollars, and a great deal of love for Jacksonville. History is stranger then fiction.[/color][/b]

A million dollars in 1901?  Wow.  Did we do anything to honor their generosity?  A monument, historic marker, thank you note?  Anything?  Maybe we should have made NYC our first "sister city".  Think of all the spin off benefits that would have given us as their "little sister".  Winter home for all those New Yorkers and their pro-sports teams, recipient of traveling exhibits from their museums, rub-offs of their cultural, architectural, and financial acumen, etc.  You know, "Wall Street of the South"!  Maybe even a left over subway car or two! 

[mtraininjax]

Since we are tearing down all our historic buildings anyway, we won't be sacrificing much.

Is the Park View Inn gone yet? 

What others are we tearing down in 2009?

[Lunican]

TO REBUILD JACKSONVILLE; Plan for an Organization to Provide Permanent Relief. Corporation Suggested Which Will Furnish Ready Money Necessary to Reconstruct the Burned District.

May 26, 1901, Wednesday

While the work of relieving the immediate necessities of the Jacksonville (Fla.) fire sufferers has been in progress it has been thought by many of those engaged that a plan should be devised that would give permanent relief and that would not be simply a matter of sending so much food to be eaten or so much money to be spent on living alone.

Full Article:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9505EFDA1F38E733A25755C2A9639C946097D6CF

[Lunican]

FOR JACKSONVILLE, $36,769; This City's Contribution to the Fire Sufferers in Three Days. Articles Mostly Needed Are Bedding, Furniture, and Money -- Big Grocery Houses Not Burned.

May 9, 1901, Wednesday

Additional subscriptions to aid the Jacksonville fire sufferers continued coming in to the Joint Relief Committee of the Merchants' Association and the Chamber of Commerce all day yesterday. When the books were closed for the day, at 5 o'clock, $4,176.50 had been taken in, the total subscription for the three days thus far being $36.769.

Full Article:
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F01EFDD1139E733A2575AC0A9639C946097D6CF

[Lunican]

It appears that the NY Times covered this story extensively and led the way in raising funds for the rebuilding of Jacksonville. No wonder so many New York architects came down to help rebuild.

[Lunican]

Along with money, New York also sent relief trains and steamships.

NEW YORK'S RELIEF FOR JACKSONVILLE; Over $59,000 Already Subscribed for Homeless Fire Sufferers. THE ACTION OF MERCHANTS Joint Committee of Their Association and the Chamber of Commerce -- Transportation Companies' Generous Response.

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F00E2D61730E033A25754C0A9639C946097D6CF

[Ernest Street]

Thanks Lunican, I love those "hand set type" archived articles.(still retaining a form of the Kings English no less)
It was interesting how the smaller merchants and partnerships donated more than the big companies.
And Pennsylvania Railroad was going to "Beat the record" getting relief supplies down to the southern tracks.
New York City loved us.

[newzgrrl]

I'm finding this thread late in the game but glad to see it. My family has always had a strong interest in the fire because my great-grandmother's story is included in the book (Linda Frost Sheddan, page 132). She made an audio tape recording of her recollection before she died in 1977. (The tape disappeared in the mid-90s.) The Times-Union ran her story on the front of the Metro section in 1997. It was republished in 1999 and 2001.

http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/022199/cel_sheddan.html

I, too, attended the marker unveiling in Hemming Park in 2001. The fire chief noted that the wind was picking up that day, just as it had in 1901. Big Jim sounded for 100 seconds at noon. Later in the afternoon, a historical marker was unveiled at the Afro-American Life Insurance Co. building at Ocean and Union.

That evening, the Wood and Foley book was released at a debut party at The Ritz, at which some of the stories from the book, including Linda Sheddan's, were read by interpreters. WJCT produced two movies at the time, one on the history of the fire and reflections from the book and another about wildfires in Florida. Also unveiled was a mock-up of the memorial now at the bottom of Market Street. The sculptor said it represented the city rising from the ashes. The bottom of the memorial has multiple pieces of metal with rough edges and a rough finish, and as the structure goes upward, it becomes cleaner and more polished.

[Coolyfett]

Good stuff man...keep posting on da site

[Wacca Pilatka]

I'm finding this thread late in the game but glad to see it. My family has always had a strong interest in the fire because my great-grandmother's story is included in the book (Linda Frost Sheddan, page 132). She made an audio tape recording of her recollection before she died in 1977. (The tape disappeared in the mid-90s.) The Times-Union ran her story on the front of the Metro section in 1997. It was republished in 1999 and 2001.

http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/022199/cel_sheddan.html

I, too, attended the marker unveiling in Hemming Park in 2001. The fire chief noted that the wind was picking up that day, just as it had in 1901. Big Jim sounded for 100 seconds at noon. Later in the afternoon, a historical marker was unveiled at the Afro-American Life Insurance Co. building at Ocean and Union.

That evening, the Wood and Foley book was released at a debut party at The Ritz, at which some of the stories from the book, including Linda Sheddan's, were read by interpreters. WJCT produced two movies at the time, one on the history of the fire and reflections from the book and another about wildfires in Florida. Also unveiled was a mock-up of the memorial now at the bottom of Market Street. The sculptor said it represented the city rising from the ashes. The bottom of the memorial has multiple pieces of metal with rough edges and a rough finish, and as the structure goes upward, it becomes cleaner and more polished.

Newzgrrl, thanks for sharing this.  I always found Mrs. Sheddan's story to be the most intense and moving in the book.

[DDC]

Hope it is OK to dig this out on the anniversary of the Great Fire of 1901.

I have seen a couple of mentions of it  in my time line today. One statement in an article in the Florida History Network is "The fire destroyed every public building except the federal building."

Now I am sure I have read that at some time but for the life of me I can't remember when or where. What building was the Federal Building? Any one have an idea?