Mandarin - The Past
While most of the townies think of it as the 'burbs, Mandarin is an area rich in history. It was the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, the book that helped to draw together those who wanted to abolish slavery and contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. Walter Jones, an immigrant from England, purchased a farm in Mandarin in about 1902 from the estate of its original owner, William W. Webb. Jones became postmaster of Mandarin and located the post office in his general store, which he and his descendants operated from 1911 to 1964. Jones' farm has been preserved as a park and is managed by the City of Jacksonville Parks Department. And who can forget the little train - the St. Johns and Eastern Railroad - that ran on the corner of SR 13 and Mandarin Rd.?
I love the Walter Jones park. I'll ride my bike on good days down Loretto to County Dock and lock it up, and then sit on the boardwalk by the river. It's a beautiful part of Mandarin. My mother and I visited before I left for school and we read that a boardwalk existed all along the shore in Mandarin and thought it would be great to have that again (although, I suspect, not so great for homeowners along the river who might be afraid of someone doing suspicious things around their houses and families). The trees at the park are wonderful too--it's really nice to see those gigantic pine, mimosa, and camphor trees by the St. Johns.
Taking into consideration Mandarin's agricultural roots and the loss of those assorted farms, it's really disheartening to see just how much of Mandarin is covered with suburbs and corporate chain businesses. As it exists right now, Mandarin is extremely unsustainable. Have you noticed the lack in public parks as well?
Check out this thread Kelly...
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,3542.0.html
Thanks, BridgeTroll. I've shared the article with some friends.
Diane Rheem has a guest talking about Harriet Beecher Stowe on 89.9 FM right now.
Today is her 200th birthday!