The following is a brief review of a book on Jacksonville history.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YEyu1-KfL.jpg)
Available at BN and Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Legendary-Locals-Jacksonville-Laura-Brunson/dp/1467101745/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451531122&sr=1-1&keywords=9781467101745 (http://www.amazon.com/Legendary-Locals-Jacksonville-Laura-Brunson/dp/1467101745/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451531122&sr=1-1&keywords=9781467101745)
While I can't verify the authenticity of every personality noted in this book (and there are a lot of them), it does cover alot of ground.
From Harriet Beecher Stowe to the Van Zants, from Ed Ball (yes, Stephen's favorite local personality ;) )to the Beach Boulevard T-Rex, from John Rosamond Johnson to Doug Coleman, they seem to have someone from every corner of Jacksonville life. Probably, the biggest issue throughout is the choice of photos used to represent someone. Seems they couldn't get a good still on some people so they were forced to use group shots or "in motion" pictures (like leaving a church).
I am positive that in any book of this flavor, "someone is not mentioned" and this one has a few items that even I, a Duval neophyte noticed aren't there. But there are some good stuff like Henrietta Dozier. This book now makes me want to look up more information about this interesting woman.
I would consider it a starting point for someone wanting to know more about certain people in Jacksonville history, but I wouldn't consider it exhaustive by any means.
Enjoy the reading!
Flipping through the index: No Haydon Burns, longtime mayor during a period of great growth; Samuel Wolfson after whom we have or had a ballpark, high school and hospital named; the Steins who developed Regency Square; industrialist Raymond Mason; and I'm sure I could come up with many more whose contributions just might exceed that of Tony Hawk, who, I think, is a skateboarder not from around here. Good grief!