Urban Parks: Waterworks Park
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/515907556_FSFkr-M.jpg)
Today, only remnants remain of a public space that was once home to Jacksonville's largest tourist attraction.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/1066
Anyone know what happened to Waterworks Park? That is, why it was done away with or allowed to just diminish into oblivion? I guess the museum concept died. Wasn't this Park the original home of the "Big Jim" Jacksonville work whistle?
Heights Unknown
Heights, Big Jim is still there and still whistles at 7a, noon, 1p and 5p.
QuoteJEA Waterworks laboratory, museum and visitors center
JEA fell down on the museum and visitors center, so don't bother trying to find them. Thanks to the events of Sept 11, and the subsequent homeland security measures, this site is now a reservoir and JEA green training facility, with no real public access. It should be noted homeland security is the reason for the fence, not lack of safety in the area. There is a building that needs to come down near the creek (and possibly more than one). JEA is upgrading the reservoir that is on the Laura St side, and making some improvements to the Main St reservoir also.
It is very unlikely the "park" will ever even give the impression of welcome, and hopefully when the Creek/park system is master planned, designers can figure out how to minimize its Fort Knox-like interruption of the Confederate to MacPherson parkway. It should also be noted that at one time, the site had a radio station and miniature golf course on it...
Quote from: zoo on May 04, 2009, 07:23:54 AM
Heights, Big Jim is still there and still whistles at 7a, noon, 1p and 5p.
QuoteJEA Waterworks laboratory, museum and visitors center
JEA fell down on the museum and visitors center, so don't bother trying to find them. Thanks to the events of Sept 11, and the subsequent homeland security measures, this site is now a reservoir and JEA green training facility, with no real public access.
Any idea of why JEA decided not to go forward with the museum and visitor's center? That was something proposed a year or two after Sept. 11. What is that replica building being used for now?
Here is an image of the golf course that was once in Waterworks Park.
(http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/spottswood/sp00319.jpg)
This little building can be seen in the middle of the golf course aerial above.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/515910528_VWSE5-M.jpg)
If someone wants, I could ask Bruce Dugan whatever happened to this.
Quote from: Deuce on May 04, 2009, 11:02:58 AM
If someone wants, I could ask Bruce Dugan whatever happened to this.
Yes, go ahead and ask Bruce. That was a project that abruptly disappeared even though construction had moved forward. Also check to see what their future plans are for that space and site.
Found another view below, apparently pre-WJAX since no antennas:
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/set235/card00112_fr.jpg)
And here are some more:
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/set235/card00109_fr.jpg)
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/set151/card00271_fr.jpg)
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/set147/card00431_fr.jpg)
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/set115/card00018_fr.jpg)
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/confederate-park-jacksonville-us-state-town-views-florida-jacksonville-76958.jpg)
Nice find!
Who knows where Dignan Park is?
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/scene-in-dignan-park-jacksonville-us-state-town-views-florida-jacksonville-59841.jpg)
That's Confederate Park. Dignan was renamed after the Confederate reunion held in the space in 1914.
Thanks, Lake. Now I realize its just another angle on the card I posted above it labeled Confederate Park.
Here is another of Springfield with a log cabin!
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/log-cabin-springfield-park-jacksonville-us-state-town-views-florida-jacksonville-57634.jpg)
3rd Street, Springfield:
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/beautiful-springfield-third-street-jacksonville-us-state-town-views-florida-jacksonville-57513.jpg)
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/main-st-above-waterworks-jacksonville-us-state-town-views-florida-jacksonville-55861.jpg)
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/set178/card00073_fr.jpg)
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/set237/card00661_fr.jpg)
November 26, 1925: WJAX, the radio station owned by the City of Jacksonville, went on the air with its first broadcast. (from http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:S913Fm35O38J:www.flahistory.net/November.htm+wjax+radio+history&cd=37&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us )
Aside from WRUF-AM 850 in Gainesville, in 1928, the only other Florida radio stations on the air were WDAE-AM 1250 Tampa, WJAX-AM 930 Jacksonville, WQAM-AM 560 Miami and WDBO-AM 580 Orlando. Other than these four Florida radio stations, the next nearest radio station was WSB-AM 750 ("Welcome South Brother"), Atlanta, the 50,000 watt clear channel powerhouse of the Southeast. (from http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:jcOGWiCpxfEJ:www.cflradio.net/850_WRUF_AM.htm+wjax+radio+history&cd=38&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us )
(http://jpl.coj.net/DLC/Florida/pc/PCTHUM/PCJAX030-003THUM.jpg)
(http://jpl.coj.net/DLC/Florida/pc/PCTHUM/PCJAX030-001THUM.jpg)
1975 WJAX-FM control room: (from: http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:oAyM8dUrb4MJ:home.earthlink.net/~zrail/radiondx.htm+wjax+radio+history&cd=44&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us )
(http://home.earthlink.net/~zrail/radio/WJAXctl.jpg)
Jacksonville is so lame now.
Quotestephendare
May 04, 2009, 11:05:45 AM
How did JEA fall down on this?
My understanding is that after the Museum was built out at JEA's expense and offered to SPAR, the organization then demanded that JEA pay them to operate the museum that they asked the JEA to build.
I guess they were too busy paying for those retail feasibility studies.
Just happened to notice this and thought I'd correct it.
I was actually still on the board when this came up and spent a decent amount of time with Rita Regan on it. First, this was JEA's baby and the offer came when the building was all but done. While it was very desirable to have that building as the office for SPAR Council, we did have a building that we owned. Also, there were many restrictions on using the building, there were requirements to man the museum for JEA developed and run events, requirements that SPAR Council pay the entire electrical bill and water and, to be honest, the layout and required hours did not really work well for an organization that supposedly was there for the entire community of Springfield. Doing the museum and keeping the current office was not financially possible. It wasn't a case where SPAR Council demanded they get paid, it was a case where the real world numbers did not work out to make it feasible for both parties. As we know, no one else stepped up to the plate to man the museum either. I suspect the real cuprit is the requirements imposed by 9/11.
Quote1889 - President Grover Cleveland visits the Sub-Tropical Exposition for the second time.
Grover Cleveland's visit to Jax in Harpers Weekly:(http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/prints/pr08872.jpg)
Grover Cleveland is one of my favorite presidents. He vetoed a bill allocating $10,000 to help drought-stricken farmers in Texas, saying, "I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution."
Is it possible that the log cabin depicted on that postcard represents the home of L. Z. and Maria Hogans, circa 1820?