The Great Jacksonville Fire of 1901
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/images/great_fire/flee-city.jpg)
In just over eight hours on May 3, 1901, a small fire, started in a LaVilla mattress factory, would sweep through 146 city blocks of Jacksonville, destroying over 2,000 buildings, taking seven lives, and leaving almost 9,000 people homeless in the process.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-oct-the-great-jacksonville-fire-of-1901
very good over view of the course, before & after, etc of the fire. The picture of the Klutho building presentation & the map of the burning are very interesting as well.
Something every local resident should know. Good job.
Where is that historical marker located?
Local legend tells about some residents with Dynamite going around "Putting out the fires" But they were a little too enthusiastic... :o
I'm pretty sure there is a historicl marker at the Landing, though the opne pcitured didn't seem to be it.
The sculpture is outside the Hyatt, i think.
The marker is in Hemming Plaza.
Thanks Lake. I don't know how I've missed it repeatedly but I'll look for it next time I'm in town. For some reason I had it in mind that it was near the monument by the Hyatt.
In the legend of the Fire Area map, there's something called "Market Street Horror"
Anybody know what that was about?
I have the book on my coffee table and actaully attended the dedication ceremony in Hemming Plaza on that hot May day in 2001 for the 100th anniversary of the fire. I love reading the about the Great Fire.
Wow, nice article. I wonder what the ratio is of buildings destroyed in the Great Fire to buildings destroyed by 'urban renewal'.
I think a lot of people assume that areas like Brooklyn and LaVilla are non existent today as a result of the fire, which is not true.
Market St horror is described in detail in 'Acres of Ashes' which is availible at the library, as well as online. In fact, I believe that map is from that book.
Anyway, it is indeed where the fire cornered dozens of people. If my memory serves me correctly, they all boarded a sailing vessel that was tied to the Pier, and tried to depart. Because of the fire, there was an incredible amount of wind being sucked into the fire, actually causing the boat to be sucked back into its berth. There was also reports of a water spout being caused. I believe the boat was then hooked up to a steam powered Yacht that tried fruitlessly to pull it out of the birth, before the vessel capsized.
This is all off the top of my head, so i may be off on some points.
Wow. That just puts more of an emotional element to it. Truly horrible. :'(
I have heard that commercial fishermen, from downriver, came in their fishing boats to ferry people away from the fire. I would guess their smaller boats wouldn't be as effected by the "fire storm" winds as a sailing vessel.
http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/ufdc/?m=hd1J&i=180267
(http://ufdcweb2.uflib.ufl.edu/UFDC2/NF/00/00/00/08/00001/00035.jpg)
(http://ufdcweb2.uflib.ufl.edu/UFDC2/NF/00/00/00/08/00001/00036.jpg)
(http://ufdcweb2.uflib.ufl.edu/UFDC2/NF/00/00/00/08/00001/00037.jpg)
Great article and excerpt on the Market Street Horror. The pix remind me a bit of those of Dresden, Germany, after it was bombed in WWII. Someone should make a movie and/or documentary on this momentous event. I can't imagine that every city in America didn't take note of this tragedy and revise their fire and building codes.
I also can't help but wonder how this fire changed the "personality" and "future" of Jax, for better or worse. Did the fabric of our economy change? Did our politics change? Did the demographic makeup of the city change? How traumatized were the locals and did that change their attitudes toward decision making? Did "class" and/or racial relations change? What effect did it have on the transportation of the city and the growth beyond Downtown? Did the fire create more opportunities than it destroyed? Did the destruction create our lack of appreciation and appetite for disposable structures for the next 100 years of our long history by focusing the populace on starting anew and destroying much of its past including records? Did it focus the City on short term results over long term ones in our haste to rebuild, a momentum that may still exist today? Would make a great thesis for a post-graduate history major!
Interestingly, despite the horror described in the "Acres of Ashes" book, "only" 7 perished in the entire fire per the historic marker. I wonder if they ever fully accounted for everyone and whether blacks were accounted for separately from whites in those days.
FYI, a related MJ thread with more info and a link to the Jacksonville Fire Museum can be found at:
Historic Fire Department Pix at Jacksonvillefiremuseum.com
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,5676.0.html
Ennis,
I really like the caption under the Hogan's Creek photo. I'd say 100 years is a long enough to "make good." It saved us, now it is time for US to save it. I see potential as many do.
I am sorry many of Klutho's building were razed in the 80s. Shame on Jacksonville. I am glad however about Fresh Ministries building restoration on Main, and I just love the Klutho house on West 9th just off Main and the duplex adjacent (needs love) that were part of the movie studios.
Nicole
I fail to see this as a unique disaster, in fact standing some of those photos next to the same scene's today reveals that we swept up the ashes, but downtown looks about the same today as Post 1901 Jacksonville.
OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: Ocklawaha on October 21, 2009, 10:25:21 AM
I fail to see this as a unique disaster, in fact standing some of those photos next to the same scene's today reveals that we swept up the ashes, but downtown looks about the same today as Post 1901 Jacksonville.
Ock, well said. The wrecking ball has destroyed more of our history at this point than the great fire. There are immeasurably more 2,000+ year old structures remaining today from the ancient Mayans, Incas, China, Greece, Rome, and the Middle East than from Jacksonville's short history. In a few years, our past may be nothing more than a memory of the old geezers frequenting MJ! ;D
Quote from: stjr on October 20, 2009, 09:11:58 PM
Interestingly, despite the horror described in the "Acres of Ashes" book, "only" 7 perished in the entire fire per the historic marker. I wonder if they ever fully accounted for everyone and whether blacks were accounted for separately from whites in those days.
FYI, a related MJ thread with more info and a link to the Jacksonville Fire Museum can be found at:
Historic Fire Department Pix at Jacksonvillefiremuseum.com
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,5676.0.html
In Bill Foley and Wayne Wood's "The Great Fire of 1901," it's stated as likely that more than 7 perished in the fire just as you suspected. I believe that's noted in the section on the Market St. Horror.
Incidentally, that's an outstanding book, well worth reading and available at the library (or for sale at the Historical Society offices and Chamblin's). It collects many of the personal stories from "Acres of Ashes" and other sources and I love Foley's writing. He was a great Jacksonville treasure.
Quote from: stephendare on October 20, 2009, 09:21:43 PM
When Napoleon Bonaparte Broward ran for mayor of Jacksonville, he began getting rid of the black law enforcement replacing them with white men, which made him into a viable statewide politician. I don't think he really cared about race one way or another, but he was passionate about political advancement.
Stephen, do you have a recommendation for where I could read more about this? I am always looking for good Jax history book recommendations. I haven't read "Jacksonville After The Fire" by Jim Crooks; is this covered in there? About all I know about Broward is the little bit of material on him in the Ft. George Island section of Architectural Heritage.
Quote from: Charles Hunter on October 20, 2009, 04:48:34 PM
I have heard that commercial fishermen, from downriver, came in their fishing boats to ferry people away from the fire. I would guess their smaller boats wouldn't be as effected by the "fire storm" winds as a sailing vessel.
There's also a great story of how the proprietor of the Title & Trust Co. of Florida (I think I have that company name right; its office is on Forsyth across from the Florida Theatre, on the same side of the street), who held copies of most of the property records in Duval County, was able to carry his records to the river in advance of the approaching fire, commandeer a small boat, and carry them across the river to safety. Because the courthouse burned, his resources were the primary source of establishing title to property afterward.
I dont believe Broward was ever the Mayor. JET Bowden was mayor around the time of the fire. Broward was the Sheriff of Duval before the Spanish American War, but lost office in the mid 1890s.
He was later appointed to the statehouse for one term, before eventually deciding to run for Governor.
Here is a list of preconsolidation Mayors for Jax.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mayors_of_Jacksonville,_Florida
Quote from: Dan B on October 21, 2009, 12:35:25 PM
Here is a list of preconsolidation Mayors for Jax.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mayors_of_Jacksonville,_Florida
Dan, thanks for posting. This list is interesting. The City of Jax should include this on the City's official web site.
In fact, the COJ web site should have an archival tab on their home page that provides a great overview of the City's history, historical accounts, images, maps, facts and figures, and info on all the officials who have served it, elected or appointed. Also, links to neighborhood, State, and other historical societies, library and museum collections, historic info on the web (such as Wikipedia, Metro Jax, etc.), and historic books and documents available for further research.
Adam Hollingsworth, are you reading this? I am sure the Jax historical society and others would be happy to volunteer in the effort.
Maybe this would further historic preservation in Jax as well. Every City Council member and City official should have to read the section before implementing or voting on policies affecting preservation of our history.
The fire this, the fire that...everything with the fire....
At some point, Jax has to stop dwelling on it so much. Leave it in history, where it belongs. Move on. To it's credit, the city has. But sadly, it seems like it's still clung to as "we should've been this kind of city but the fire ripped us off" Yes, it was terrible. It's a growing city now, has some direction, I just think the fire needs to be left in the past where it belongs. Move the city forward.
I don't find many people who even know much about it much less dwell on it.
The fact is, the Fire pushed Jacksonville to become a modern city. Prior to the fire, it was predominantly wooden structures, and many of the streets were still unpaved.
Honestly, in a sort of back handed way, the fire may have been the best thing to ever happen to Jax!
^
I'd agree, if we hadn't systematically destroyed many of the buildings that cropped up in the wake of the fire only to leave empty lots.
We've set ourselves back in the intervening century.
Didn't Klutho come here because of the fire?
Yup.
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.
Quote from: thelakelander on November 03, 2009, 09:22:59 AM
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.
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!
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Quote from: Ocklawaha on November 03, 2009, 10:16:42 AM
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! :D
QuoteSince we are tearing down all our historic buildings anyway, we won't be sacrificing much.
Is the Park View Inn gone yet? ;D
What others are we tearing down in 2009?
QuoteTO 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
QuoteFOR 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
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.
Along with money, New York also sent relief trains and steamships.
QuoteNEW 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
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. :)
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 (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.
Good stuff man...keep posting on da site
Quote from: newzgrrl on April 04, 2010, 11:02:24 PM
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 (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.
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?
^ I'm not sure about the specifics of the building, but I do know that it was a popular spot for photographers to set up shop in the days after the fire.
Here's a shot from the roof of the federal building:
http://floridamemory.com/items/show/28169
Thanks KenFSU.
I have seen this picture before but wasn't aware that is where it was taken from.
has there ever been a documentary on the fire since it was such a big part of Jacksonville history?
The Great Fire has a kinda wimpy Wikipedia entry also. Of course, we could beef that up ourselves, right?
Quote from: stephendare on May 04, 2014, 09:09:28 AM
Quote from: IrvAdams on May 04, 2014, 08:54:29 AM
The Great Fire has a kinda wimpy Wikipedia entry also. Of course, we could beef that up ourselves, right?
Its hard. Two of the senior editors at wikipedia are very anti jacksonville. One lives in Tampa. They delete and limit articles about the city that show it in a positive light pretty obsessively and have been doing it for about 10 years.
Amazingly childish.
We should talk about having a documentary filmed on it. I think that would be cool
Quote from: stephendare on May 04, 2014, 09:09:28 AM
Quote from: IrvAdams on May 04, 2014, 08:54:29 AM
The Great Fire has a kinda wimpy Wikipedia entry also. Of course, we could beef that up ourselves, right?
Its hard. Two of the senior editors at wikipedia are very anti jacksonville. One lives in Tampa. They delete and limit articles about the city that show it in a positive light pretty obsessively and have been doing it for about 10 years.
Who is this, Stephen? There are a number of Wikipedia editors with Jacksonville connections too and they've produced a lot of solid articles.
Quote from: DDC on May 03, 2014, 11:17:49 AM
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?
I am pretty sure the Federal Building was an alternate name for the post office building with the round tower that was torn down in 1949 or so.
(See side caption)
(http://i.imgur.com/gBHUpwj.jpg)
Was Cantee Street affected by the fire in 1901?