USA > Florida > Duval County > Jacksonville > History of early Jacksonville, Florida; being an authentic record of events from the earliest times to and including the civil war by Thomas Frederick Davis > Part 7
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2 Mrs. W. M. Bostwick. (See Author's Preface).
3 Florida Union (Jacksonville), March, 1881.
4 History of Florida, Webb.
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CHAPTER IX.
EARLY RIVER STEAMERS.
The first steamer to ply the waters of the St. Johns River was the George Washington, in 18301. The Essayon carried troops and supplies up and down the river during the Seminole War', and steamers were running irregularly between the St. Johns and Savannah as early as 18393. Along in the 40's, the Sarah Spaulding plied be- tween Jacksonville and Lake Monroe. This was a high-pressure boat and she made a fearful noise while in operation. She was often used for near- by excursions on the river, and occasionally went to Fernandina by the inside route. Her ac- commodations comprised eight berths, four on each side, opening into the saloon, but provided with curtains that could be drawn as a means of separation4. Then the Thorn made her appear- ance on the river, running to Palatka.
The Darlington came in 1852 or 1853, and up to the time of the civil war was the regular boat be- tween Jacksonville and Enterprise. The Darling- ton was perhaps the best known of the early river boats. She was built in South Carolina in 1849, and for a time ran up the Pedee River into Darlington District, hence her name'. During the war she was captured by the United States forces at the draw-bridge in Fernandina, in 1862, and
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remained in their possession until the close of the war, being used most of the time as a trans- port vessel5. She began running on the river again after the war and continued in this service until she became the pioneer boat on the St. Johns. In 1857, the steamers Hattie Brock and William Barnett began running as up-river boats. The William Barnett met with disaster in about a year, when her boiler exploded, killing her cap- tain and a number of other persons2. The Hattie Brock was captured far up the river by a Federal gunboat in 1864; she was confiscated, and sold in 1866, but after the war she ran on the river as one of the Brock Line.
THE SAVANNAH STEAMERS.
The Steamer General Clinch made trips to Savannah as early as 1842, and about 1845, a regular line between the St. Johns and Savannah was inaugurated. The pioneer vessels of this service were the Ocmulgee, St. Matthews, and William Gaston2. The William Gaston was taken off this run in 1854, and was then used as a river boat. She towed many rafts up and down the river, and it was a peculiarity of her captain, Charles Willey, as soon as he rounded Commo- dore's Point or Grassy Point, which was usually late in the night, to begin to sound his steam whis- tle and keep it blowing until he had reached his landing, to the great annoyance of midnight sleepers in Jacksonville6.
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In 1851, two new steamers were put on the Savannah run-the Welaka and the Magnolia. The Magnolia ran only a short time, when her boiler exploded while she was off St. Simon's Island, Ga., killing her captain, William T. Mc- Nelty. A few years later, the Welaka was wrecked on the St. Johns bar. These vessels were replaced by the Seminole and the St. Johns, both of which likewise met with disaster, each in turn being burned at her dock in Jacksonville. The hull of the St. Johns was raised and rebuilt, and she ran on the same route until 1862; after the war she ran under the name of Helen Getty".
The last of the early boats built for this line was the St. Marys, in 1857.2 In February, 1864, the St. Marys, while loading with cotton, was blockaded in McGirt's Creek by the Federal gunboat Nor- wich, and to prevent capture, was sunk there by her crew5. She had escaped capture on a previous occasion by dodging into Trout Creek just as the United States gunboat that was looking for her came up the river. The St. Marys then came out, went down the river, and out to sea, bound for Nassau, N. P.' The St. Marys lay buried in Mc- Girt's Creek until March, 1865, when she was raised, rebuilt®, and eventually placed on her old run under the name of Nick King.
THE CHARLESTON STEAMERS.
In 1851, the Florida began running regularly between Palatka, Jacksonville, and Charleston.
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Two years later the Carolina was put on, and in 1857, the Everglade, then the Cecile, and a short time before the war, the Gordon and the Calhoun. The Gordon became famous as the vessel on which the Confederate commissioners ran the blockade at Charleston and proceeded to Havana2. After the war, the steamer service to Charleston was re- sumed and continued until the New York-Charles- ton-Jacksonville Clyde service began, in 1886. The first steamer of the Clyde Line to arrive in Jacksonville was the Cherokee, on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1886, and the event was cele- brated in an elaborate manner here.
NEW YORK STEAMERS.
In 1860, a party of Jacksonville people bought a steamer with the intention of starting a line be- tween Jacksonville and New York. This vessel, the Flambeau, was bought in the North. She was put on the ways for repairs, but the war came on and the enterprise was abandoned, the stock- holders losing what they had put into it". A Federal gunboat by this name operated in South- ern waters during the war and it is not improb- able that she was the same vessel that the Jack- sonville people had bought in 1860.
In the fall of 1865, the D. H. Mount started run- ning between Jacksonville and New York, but on her second voyage from New York she was lost, presumably off Hatteras on October 23, 1865. There were twenty-three persons on board bound
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for Florida, among them some prominent Jack- sonville people, including S. L. Burritt, Mrs. J. C. Greeley and son, and others. Nothing was ever heard of the Mount and all of her passengers perished®.
In the early days, the steamers burned light- wood knots for fuel, and great volumes of dense black smoke were emitted from their stacks. Some idle person was generally on the lookout, and when the smoke of a steamer was seen, he would start the cry, "Steamboat, steamboat, com- ing round the point," when the inhabitants would collect at the wharf, to hear the latest news. The arrival of a steamer in those days was an event of much importance *. And later, we read, "Hun- dreds of people go to the wharves to see the steam- boats off. High up from their stacks pile huge banks of dense black smoke. Strains of music fill the air, and all is hurry and bustle. Just as the minute hand of the clock reaches the hour of de- parture, they are off ; the music grows fainter and fainter as it recedes, and the crowds return to the fashionable promenade on Bay Street, to assem- ble at the wharf again the next day." Captain H. D. DeGrove, for many years connected with the river traffic here, says :
"The real beginning of modern and active com- merce upon the St. Johns dates from about 1876, when the steamer Hampton began the daily ser- vice between Jacksonville and Palatka. At that time there were no railroads south of Jackson-
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ville, except a little piece of railroad running from Tocoi to St. Augustine. The tourist hotels were in the towns scattered along the banks of the St. Johns-Green Cove Springs, Palatka, Sanford, and Enterprise-and up-river boats stopped at those places to land tourists; during the winter months the passenger traffic was very heavy. About this period the orange groves set out after the war came into full bearing, affording a lucra- tive freight business for the various lines. The river fairly swarmed with steamers of every de- scription, from the antiquated vessels to the then modern side-wheeler. But strangest of all were the Oklawaha River steamboats, built especially for navigation on that erratic stream. They had a small recess wheel built in the stern to protect it from snags, and it is probable that such craft were never used anywhere else in the world.
"There was great rivalry among the lines own- ing the fastest boats. Some of them had the same schedule, and several of the boats were so evenly matched that they would often make the final round-up from Palatka not more than fifteen minutes apart. These races were thoroughly enjoyed by the tourists, who would always enter into the spirit of the fun with a vim. The crews, too, sometimes became very much excited, and upon landing they would occasionally doff their coats and 'fight it out' right on the wharf, so great was their enthusiasm. The steamboats were met by the busmen from the various hotels,
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calling 'St. James', 'Carleton', 'National', etc., familiar names to the old-timers of thirty years ago.
"Mile by mile the railroads were built and one by one the steamboats were taken off. Some were sold and went to other waters. Those of light draft were taken to the Indian River, then an almost unknown stream; but navigation on that river was never satisfactory, owing to its shallow depth and the large number of oyster banks. The railroad soon followed, to sound the death-knell of the steamers there. Not a few of the old steamers went to the 'marine graveyard,' i. e., laid up to rot."
BIBLIOGRAPHY, CHAPTER IX.
1 Historical sketch, J. M. Hawks, City Directory, 1870.
2 Memoirs of Florida, Fleming.
3 A Winter in Florida, By An Invalid.
4 Mrs. W. M. Bostwick. (See Author's Preface).
5 War of the Rebellion, Official Records, etc.
6 O. L. Keene.
7 Dr. John C. L'Engle.
8 J. C. Greeley.
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CHAPTER X.
JACKSONVILLE ABOUT 1850 .*
The built-up portion of the town was bounded by Washington Street on the east, Laura on the west, Duval on the north, and the river on the south.
BAY STREET, SOUTH SIDE.
There were no wharves or stores on the south side of Bay Street between Ocean and Laura, ex- cept a long one-story, wooden building near Laura, called the "government building," built by the United States government during the Seminole Indian war as a commissary for sup- plies. Just west of Pine (Main), on the river front stood a saw mill operated by Mr. J. B. Barbee. Fire destroyed it at an early date, con- suming with it a human being, one of the sorrow- ful events of those early times.
Across Ocean Street on the south side of Bay, east, General Thomas Ledwith had a store and a wharf; he was succeeded by Alsop & Bours. Several other stores occupied this block, among them Gunby & Fernandez, later Fernandez & Bisbee, and later still Bisbee & Canova. East of this store was that of S. N. Williams, and near the
*Reminiscences of Mrs. W. M. Bostwick. (See Author's Preface.)
NEGRO HILL
POND
DUVAL
ST
ST
PINE
OCEAN
NEWNAN
MARKET
LIBERTI
WASHINGTON
ST
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ST
ST
ST
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ST
ST
FORSYTH
ST
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0
BAY
ST
Govt B
SawM
Business or Public Houses
Dwellings, Etc
White Population, Estimated 450
JACKSONVILLE ABOUT 1850
LARGE OAK GROVE
LAURA
MONROE
ADAMS
ST
.
Grove
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corner of Newnan was McRory's book store. The first brick building built in Jacksonville adjoined the Ledwith store and was occupied by C. D. Oak, jeweler and watchmaker; this was about 1850.
A building stood on the southeast corner of Newnan and Bay and was occupied from the earli- est times, by different parties. Finegan & Bel- chasse are among the first recalled; later Dr. T. Hartridge. Next to this store was that of Bel- lows; then Santo. The United States mail was first delivered from this locality. Next to Santo was Morris Keil, a small store, tailoring done by husband and the store kept by the wife. Captain Charles Willey had a dwelling on the corner of Market, and a wharf from which he ran a line of sailing vessels to Charleston and another to Key West. These names are remembered in connec- tion with this dwelling: Mrs. Libby, mother of Mrs. Willey; Frances Yale, daughter of Captain Willey. Afterward Columbus Drew, Sr., occupied this house and issued from here a Whig paper called the "Republican". At the foot of Market Street a fish market stood over the water. This was the first market in the town, and Market Street derives its name from this fact. Later a beef market was built over the water at the foot of Ocean Street; but the two were finally consoli- dated, the old market being then used as a town jail, popularly called "The Jug."
East of Market Street the entire block was vacant. At the foot of Liberty Street there was a
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ferry, owned by Judge J. L. Doggett, and operated to connect with the road to St. Augustine. A garrison was kept at Fort San Marco at that time and cattle were forded at this ferry and driven to St. Augustine to furnish beef for the soldiers. Lighters conveyed passengers, vehicles, and freight across the river.
The block east of Liberty Street contained a fine grove of trees. Public, out-of-door functions, such as barbecues, Fourth of July celebrations, etc., were generally held here. There was only one small building on the block-a carpenter's shop near the water's edge.
East of Washington Street, the river bank was very much higher, affording a steep sand hill that the children of the neighborhood used as an amuse- ment place, rolling and jumping in the soft, white sand. Beyond this hill E. A. DeCottes had a dwelling, and on the corner of Bay and Catherine, Stephen Vandergrift and family lived.
The next block was vacant, except a small machine shop near the middle of the block, where the Merrill-Stevens plant is now. There was noth- ing east of this to Hogan's Creek. Finegan's saw mill was on the river front on the east side of the creek, and his family resided there, including Constantia, Dora, and Martha Travis, daughters of Mrs. Finegan by a former marriage.
BAY STREET, NORTH SIDE.
On the north side of Bay Street, westward from
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Hogan's Creek to Catherine Street was a corn field until the early 50's, when a grist mill was built near the creek. From Catherine to Washington was unoccupied until Tony Canova built a resi- dence at the northeast corner of Washington.
At the northwest corner of Washington Street stood the Merrick House, famous as the "haunted house". Peculiar noises were often heard within, yet no ghosts appeared. Some of the less super- stitious said there was an underground river at that point that caused the noises. All was vacant thence to Liberty Street until 1851 or 1852, when J. C. Hemming built a residence on the northeast corner of Liberty.
A store house stood on the northwest corner of Bay and Liberty Streets, used for storing freight awaiting ferriage across the river, and later as a school house. The Burritt homestead stood near the northeast corner of Bay and Market, and it was the most pretentious house in the town. There were large grounds, with stables, servants' quarters, and Mr. Burritt's law offices. The vacant lots on the river front, also Burritt prop- erty, abounding in shrubbery and shade trees, gave beautiful surroundings.
At the northwest corner of Bay and Market Streets, I. D. Hart owned a boarding house, which was kept successively by Mr. Hart, Mrs. Hatch, Mrs. Flotard, Mrs. Maxey, and Mrs. Taylor, the ownership passing to Mrs. Taylor's daughter, Mrs. Hedrick, in 1853. West of this building was
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inclosed, but unoccupied-owned by Mrs. Philip Frazer, inherited from her first husband, Captain Zeb Willey. Dr. Byrne built two stores between this inclosure and the corner, probably in 1852.
Across Newnan Street, the entire block to Ocean was occupied by business houses. On the north- west corner of Newnan and Bay, names not re- membered until occupied by Paul Canova. Next to the corner was the firm of Miller & Blackwood, wines and liquors ; thence west in order were: Dr. Foreman, general merchandise, afterward Gunby ; Barnard & Farrer, general store, later Moss & Ambler, later still, Ambler & Hoeg; Rosenthal, the first Hebrew merchant in town; Goff, tailor; and on the corner of Ocean, Mr. Cutter, afterward Morris Keil. The three last stores were owned by Thomas W. Jones.
On the northwest corner of Ocean and Bay Streets, A. M. Reed had a store-groceries and dry goods. West of this was Calvin Oak, gunsmith. From here to Pine Street was unoccupied, in fact Bay Street was almost impassable at this point. A pond of water north of Duval Street drained downward through Pine Street, making a quag- mire at its lower end, over which bridges were built across Pine at Bay and at Forsyth Streets. An attempt was made to improve the approaches to the bridges by laying logs lengthways across the street; this "corduroy" construction was very rough.
Across Pine Street Dr. Baldwin owned two lots,
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the corner being a garden very much in need of drainage. Dr. Baldwin's dwelling was on the next lot; also his office. West of that was a dwelling occupied successively by A. M. Reed, Walter Kipp, Mrs. Herbert, Captain L'Engle, George Powers, and finally by Judge Rodney Dorman. Cyrus Bis- bee owned a dwelling on the northeast corner of Bay and Laura, where he lived many years. This was the western boundary of the town for a long time. Later Mr. Kipp built a residence on the northwest corner of Bay and Laura. Captain L'Engle then lived close to the river across from the Kipps.
Beyond Laura Street there was nothing more until a small creek was crossed where Julia Street is now. Mr. Boulter owned a mill and a dwelling on the west side of this creek; the mill was burned, and the dwelling was afterward occupied by Hal Sadler. Thence to McCoy's Creek everything was woods. A rude bridge crossed McCoy's Creek near the foot of the present Bridge Street, and to the west of this bridge, on the creek was a small house occupied by the Curry family. Across the creek was P. Moody's saw mill and dwelling, and beyond was the Lancaster place, called "Lancas- ter's Point". Then the plantation of Elias Jaudon, reaching to McGirt's Creek, and across the creek, now Ortega, was the Sadler plantation.
FORSYTH STREET, SOUTH SIDE.
At the southeast corner of Laura and Forsyth,
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I. D. Hart lived in a large two-story house. Thence to Pine Street was vacant, until Dr. Foreman built on the corner of Pine.
The southeast corner of Pine and Forsyth was owned by the Douglas and Reed families. Stables occupied the corner, with a garden beyond, and a dwelling on the corner of Forsyth and Ocean, where A. M. Reed lived, then Thomas Douglas.
On the southeast corner of Forsyth and Ocean was a very old dwelling, known as the Mills house; it was occupied by different families, among others, Mrs. Bowman, and then J. W. Bryant. Be- tween Forsyth and Bay, on Ocean Street, Thomas W. Jones and family lived on the east side of the street. Next to the Mills house, east on Forsyth, William Douglas lived as early as 1847, and after- ward a Ross family. This yard was large and here, under a tent, a traveling daguerreotypist took some fine pictures, a few of which are still in exis- tence, in perfect condition after sixty years or more. This was probably the first artist to come to Jacksonville. Captain Armstrong lived on the southwest corner of Forsyth and Newnan; he had no family. Between Forsyth and Bay on Newnan there were a few small shops. On the west side were: Captain John Middleton, small store; Dr. Rex, an office; and Henry Houston, colored barber shop. On the opposite side of the street was a large building used for offices.
On the southeast corner of Forsyth and Newnan, Judge J. C. Cooper lived. East of this was the
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Zeb Willey property, known afterward as the Philip Frazer house. Dr. J. D. Mitchell bought here later. Then Mr. Harrison built on the south- west corner of Forsyth and Market, where the law exchange now stands.
Across Market Street were S. L. Burritt's office and grounds, occupying half the block. Judge J. L. Doggett owned the other, or east half of this block, on which were two houses. The Doggett residence was near the southwest corner of For- syth and Liberty.
In the middle of the block between Liberty and Washington, the Watermans lived, afterward the Hickmans, and later Dr. Murdock. This was one of the oldest houses in the town. On the southeast corner of Forsyth and Washington was another old house in which Mr. Adams lived, afterward Mr. Gillett, and later the Mooneys. For a long time nothing but a corn field was east of here to Hogan's Creek.
FORSYTH STREET, NORTH SIDE.
On the north side of Forsyth Street, west from Hogan's Creek, there was nothing to Washington Street, until Felix Livingston built on the north- east corner of Washington about 1850.
At the northeast corner of Forsyth and Liberty Streets was a very old house of peculiar construc- tion. The foundation was of stone, perhaps six feet high, and on top of this wall was a one-story wooden structure with a piazza on three sides.
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Tradition said it was the abode of a sea captain, a buccaneer, who, being too old to follow the sea, amused himself with a spy-glass watching the river above and below. Dr. Theodore Hartridge built on this corner in 1853, at the same time building a smaller house on the northwest corner of Forsyth and Washington for his mother, Mrs. Hobby.
Across Liberty Street Mr. Barbee owned and lived many years. The next lot was owned by John Pons, where also lived his son-in-law, Jack Butler, a lively jovial Irishman so pleasantly remembered by many. A small house west of this was occupied by different ones, the first remembered being Mrs. Herbert, a school teacher. On the northeast cor- ner of Forsyth and Market stood the court house, and in the court house yard, back from the Street, was the jail. The jail was inclosed by a high brick wall, on top of which was a barbette of broken glass.
Across Market Street, on the northwest corner, was, as now, the Clerk's Office. Next was the dwell- ing of Mrs. Maxey. On the northeast corner of Forsyth and Newnan was a small building used by William Grothe as a jewelry shop. The post office was in this building for a long time also.
Dr. H. D. Holland's residence was on the op- posite corner, stables on the Forsyth Street side and his office on Newnan. A small house stood on the lot west of Dr. Holland's residence, where Wil- liam Grothe lived, and next to this was a large two-story house occupied at different times by the
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Barnards, Crabtrees, Gregorys, Allisons, Hearns, Suttons, and Crespos. On the corner was a dwell- ing house occupied successively by the Kipps, Flotards, Traceys, Hallidays, and Sandersons.
On the northwest corner of Forsyth and Ocean Mrs. Dewees lived in a large two-story house, and back of her, between Forsyth and Adams, her daughter, Mrs. Poinsett lived, afterward the Kipps, and later the Keils. There were no other houses on Forsyth to Pine Street.
On the northwest corner of Forsyth and Pine was a house occupied by the Donaldsons, later the Thebauts. A small house stood in the middle of the block back from the street, where Jane and Dick, servants of Mrs. Douglas lived. West of here was a fine grove of trees, where barbecues and celebrations of different kinds were sometimes held. Near the northwest corner of Forsyth and the present Hogan Streets was the site of the old Hogans house.
ADAMS STREET, SOUTH SIDE.
Thomas W. Jones built a two-story dwelling on the southeast corner of Adams and Laura in 1850. In 1851, Judge F. Bethune moved from his planta- tion a few miles up the river and bought this house for a residence. East of this, in the middle of the block, was a smaller house occupied by the Myers family. The southwest corner of Adams and Pine was vacant many years.
The Turknetts lived on the southeast corner of
HENRY C. CLARK Jacksonville, Fla.
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Adams and Pine. A small house, used principally as a servants' house, stood on the next lot. There was nothing on the southwest corner until after the fire of 1854.
The southeast corner of Adams and Ocean was vacant a long time, the Crespos later building a boarding house at that point. Two houses owned by Mr. Crespo stood here ; the first was burned. In the middle of the block were out-buildings used by the Buffington House, which occupied the south- west corner facing Newnan.
Across Newnan, Stephen Fernandez and family lived; afterward Dr. R. P. Daniel. Next was the dwelling of S. N. Williams. There was nothing on the southwest corner of Market for many years.
The Odd Fellows owned the southeast corner of Adams and Market, but the lodge building was on the inside of the lot facing Market. The lower story of this building was used as a school room, the upper story for the lodge. A favorite amuse- ment of the children was listening for the foot- steps and bleat of the goat said to live up-stairs, and used by the Odd Fellows for initiation pur- poses ; also, inventing marvelous stories concern- ing the actions of this goat, the child telling the biggest story being considered the heroine of the day. The corner was inclosed and was used by the children as a play ground. Thence to the south- west corner of Adams and Washington was vacant; here Mr. Pons built at an early date. There was nothing east of this to Hogan's Creek.
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