The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-04-29
JACKSONVILLE
AND THE REUNION
Veterans VIII Find a Modern,
q Progressive City Il
MANY Points Of Historic Interest To
| De sylaited by survivors Of Gray
AIRY During Week.


jacksonville, FIa.-when the Con.
&oderate veterans and their friends as
Wemble here for their gath annual re.
union, they viii be introduced to n city
and community, pl oud OF the present
and loyal to the ideals of the old South.
Making Jacksonville the hub OF 0
wheel twenty-five miles In diameter.
u territory 10 covered rich In historic
associations and interest and at the
same time . At exponent OF all that
10 progressive in the Southern States.
Jacksonville is q city Of s5.000 pcpu.
lation, with handsome business blocks.
modern skyscrapers, commodious ho-
tells and residence sections that COM
pare favorAhly with the best In the
country. The city's business has
grown into large proportions. embrac'
Ing every line known to n modern
city. Jacksonville Of to-day IL in all
respects q thriving center OF trade
and commerce, much Of its commerce
going across the seas into foreign
countries on ocean steamships. Its
transportation facilities are superb,
both by rail and water. Railroads
feeding the great Florida Peninsula
center here. Thousands Of tourists
and uncounted tons Of freight pass
through the city and port every year,
the one hunting health and pleasure,
the other scattering out over the civil
Azed world to do it's part in supplying
the demands Of tho consumers Of the
~abth.
And while the visitors are enjoying
this view and prospect OF modern
business and community thrift, they
will DO given an opportunity to lock
Down the past three hundred and fifty
years. All Of this territory was in dis
pute three and q half centuries age
between the French and Spanish, with
the wild Indian holding the balance of
power between the combatants. The
Frenchman and the Spaniard both laid
claim 20 the Florida territory. Which
was FIRST to discover 1t IN . matter
over which historians differ, but It Is
well authenticated that the nrst white
men 70 set foot upon the soil new COW
cred by Jacksonville were Frenehnsn
under Rene Landowners.
The first white man 60 enter the
mquth Of the st. Johns river was
Jean Ribault, IN command Of . COM
pany OF Huguencts. who had left
france because OF religious persecu-
lions. He made his landing on May
/, 1B02, dfty years after the landing
OF Peace do Leon 2t q point to the
sxueh oe jacksonville. Some historf-
ats are of the opinion that Ponce de
Leon sailed ~ far north ~ the mouth
OF the &c. Johns, bat the weight of
evidence. 40 against this opinion. II
he were here he left no trace. The
evidence Is that he did not travel in
q direction from his original landing
that would have brought him to the
vicinity OF Jacksonville. It Is thor
oughly established that Rihault- en-
tered the mouth OF the 81. Johns river
May /, 1859, and sailed up the river
some miles to q bluff, where he erect
ed a stone column on which was in
scribed the arms Of France. But RI
bault did not ascend the river as high
as Jacksonville. He went from the
mouth OF che river 20 Port Royal, 8. c.
In 1854, one year after the depar-
ture Of Ribault. Rene Landowners,
who had been with Ribault on the
first expedition, came to the mouth Of
the St Johns with another colony of
Huguenots, and assembled the river as
far ms the present site Of Jacksonville.
camping probably on the south side of
the river on territory now covered
by South Jacksonville. These were
the first white men to penetrate the
country above the mouth OF the river.
In honor Of the day of discovery, May
/. Ribault gave the river the name of
May, and this stood until the Span
iardB whipped out the French, some
years later. The Spaniards called il
the River San Mateo at first. but later
changed It's name TO San Juan. From
this 1t finally became the st. Johns.
Old Fort Caroline was situated at St.
Johns blum some miles below the
city OF Jacksonville. No sign OF this
historic fort remains. not even q slab
20 commemorate It's mournful story.
During the reunion, steamboat ex-
cursions win be run TO all these points
OF historic interest on the st. Johns
river. It Is but twenty-seven miles
from Jacksonville to the mouth OF the
st. Johns. where the government has
constructed, with the aid of Jackson
vile, and the State Of Florida. a sys-
tenn OF Jetties. deepened the water ON
the bar and otherwise protected navi.
cation. In passing between Jackson
vile and the 1etties. the visitor will
have no trouble locating the sites OF
old forts that were erected nearly four
hundred years ago by the French and
Spanish. The trip Is one OF the most
delightful in the Southern States.