The rich aroma of roasting coffee has long been woven into the fabric of Jacksonville’s identity. While many associate that familiar scent with Maxwell House, it was neither the first nor the only company to fill the city’s air with the fragrance of fresh-roasted beans in the early 20th century.
In fact, Jacksonville was once home to a vibrant coffee roasting industry, with several pioneering businesses contributing to its legacy. What follows is a look into the fascinating history of the city’s early coffee roasting plants, and the people who helped shape this enduring tradition. Read More
While most states recognize Juneteenth as either a state holiday, ceremonial holiday, or day of observance, many things we take for granted today such as the coffeehouse, tea rooms and the international city of London are examples of things that once flourished off the backs of enslaved labor through the transatlantic slave trade. Read More
A walk inside the former Neff House on Fort George Island. Built in 1926, it was later home to the Betz family, who in 1974 found a strange metal orb in the woods known “Betz sphere”, which has never been identified. Today, the house is owned by the National Park Service and has fallen into disrepair in the woods of the Timucuan Preserve. Read More
The major deal to bring a University of Florida graduate campus to Downtown Jacksonville hinges on the City acquiring LaVilla’s Interline building so classes can begin in August. City Council is debating whether to trade the property for something we have too much of – vacant land – or tap the city’s reserves to buy it outright. Of the two options, a land swap is the better deal on the table, by far. Read More
