Seeing Queen Elizabeth in person in 2007 was a pleasure and then again in 2001 when Kate married the future King of England, William. There she was in her gold carriage bumping along with horses-a-pulling. I really wondered then how much she enjoyed that ride because it appeared so bumpy. I suppose watching all of the watchers was her most fun part of the trip. There I was on a 6 foot ladder that I had brought from America. Actually, I had two ladders; the large one and a smaller kitchen-type whereby the top would round out and you’d just plop upon it.
Will and Kate after the wedding. 2011
My sister and I went to the edge of Buckingham Palace to get the royals coming in and out of the gate. The girls, Katie, Kristie and friend, Rachel went to see the “kiss”. Yes, after me getting ribbed all a long about carrying a ladder, they took that one. “Bawwwwww!”. We were able to see so many things including the Queen and her husband, Philip.
Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Philip.
That was a great day in all of our lives as we saw first-hand the wealthiest of people sporting for the “folks”. It is God who sets up Kingdoms. While we think we’re all in charge of things, it is clear from God’s Word that ultimately, He is in charge.
My sister, Kathy and I went to the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II. We are now up for the coronation coming in May, 2023.
Long Live the King and Flat Stanley. I took him to Buckingham Palace and he’ll go again to the coronation.
The King of England has chosen for his cypher a crown with pearls with a Cross at the top. The cross is aligned to the cross of Jesus in Christianity. I do hope he lives out that faith all of his days as King.
Buckingham Palace News announcing the Kings new cypher- 2023
Beneath the gold crown is a large C and R with three strikes. The large C represents “Charles”. The R represents “Rex” which means “King”. The three strikes are representative of him being King Charles III.
Long live the King and may he live for Christ all of his days. I hope you will pray for him.
Oh! I forgot to tell you… I got my own copy of the cypher today in the mail. More details coming!
Snail mail is almost a thing of the past since the invention of the internet and email but… for the coronation of King George III and other very important events such as weddings, an actual invite is still in order.
Royal Invitation- Credit: Buckingham Palace
The coronation of King Charles III has not been seen in over 70 years so it is definitely a huge deal which only a comparatively small number can attend due to space in the Abbey. The guest list has been made and seats numbered and named for certain individuals.
Invitations not only come with the new royal cypher and seal but with instructions as to where to sit.According to NDTV, “admid the ongoing feud between the royals”, Prince Harry , the son of the King, will be seated 10 rows behind the royal family.
The invitation was published for all to see on the Royal website on April of 2023. According to Royal. Uk, “the original artwork for the invitation was hand-painted in watercolour and gouache, and the design will be reproduced and printed on recycled card with gold foil detailing”.
It has symbolic figures including:
Green Man- an ancient British folklore item representing “spring and rebirth”, the British wildflower meadow including a bee, butterfly, ladybird, wren and other such items, and Coat of Arms.
The artwork was designed by Andrew Jamieson, the “Brother of the Art Worker’s Guild, of which the King is an Honorary Member”.
I hope you got one if you wanted to…I’ll tell you about my invitation when I…
According to the Royal. Uk website, Buckingham Palace has “served as the official London residence of the UK’s sovereigns since 1837”. It was built in our around 1703 but has served the Royals for many years as the “Queen’s House” where she and dignitaries from all over the world meet. I guess this year, it may become the “King’s House” as King Charles III will be crowned.
Buckingham Palace, Royal Photo
In the late 1800’s in the Jacksonville, Florida area, Osceola, the Seminole Indian leader was captured near St. Augustine and taken to the Fort. Also happening in and around 1837 was the formation of the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, also known as Bethel.
Just above Jacksonville, on Amelia at that time the lighthouse, Florida’s oldest began guiding ships along the shoreline. State Supreme Court Justice Jamie Grosshans spoke at the River Club in 2021 and explained that those forming our state were putting together the Florida Constitution was written and adopted by 1838.
There are no buildings in and around Jacksonville that compare to the massive Buckingham Palace with its 775 rooms and yet we have our own great administrative building such as the St. James. It began as the St. James hotel in 1869 and was burned in the Great Fire of Jacksonville in 1901. It was rebuilt after the fire and reopened in 1912. It was one of the largest buildings at that time. According to Wikipedia, the St. James hotel could lodge some 500 guests and had a laundry area, barbershop, telegraph desk and place for concerts.
St James Hotel turned Jacksonville City Hall(Photo- Fl Memory)
The 117 West Duval Street place was purchased by the City of Jacksonville, Florida in 1993, remodelled it and reopened in1997. Today it serves as the Jacksonville City Hall.
There are no coronations there and yet this month in our city, we will elect a Mayor whose office will use our St. James Building. This month in London there will be a coronation of the King of England where he will continue to use Buckingham Palace as a residence and place to bring together leaders of the world.
I’ll take some pics while I’m there during this event and share them when I return.
See you tomorrow,
Nan
Sources: Jaxdailyrecord . Com, Wikipedia, Personal visit to the both sites.
Basically, everything you see in the photograph here is obsolete. We’ve all seen it happen even in our own lifetime. Some things we used to use are now unusable and… we’re shocked by it.( You can go see this room at the Greencove Springs jail. They won’t lock you in.)
Ramey is 9 and trying to get a grip on the Remington typewriter…
Here is a short list of things that are no longer, for the most part, used in our world today.
Cameras that point and shoot– The cell phone has made the point and shoot camera obsolete. In fact, you’re hard pressed to even find a point and shoot and if you do, it’s a relic and collector item and very expensive to buy.
Fire Tools– Flint and rocks were once a fire tool. Now, we have the match and lighter and a liquid click-lighter at that. Buy a set of them at any Ace Hardware or Walmart in Jacksonville.
Floppy Disks- The floppy was once the way in which to store your information, letters, documents, etc. Now, they are also collector items and dust collectors in offices all over the planet. You can find old ones at the Flea Market on Blanding Blvd. if you wish to collect.
Newspaper Adds and Sales– While the newspaper is still in production, it is only a fraction the size of the newspapers of the 20th century. Revenue is down and while newspapers are still printing, they are struggling to gain their readership even online because of the alternate opportunities. Craigs List, Facebook, Twitter, Google and other online sources are siphoning off the newspaper’s business.
Opaque Projector– Online, you can buy a “Lucy” that is similar to the opaque projector but it is for use with making an item larger in order to draw it out. The opaque projector was once used in classrooms all over to places words, documents and items on the wall for a group to view. Film projectors are now used and the digital phone can set it all up for the viewer.
Phone Booths– The corner phone booth was once a “must-have”. Without a phone in hand, every person in the world needed a way in which to get in touch with someone when they were out-and-about or travelling. You’re hard-pressed to find even a corner stand-up pay phone now-a-days. If you do find one…. There is one off of Franklin Street in Jacksonville, Florida but it does not work.
Photo Labs– At one time, we would drop off our film to a one hour lab and return in 60 to get it. Now, we simply select, click and pay online.
Rotary Telephone– The rotary telephone was once a mainstay in every home in Jacksonville. Stick your finger in the round numbered rotary dial and go around…. Dial that number in the 1960’s was so easy… “Evergreen 81817” and say hello. Of course, there was also the switch board operator at the Southern Bell who could place that call for you….”Number Please”, she would say. Occasionally, when the female operator was out, you might…not often but might hear a male voice.
Time Piece-The hourglass was once the way in which time was told and now, we use a watch, clock and more useful, using digital numbers on our cellular phones.
Typewriter-At Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida, they still use the typewriter. I noticed an IBM Ball typewriter there in the spring of 2023. The manager of the office indicated that they need a quick card typed to place in specifically-sized space and the typewriter is faster and quick in that case. They type the information of the deceased on a small card to go in a vault and in the main drawer for keeping cemetery plot information. Otherwise, the typewriter has basically been replaced by the computer and printer.
VHS Tapes– The home movie of the past, beginning in 1977 when they went on the market, was delivered on a VHS tape placed in a recorder to show on the television. From Gone With the Wind to your favourite Disney movie, it could be all displayed and watched. Popcorn a choice….The DVD took over in1997 but VCR’s stopped its productions in 2016. (If you do want a VHS for history sake, go to the Goodwill. The walls are full!)
Quill-The pen, reed dip, fountain pen have been replaced by the ballpoint and refillable pen.
Wayne Wood is the current premier historian of Jacksonville, Florida at this time. It is said that he has large terra cotta stones displayed in his yard from a public school that was demolished some years ago. It makes me wonder what D. Frederick Davis had in his Jacksonville yard? Hummmm? Davis wrote the book Jacksonville and Vicinity in 1925.
I feel that way about history too. Somehow stones, blocks metal cans, hubcaps and the like find their way either in my yard or on my Parent’s property. For example, in my own yard, there are the actual steel bars from the E. Bay Street Duval County Jail that was built in 1956 and demolished in 2012.
While the bars are not displayed but rather have grass and ferns growing around them, they are truly authentic, large and heavy. Those bars could be the actual ones that held the likes of the Revered, Dr. Martin Luther King when he spent time in lock-up in 1964. His stay in Duval County was historic and noted in the history books.
When the jail was being demolished, I stopped by and asked a crane operator if I could have one of the bars hanging from the building. He told me they were extremely heavy being solid steel but if I’d go get a trailer, he would load it. And I did… Within a short time, I had gone home, connected my trailer and returned to East Bay Street where he slowly and carefully lowered the heavy bars onto the axils. The old trailer tires thinned out on the riverfront pavement. The trailer and bars made it home. The load was so heavy a rope was tied to the bars and the truck driven off leaving the jail bar beside a tree where it remains today.In 2012, it actually needed up leaning by a tree but the tree is long gone.
The Monson Motel of St. Augustine, Florida was demolished in 2003. Somewhere in my photographs, there is an image of the Motor Lodge and pool where Dr. King was arrested on June 11, 1964. He and a group tried to eat at the newly established bay-front motel just down from the fort. The manager refused their entry. King was arrested and taken to the St. John’s county jail. He was later moved to the Duval County jail and locked behind bars because there were safety concerns.
If those bars could talk we would have yet another premier historian….
Going to the office at Aramark Food, Facilities and Uniform business, I had questions. Was Public School Annie Beaman once at the corner of 21st and Walnut Street? Did they have photos? Who might know about this? Also, I knew that Aramark had a food contract with the Duval Schools at least dating back to 2009 so there could be some connection there.
The man wearing a blue collar shirt who buzzed me in at the front office said, “I don’t know the name of the school but it was school #17 because we’re always getting mail here.”
Former location of Annie Beaman School-East Springfield area-circa 1917-1957
According to an April 22, 1987 “List of Schools and Year Built” sheet, Public School # 17 was built in 1917. By the time the list was printed, it had been demolished as noted by hand in the right column.
Public School # 17, Annie Beaman, was indeed located at the corner of 21st and Walnut from 1917 until at least 1957. We know this because in 1957, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer, Rocco Morobito had taken a photograph at the school of a pet rabbit with children saluting the flag. The photograph in today’s language was taken “viral” and people in other nation’s wanted a reprint of the image. When Mr. Morobito came to my classroom in September of 1994 he shared this photograph. It was highlighted in Life Magazine in October of 1957 and in 2022, the Florida Times Union shared it as a tribute to Jacksonville’s bicentennial event #jax200.
A copy was shown to Nan Ramey’s class at Greenland Pines Elem/1994 and Florida Times Union reprint, 2022
In addition, The Florida Times Union had a write-up on June of 1949 where four principals retired: Florence Hughes of West Riverside, Ruth N. Upson , Aaron Roberts of Lackawanna, and Annie Beaman.
Beaman is listed in the 1940 census as living in “Ward 8, Jacksonville, Election Precinct 8C, FL enumeration district 68-92”. She was listed as a participant at the National Elementary School conference in a 1949 bulletin and her home at some point was on Osceola Street in the Riverside area of Jacksonville.
Former home of Annie Beaman c 1940’s-Riverside (Photo Ramey Collection)
See you tomorrow,
Nan
Sources: Facebook source, Florida Times Union, current owner of the property, Rocco Morobito, photographer, Personal visit to Aramark and 21st and Walnut.
If you believe you are a copyright owner or can help with information regarding this article, including to clarify rights or information issues, please contact me. We are willing to remove any item from public view if there is any concern regarding ownership.
It has closed. After 30 years in Jacksonville, the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum clicked the lock and will no longer service the Jacksonville area. Karpeles manuscript library was begun by David Karpeles’. He had a love for old documents and began a collection which ended up being placed in about a dozen libraries in the United States.
Karpeles closing week. Grandson and I visited to find a metal detector scanning premises.
Jacksonville’s library was housed in the old 1921 building built by Marsh and Saxelbye once was used for First Church of Christ in Springfield. David Karpeles died in January of 2022. The Jacksonville location closed in January of 2023 as will others around the country while Karpeles’ daughter, Cheryl Alleman, and her brother, Mark Karpeles downsize and reorganize. It has been reported they will go from 15 manuscript libraries to 10 over time.
Manuscripts laying on the stage the week of closing.
For thirty years, Jacksonvillians and guests could visit and find rare and authentic documents such as the first printing of the Ten Commandments from the Gutenberg Bible (c 1455), the famous E=MC2 formula by Einstein, the original manuscript of Roget’s Thesaurus, the sheet music of the Wedding March, Abraham Lincoln’s signature of 1861, the Apollo Translunar trajectory plotting America’s space flight and more. Through the years manuscripts were transferred from one library to another rotating the authentic pieces so many could view them in glass cases.
East Coast founding c 1500’s10 Commandments first printed by Gutenburg PressTaxation without Representation document
The library opened in Jacksonville in 1992 and closed its doors here in January of 2023. I am told there is a small library nearby that can be visited. It is being touted as “the smallest walk-in-museum in the United States” and is located in the Nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine.
Mini Museum in St. Augustine, Florida-Opened 2023
You should check it out. I’m going to….
See you tomorrow,
Nan
Location:
St Augustine location for Karpeles Mini Museum-
St George’s Row- Unit L
106 St. George St.
St Augustine, Fl 32084
9:am-10:00 pm daily
FREE
Old location of the Jacksonville Karpeles-101 West 1st Street ( formerly 1116 North Laura Street)
The most secure depository in the world is said to be that of Fort Knox. It is operated by the United States Department of Treasury. It seems to me and I’m no security expert, that the original three banks of downtown Jacksonville could have given Fort Knox a “run for the money” in terms of security back-in-the-day.
Diebold vault workers (Sass Collection-Diebold via Jacksonville Blogger)
There are, at this moment still, in 2023, huge vaults under banks in downtown Jacksonville. If you take the Gary Sass tour you can see at least two and actually walk inside of one of them. Don’t close the door because if they can’t open some of the safes that have been there since 1877, they may not have the combination or key to the huge circular tumblers that open the vault. On the tour you can walk under the city streets , in tunnels prepared for vault use in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s by Jacksonville bankers.
Early Banks in Jacksonville (Florida Memory via Jacksonville Blogger)
It has been suggested that the vaults were so big, they were put in the ground first and the banks built on top of them. For years they were used to store three of the biggest banks in Florida’s money. When the downtown Jacksonville boom burst, the vaults were left unoccupied and unused.
The Barnett Bank of Jacksonville opened on the corner of Forsyth and Main in 1877. It would become the largest commercial bank in Florida with an excess of 600 offices and over $40 billion in deposits. The buildings with vaults beneath them still stand.
The Atlantic National Bank began in 1903. Banking efforts have changed hands over the years and today it is called Wells Fargo.
The Florida National Bank opened in 1905 which would become the 2nd largest bank in Florida at some point. All of those banks used the vaults for transferring money.
Through the years there have been many changes. There was the Great Fire of Jacksonville, Indian ‘wars, the Civil War, but one thing that has not changed is the huge vaults that once provided safe storage for the millions and millions and million of dollars, certificates and actual gold stashed in them for safety. Of course, there is no money there(that we know of) but the vaults are safe.
The tour begins by going underground and walking through several tunnels. The tunnels, for the most part look like office walls and walkways until you realize you’re under Forsyth Street, and then Julia Street and you look to see how the path goes down.
When you get to the end, you walk through a door to see a huge Diebold vault. This company was known for it’s security of money, valuables, records and more late in the 1880’s. It’s truly an “ah ha” moment when you see the huge gold-bronze looking safe. It makes you want see more, turn its tumblers and close the door. In the vault area, are old lock boxes that individuals would rent, some that are still closed and no one knows the combinations or have keys to the century old relics. If confederate money is in there, there is no value anyhow. Right?
The Woodstock Park area where Annie R. Morgan School sits is bounded by McDuff Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, Edgewood Avenue and West Beaver Street. Because of the outgrowth of the resurgence after the 1901 Great Fire of Jacksonville, neighborhoods around the city began popping up and the Woodstock area was one of them . It was located west of the city and platted in 1917.
Annie R. Morgan- School # 21
According to “thejaxsonmag”, there were “three major rail yards and shops operated by the Seaboard Air Line, Atlantic Coast Line, and Southern Railroads”. It was beginning to be a busy neighborhood with a need for homes and schools.
Annie R. Morgan Class Ms. Padgett, teacher (Paxon Facebook)
In 1915 Duval County voters approved a $1 million bond issue to build a dozen elementary schools. In 1919, School # 21 was built at 964 St. Claire Street. It was known as the Seaboard Shop School. According to the obituary of longtime principal Ruby Johnson, “there were four rooms, which now house the principal’s office, media center, teacher’s lounge, and the classroom adjacent to the principal’s office and auditorium”.
Annie R. Morgan, (Ramey Collection)
According to Ms. Johnson, Maida Lipscomb was the first principal assuming the position on May 8, 1917. On May 10 that same month, Miss Annie R. Morgan “was appointed to fill Miss Lipscomb’s place.” The details of this are unknown.
Records indicate that October 8, 1926, the Woodstock Parent-Teacher Association began. The name was changed in 1959 to Parent Teacher Organization with Mrs.Frances Austin serving as the first president.
Mrs Ruby S. Johnson came to the Woodstock school in 1935 and became principal upon the retirement of Miss Morgan in 1945. Ms. Johnson served Annie R. Morgan from 1945-1971.
She was followed by Mrs. Mildred Marshall. Other principals serving at Annie R. Morgan school were: Jon Thompson (1974), John Grieder (1976), Christine Solomon (1987-1991, Doris Deprell, Skip Hatcher and others.
It is believed that Annie R. Morgan was born in 1880. She graduated from Quincy Academy Teacher’s Institute as discovered by Richard Gainey the admin for the Annie R. Morgan Alumni Facebook page. Her relatives were as found by Mary Browning, an Alumni member, were Robert Marcellus Morgan who is buried at Evergreen cem, F. F. Morgan of Quincy, Fl. , George M. Morgan of Mobile, Al, Sister- Eva M. Blalock, Tallahassee, Fl.
Annie R. Morgan-2nd left (Florida Memory), (Richard Gainey Collection).
She lived at 305 East Duval Street when she was teaching and later lived on Wolfe Street in the Murray Hill area when she served as principal.
The homes at 305 East Duval are gone. The YMCA is being remodelled.( Ramey Collection).Homes just down from 305 Duval are still standing. (Ramey Collection).Homes in the Murray Hill area on Wolfe Street. ( Ramey Collection).
Ms. Morgan retired in 1945 at the age of 65. Her date of death and burial is unknown.
Tiffany Green began her teaching at Annie R. Morgan, taught at Woodland Acres Elementary School became an Assistant Principal and Principal. She is the current principal of School number 21, Annie R. Morgan.
If you have any details to add to this school history, please contact me.
See you tomorrow,
Nan
Sources: Paxon Facebook page, Sources: Ruby S. Johnson obituary, Ennis Davis of The Jaxson Magazine, United States Census, Richard Gainey, Mary Browning, Christine Solomon, Personal visit.
Please contact me if you have any additional information to add to this history. TY.
