The Murray Hill neighborhood began its roots in 1906 as an outgrowth of the 1901 Great Jacksonville Fire. After the fire, the city began rebuilding and Murray Hill was one of those areas near to the downtown that was platted to welcome new homes, businesses and people. When the area had some growth about it, a new school was built in 1916 at 1090 Dancy Street. It would be called the Murray Hill School. Ruth Upson taught school in Duval County and became principal at this school. This westside neighborhood was about to boom and Ruth N. Upson was a part of that growth.
First Named Murray Hill School(Ramey Collection)
This school has served the Murray Hill area for over 100 years. The school opened in 1916 and in December of 2016 had a 100 year party to celebrate. People came from all around to be a a part of this event including former attendees. There were scrapbooks, newspaper articles and more shared on this exciting day. Resident News posted photographs of the event on their site which included many of the artefacts brought and former students.
Former students of Ruth N. Upson School. Class photos.
There were items that had the Murray Hill School name on it dating back to its founding. After Ms. Upson served as principal, a petition was sent around to rename the school in her honor. Ruth Newell Upson retired in 1949 after 32 years as the principal.
Ruth Newell Upson (Duval Public Schools)
Ms. Upson was born in Syracuse, New York on June 10, 1879. According to Evergreenjax, she moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 1885, attended St. Johns Church school and graduated from the University of Florida in 1903. She died on April 15 at the age of 88. On the school website, it says, she passed away” in 1968 but will forever be remembered as a heroine of our school.”
Ruth Newell Upson is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
See you tomorrow,
Nan
Sources: Duval County Schools, Wikipedia, Evergreenjax, Facebook, personal visit.
Recently, I read on a blog that Annie Lytle Housh, former teacher and principal of School number four, which was once called Riverside Park School and now called “Annie Lytle”, lived so close to the school that she could see the children at play. Unable to find that home in any records under her single or married name, I did research to find that Anne Housh lived off of Post on Hershell Street. The more I thought about it, stood on the street where she once lived, and looked towards the school, the more I realized that it could be true that she could see “children at play” on the school yard if…. Yes, children could be seen and heard by her from her front porch if the present walls of Interstate 10 were not there, no trees blocked the school yard and the homes in front of her house on Hershell were not there at the time.
Annie Lytle School # 4- Interstate 10 above(Ramey Collection).
In many descriptions the school is said to “overlook Riverside Park”. That being the case, Annie Lytle could indeed watch and even listen to the children on the playground as she lived in the house overlooking the park from north to south in the neighborhood of the school in which she taught and was principal for over 35 years.
Annie Lytle (Yearbook Photo)
Even now, the Riverside area of Jacksonville, Florida is a quaint area with unique homes and many with sustaining presence for our city. Many important and upstanding people of Jacksonville’s history have lived in and around the Riverside area over the years such as former Mayor Jonathan Greeley, Captain William James, millionaire John Murray Forbes, Art collector, Nina Cummer , Senator Wilkinson Call and more. Annie Lytle would have good company in the Riverside area going forward.
Annie Lytle House 1940( Ramey Collection)
Mrs. Annie Lytle Housh was by the account of the 1940 census record at least 62 when she lived at that address on the North side of the Hershell Road address with her older sister, Elenor Lytle, and her younger sister, Mary with her husband Charles Roberts.
Lytle lived in the center of this Hershell Street. The school is to the northeast of this photo.
Riverside Park School has had quite a history over these more than 100 years. Prior to a school named in the former principal’s honor, there was an 1891 wooden schoolhouse at that location and was referred to as, Riverside Grammar school. There is a park in the front yard of the school thus the name “park” fit it perfectly.
In 1915, the Duval County Public Schools set up a bond program of $1 million to build new schools. Public school number four was one of them and artchitect Rutledge Homes would complete the job in 1918.
Annie Lytle (Preservation Office Photo)
Annie Lytle became principal at the school and in the 1950’s its name was changed to Annie Lytle Elementary School Number Four. The school rocked along for many years but when the busy interstate was literally built in its front yard, the noise from all of the traffic caused educators to realize the school was no longer usable for learning. The children could not hear themselves think.
Very recently I dropped by to take some photographs of the old school. I walked the entire outer premises of the fenced building. I myself could hardly think due to the tremendous noise from traffic, fast-paced cars and automobiles zooming past above where I stood.
Annie Lytle school served the Riverside area for many years until an interstate road would disrupt its success and bring about great loss. At one time, the building, programs, events for learning was on a grand scale. The beautiful façade and the stately columns would serve the Jacksonville area well until it was closed in 1960. For at least a decade after closure, it was used as storage for the school system. It was condemned in 1971 and yet still some thought they might could rescue it from demolition. In 1980 the Ida Stevens Foundation bought the dilapidated school for $168,000 in hopes to put condos or living space there but eventually let it fall to tax default where it was picked up by Tarpon IV LLC in 2011 for a tax deed sale of $86,600.
Annie Lytle school was given the designation of an historic building in the year 2000. There were hopes someone would save it. In 2005, a team lead by Tim Kinnear, was formed calling themselves the “Annie Lytle Preservation Group”. For years they cleaned and did what they could to hold on to the dream to save the school but of late, the property seems too far gone and while many tried to save it, nothing substantial has come to fruition. From numerous break-ins, horrible graffitti, a fire, torrential rain coming onto the roof and it caving, the school is in such disrepair it is unfortunately, more than likely it is doomed.
Annie Lytle House was born in Ohio on December 31, 1871. She began her teaching career at Riverside Grammar School at the age of 17. She would teach and become the principal spending at least 35 years there. The school closed some three years after her February 21, 1957 death. She is buried at Evergreen Cemetery.
Annie Lytle House Grave (Ramey Collection)
We’re still hoping for Annie Lytle Public School Number Four.
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.
The Duval County School Board purchased 14 acres of land in 1955. An elementary school was built and named Mary McLeod Bethune. It opened, and operated for over forty years, closing in 2001 due to concerns of contaminated property. The land had once been known as Brown’s Dump located at 4330 Pearce Street which included some 50 acres. The school had been built on a parcel of that land.
In talking with Anthony who lives behind the school on Bessie Street, the land was tilled, new dirt brought in and the area cleaned up which he said he watched over the years from his own back yard. The school remains closed and use of the property is still being discussed in 2023. There is a “for sale” sign on the corner of the land.
In happier days, the school was a welcome organisation when it was built in the mid 1950’s offering hope for the future of the children in the area. It’s name sake had a history of giving and caring which honoured the community.
Mary McLeod Bethune was born in South Carolin on July 10, 1875. She died in Daytona Beach on May 18, 1955 and is buried there in Volusia County, Fl. She is credited with having been an educator, and “most influential” woman. In 2022, a statue of her was unveiled in the National Statuary Hall inside of the United States Capitol.
NMAH Archives Center
Scurlock Studio Records
0618
Series 4.5
Box 318
Mrs. Mary McLeod Bethune sitting in chair, 3/4 length frontal, wearing striped suit with corsage. Scurlock # 41883
The National Women’s History Museum wrote the following about Mary Mcleod Bethune:
“In 1904, her marriage ended, and determined to support her son, Bethune opened a boarding school, the Daytona Beach Literary and Industrial School for Training Negro Girls. Eventually, Bethune’s school became a college, merging with the all-male Cookman Institute to form Bethune-Cookman College in 1929.”
The school merged with the Cookman Insitute of Jacksonville in 1923 thus known as the “Bethune-Cookman University”.
Florida Memory notes that when she began her school she had “$1.50 in her pocket.”
In February of 2014, the portraits of three Jacksonville residents were re-discovered, improved upon and placed in a primary place on the walls of a Jacksonville Northside library. According to the Florida Times Union article, the staff at the Dallas James Graham Branch Library took special interest in the portraits of Mary McLeod Bethune, Mary White Blocker and Dallas James Graham, cleaned them up and had a ceremony to give them new prominence on the walls of the library.
The wall in the Dallas James Library (Ramey Collection).
I visited that library on Tuesday and a most kind person, Christina showed me their place on the wall. The frames looked new, the portraits large and a description highlighted all three people.
It was reported The Jacksonville Myrtle Avenue Library Branch opened in 1964. There was not even a plan for integrating Duval public schools until 1967. May 27, 1999, 28 years later, a judge indicated that the Duval Public School System was in “unitary status”. Progress was being made.
Just down the street from the library was Mt. Ararrat Baptist Church whose pastor was the Reverend Dallas Graham. Mr. Graham was known for being a pastor, owner of a funeral home and one outspoken about important social justice issues. He was the man who filed a lawsuit with the Duval County courts to allow Blacks to vote in either/or Republican or Democrat primaries. The judge ruled in his favor and in 1946 allowed Blacks to vote for either party. Mr. Graham died in April of 1976 and a year later, the library was named in his honor.
Dallas James Graham. ( Ramey Collection).
Mary McLeod Bethune was born in South Carolina “to parents who had been slaves”. Through a turn of events and with the help of someone, she attended college in hopes to become a missionary. Now living in Florida, she began a school for Black girls which over time merged with the Cookman school for boys of Jacksonville in 1923. Mary was president of Bethune-Cookman College from 1923-1942 and from 1946-1947. There is so much more about her life which begs attention including the fact that President John D. Roosevelt donated $62,000 to help her in her progressive network. Also, while serving as President of Bethune-Cookman she made the school library of use to all people. As a result, it became the first free library to Black Floridians.
Mary McLeod-Bethune (Ramey Collection)
Mary White Blocker was born in 1871. She was the daughter of William and Josephine White. She died in 1965 but not before making a huge difference in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1941, Ms. Blocker filed suit in Jacksonville, Florida “on behalf of herself and Duval County COLORED TEACHER’ ASSOCIATION and others similarly situated, in the Jacksonville courts so that Black teachers could be paid the same salary as White teachers. Of course.
Mary White Blocker (Ramey Collection).
When I read the article about these people, I just had to go see for myself the tribute, read about it and then share it.
“What?” Again, shaking my head, there is great amazement that people vote for the government who already basically owns them, to get an even stronger hold on their money by voting yes for a tax. My Father was a wise man. He said, “NEVER” vote for a tax. If the government really needs money they will take it from you anyhow and then you’ve given them more by voting yes on a tax. Never vote for a tax increase. Never.” So, I was one of the 81,602 or so who voted “NO” for the government to raise my taxes.
nraila photo grab
Yes, Teacher’s should be paid better. Being an educator for over thirty-five years, this is something I know first hand. Giving the government another penny though…. NO! Better use of the money they have could make this happen without raising property taxes.
The only thing I can think is that Jacksonville people have a heart for teachers which of course is a good thing but it appears they are going about their care for educators without thinking the DCPS already has an almost $3 billion, with a “b” budget!
According to local news reports, voters in Duval County voted to give the government even more of their money by passing the 1 mil property tax increase. This would be in an effort to help Duval County Public Schools pay better money which could attract better qualified teachers. Duval County Public Schools could better spend the $2.6 billion they voted for in August of 2022 to get and keep better teachers. From now on… always vote NO on a tax increase. (Ask me how I really feel about this.) 8-25-2022
