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.

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.

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”.

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. 

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. 

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.