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.” 

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.  

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. 

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.

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