As I was leaving Durkeeville, a little unique community on the Northside of Jacksonville, I traveled past the James Small baseball park established in 1912. While driving, I saw three guys scrambling all around the grounds. They were young, dressed in orange and black shirts and looked college-age. With a bit of time on my hands, I turned back and spoke to the young men. They were students at Edward Waters University and had been practicing baseball on the field.
Over the years it has had different names, Barrs Field, Myrtle Avenue Ball Park and others, but the one I remember most was Durkee Field. The land had once been owned by Joseph Durkee a former Union officer during the Civil War. Durkee’s son later turned the field over to the President of the Jacksonville Baseball Association, Amander Barrs. Because it was on Myrtle Avenue, it took on the name “Myrtle field” I knew it was historic having the great Hank Aaron and Jackie Robinson play there years past.
The City of Jacksonville eventually purchased the park for $348,000. Following a fire that destroyed the original stadium another was built in 1936 which opened the field up for the Negro league and the Jacksonville Red Caps. By the 1970’s the field had received little maintenance and had fallen into disrepair. The City Council took on the task to save the park and in 1980 it was renovated and renamed J. P. Small Park in honor of a teacher and band director from the old Stanton School . From then until now many have used the field including Edward College University.
Vladimir Blanco spoke up first telling me that balls had been “hit out of the park” and they were scrambling to retrieve them. I asked about their team and all three seemed excited to be a part. Blanco was a junior and playing at catcher and pitcher. Joseph Di Cesare was a sophomore from Maracay, Venezuela playing as catcher and J.C. Medina was a graduate assistant and part of the coaching staff.
I learned that it has a small museum inside and in 2013 was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Drop by if you get a chance. You might meet some real sluggers.
See you tomorrow,
Nan
P.S. I had a photo made of the guys and put a gift card with it. They will think Mama’s in town.
Sources: Wikipedia, Google AI Overview, National Register of Historic Places, Vaughan Publishing, Nannette V. Ramey
Category: Parks, People, Sports | Comments Off on Durkeeville-Hit ‘Em Out of The Park
Fair Warning- This blog may make you heavy or uncomfortable.
[IMPORTANT- The homeless situation is tragic. There is no attempt to make fun or make light of anyone in this situation. While this is a true story, empathy, sympathy and help is still offered.]
Never in a million years would I have thought I would be an advocate for the homeless. For so long, when I’ve seen them on the street corners, I’ve thought, and sighed aloud to myself or under my breath, “Get a job”. I would never give them money to buy drugs. Never. (Oh, and as they say, “Never say never.”)
In 2012 after thirty-six years teaching, I retired and used my drop money to buy some properties in a low-income area of the city. Some of the places needed roof work, some needed flooring and the list goes on. I have family who would be willing to help but these projects take serious time and my family members have their own lives so I looked for other ways to get the jobs done. Being in a low-income area, there were a lot of homeless camps and people roaming the streets.
I would see a guy on a bike in the area and I’d stop him and say, “Hi, I need some flooring work done, do you do that and are you willing to help?” With the homeless, the answer is always, “Yes” so I had able-bodied people to help. What was never clear until working with them was if they really could do the job.(That story is for another day).
There are different groups in life. There are people with ailments, disabilities, gifts to sing, talents to create, jobs to build, and on and on. The homeless are in a group all by themselves. Just like other groups have specific characteristics, so do the homeless. The homeless are driven. Just like the opera singer at the most prestigious concert hall, the singer focuses on one thing- singing. The homeless (on a whole) focus on one thing- how to make money to pay for their habit of choice?
Yes, there are homeless who have mental issues, however, my experience is that the majority of homeless have a drug of choice problem and live to get that drug.
Regarding characteristics of the homeless: They are pack rats, dirty, messy, appear lazy(but so many are not), often late, don’t follow through, have trouble getting places and there’s more but that’s a start.
In working with the homeless, I’ve come to know them as people with a name and a story to tell. While they do not generally tell too much, in working with them you get to know a lot about them and find that they too have feelings, dreams, families and needs.
Where I stand now with the homeless is that it is definitely up to the Church to step in. Every single person who is in the body of Christ should witness to every single homeless person they see. Give them Jesus. That’s it! That would be the only thing to change their lives and yes, sometimes that means telling them about Jesus then shaking that hand with a bill in it.
Ever single church in the city of Jacksonville should have some type of ministry for the homeless . The number one goal should be that the homeless hear the Gospel of Christ that saves and importantly that delivers.
There is NO other way for them to change without God and there is a church on every corner who should know God and offer Him to those in need.
So I say to the church, not the homeless person- “Please… Get a job” in the business of sharing Christ with the homeless who are desperate to know Him. Jesus could transform their lives.
Rocco Morobito told others many years ago that he “was a believer”.
Photo given to Nan Ramey’s Class by Mr. Morobito, 2014
In 1968, The Kiss of Life photograph could be found on the front page of newspapers around the world. Even now, the photograph is celebrated on sites like Tic Tok, Instagram, Facebook, You Tube, news Channels and more. Even “Find A Grave” has a huge spread that tells the whole story. Those who work in the linesman industry say this event changed the way training was done. Certainly, it changed the families and friends of those close to the event.
Probably no one would have believed it but for the fact that Rocco Morobito captured it all on film. Morabito was a Jacksonville Journal photographer. He told the 4th grade students at Greenland Pines Elementary School in Jacksonville, Florida on September 4, 1994 that when he left for work that day, it was a normal work day as he was headed to get photos of the train strike. On the way there he saw linemen working on the poles near 26th and Grunthal. Following his trip to the train area he went back by the electricians only to witnessed a linesman slumped on a pole only held only by his harness.
Randall Champion had contacted a low voltage wire which shocked him and left him unconscious and hanging at the top of the power pole. One of the lineman working near him that day, J. D. Thompson realized what happened, took action and scaled up the pole giving Champion mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and saving his life.
Morobito happened to be at the ground level capturing it all on film which would later be a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph for News Photography. It was named, “The Kiss of Life”.
Mr. Morobito told the Greenland Pines’ students that on the way home he stopped by St. Paul’s, went in and knelt at the alter lifting up a prayer. He said to a reporter once, “I told you long ago that I am a believer” and when asked what made him drop back by where the JEA workers were, his response was, “ I believe in divine guidance…”
Champion lived to the age of 64 and is buried at Restlawm Memorial cemetery. Rocco Morobito died April 5, 2009 at the age of 88. He is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville. In 2024, J. D. Thompson, using a cane, was” honored with a City Council Proclamation commending him for his 1967 rescue of fellow lineman Randall Champion.”
I’d say it was a divine appointment.
Champion and Thompson at the Lineman Museum.(Photo-museum)
See you tomorrow,
Nan
Sources: Jacksonville Journal, Jacksonville Daily Record, You Tube, Greenland Pines Elementary, Rocco Morobito, Nannette V. Ramey,
Family members are our biggest heroes. (Ramey, age 10 at Capitol)
“Nobody cares”, some say but, I care and my Aunt and Dad are why…
Aunt Urbanna and my Dad are credited for the passion to keep up with history. Many who knew them feel the same. They spent so much time in their lives, photographing and writing it all down. All of my young life my aunt had camera in hand and took photos from the time we visited South Carolina, (our parent’s home), until we left. Often she would develop and send the photos to Jacksonville. We all loved it! It made us feel important, special and she was a witness to our lives. From that, our Dad would have us write on the back of the photographs so we later would know the occasion. Being a witness to the lives of others all fits together with everyone participating.
For items too big for a small box
Because of the love of history, my own archives, have photos of the founders of the internet, Rosa Parks, Jesse Jackson, several Presidents, and a dozen or more astronauts. There are famous people representing high-profiled cases like Cyril Wecht, Johnnie Cochran, and Jacksonville’s own, Judge Oliff. Also pictured is Mikhail Gorbechav, the Queen of England, the Prince, Princess and even Charlotte and the king-to-be, George. Oh, and there’s the King and Queen of Spain while in St. Augustine too. Jacksonville’s great First Baptist Church, has allowed for photos of famous pastors such as John MacArthur, John Philips, Adrian Rogers, Billy Graham, Franklin, his son and more. All being a witness to God’s greatness.
Boxes of labeled photos
History matters and Jacksonville, Florida has had the run of it. In recent months, I have wondered what in the world will happen to those pics going forward, so I’ve tried to organize them, categorize them and put them in ABC order but it’s just not as simple as that. Certainly not if you have at the very minimum of many thousands of photographs. For example, there are 88,000 photos in my 2 terabyte Apple phone right now. (Really). (And I have photos of Apple’s co-founder, Steve Wozniak too.)
Filing system to get photos filed
Now, it must be said. I’m really a “wanna-be photographer. I am not professional by any stretch. I consider myself a historian, so some of my photos are simple basic shots and simple images of very famous people.
Being a witness to the lives of others is important. While I’ve taken pics of the famous, I keep up with my own family, the real heroes in my life and click away every chance I get. Also, it is important to write on the backs to document those events. Anyone finding those photos will know who those famous family members are one day.
What about you? Whose lives are you viewing on a day-to-day basis and are you saving their images for future family members and historians alike? Tip of the day. Put names, dates and places on the back of all photos. History fades with time so as you witness, document as well.
Idell Virginia Highsmith Lee was truly a pioneer in the 20th century and she lived in a log cabin to prove it. She married Ezra Marmaduke Lee on April 22, 1923 in Duval County, Florida. Together they built a real log cabin at 9313 Crystal Springs Road on Jacksonville, Florida’s westside. When I met “Granny Lee”, her husband Ezra of 39 years had recently died leaving her alone in the cabin but with grandkids all living on the land next to her.
My memories of Granny are fond. She celebrated the many who dropped by to see her. They were always welcome in her 2 br family-built log cabin. She told me that she, Ezra and with some neighbor’s help build the cabin not long after they married. It was a long project and took some time to build but it was theirs and they were so proud of it.
The log cabin was small and unique with about 14 logs top to bottom on each wall. There was little chinking inside and on some walls, the only covering was the outside small square wood siding. It was certainly not weather tight. Chinking or daubing is a mixture of clay, mud, sand and sometimes wood splits that is mixed together and used to pack in between the logs to fill all gaps. The purpose would be to prevent weather concerns, insect problems and air leakage. On the inside of their log cabin, some walls had only daubing where the corner logs met. It would be important to put some daubing at the corners to prevent log movement and they met that need with no worry.
The Lee cabin had two four glass pane entry doors; one in the front and one out back with a screen door as well. The steps were wooden and there was a single hand rail for support to come in and out. All of the way around side to side and front to back there was wood siding. By 1971 it looked weathered but in good shape.
Granny Lee died in August of 1996. Her tomb stone has a cross in the center. She loved the Lord and lived out His principles. She is buried next to her beloved Ezra at Evergreen Cemetery. Her family eventually sold the land and the Lee log cabin was demolished for a beautiful and stately home made of brick and mortar. I had a photograph framed and will give to the folks who live there honoring her legacy.
See you Tomorrow,
Nan
Category: People, Westside | Comments Off on The Lee Log Cabin
[IMPORTANT- The homeless situation is tragic. There is no attempt to make fun or make light of anyone in this situation. While this is a true story, empathy and help is still offered.]
In 1990, thirteen works were stolen from the Isabella Steward Garden Museum. Among the pieces taken was a Vermeer and a famed Rembrandt painting valued at some $500 million.
Certainly, I have nothing of that value in the artwork that I put in a rental in 2025 but what was stolen from the small 1 br/1 ba rental unit was nonetheless, mine. The artwork was removed in January, between the hours of approximately 2 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. the following day. Someone had “squatted” in the rental and upon leaving removed the artwork from the walls.
Had a handyman and I not been looking to cover pipes for weather protection, this devastating loss may not have been discovered until it was too late. We opened a small fenced area beside the rental unit and found a person’s bedding, boots and bags of clothes along with three paintings. The artwork depicted the 19th-century creative movement of the “impressionists” work. In one art piece, the muted blue-grey colours captured life centred around windmills. In the other two paintings, the works showed life in countries such as Italy, Spain, or Greece. All three paintings still had the beautiful gold frames intact and had not been harmed otherwise. Obviously, the squatter had moved out and was soon to move on- with the paintings.
Fortunately, we were able to collect the paintings and place them back in the small unit for future guests to see and appreciate. We are still on the lookout for the thief. We believe it to be a female because of the go-go-boots left behind. The paintings are back on the wall.
See you tomorrow,
Nan
Category: Art, People, Random Posts | Comments Off on Not a Vermeer or a Rembrandt But They Were Mine
Rosa Parks was a civil rights advocate and icon. She came to Jacksonville on many occasions including in 1986,1994 and 1996. Ms. Parks was also at the Sheraton St. Johns on one stop banquet for the Florida Voters League. She also spoke at the SCLC convention in Jacksonville in 1886. In 1994, Ms. Parks talked about her days of segregation reported by news stations when she visited Edward Waters College.
On one of her visits Mrs. Parks had been traveling the country commemorating the 40th year bus boycott. On this particular day, she was being honored at the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce which was “by invitation-only”. The day I got invited in to see her was a Wednesday, February 7, 1996. On that day in history a photograph of Mars was featured by NASA, the number one song in the US, ”One Sweet Day”, sung by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men and I was invited in to meet and greet Rosa Parks at the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.
It was late afternoon on Wednesday when I went to the First Baptist church in downtown Jacksonville, got my children settled into their classes and was heading up the back stairs of the singles building on Church street to go to my meeting. A friend of mine said, “Hey, why are you here? I thought you would be photographing Rosa Parks? She’s at the Jacksonville Chamber just down the street”. I had no idea but with a thanks to my friend and having my camera in the car, I immediately turned around and went out the door to head to the chamber. When I got to the chamber of commerce door there was a very large sign to my left in the glass window announcing Ms. Parks visit. I noted immediately that it said, “By invitation only”. Not long after I read the signage, Bob Ingram, a tall black man, walked up, held the door for me and said, “Let’s go, Ms Parks is waiting for us”. I was personally invited in and the rest is history.
The day I met Ms. Parks I had a broken arm with a cast. That cast caused her to motion for me to come and sit by her. She looked straight in my eyes and patted the seat next to her and motioned for me to come sit. I walked over, sat down and we had much to talk about. She wanted to know what happened and from that conversation, we had many others including talking about her journey having refused to move her seat and give it to a white man. Before the evening was over, Mrs Parks and I were BFF(Best Friends Forever). Certainly I was honoured.
Rosa Parks started a huge movement in 1955 as she was fined $14 for not giving up her seat to a white person as it was considered “a deliberate act of civil disobedience”. On that day she was arrested which brought about a boycott. This lead to more than 90 other defendants in other cases sparking a total change to the way black people were viewed and treated. The boycott according the to to library of Congress lasted 381 days and led to a 1956 Supreme Court decision banning segregation on public transportation. ( Library of Congress). And now, she has her own station named in her honor in Jacksonville.
Mrs.Parks was born February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She was 83 the day I met her having a birthday only a few days prior. She married Raymond Parks and attended and was a member of the AME serving at St. Paul AME church in Montgomery, Al. She is said to have served as a stewardess and Sunday School teacher, another thing we had in common.
Rosa Parks died on October 24, 2005 at her home in Detroit, Michigan. She was captioned as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement”. There are many who give her credit for the fame of Martin Luther King as he took on her cause making important changes to freedom for all.
On October 29, 2005 at her hometown church in Montgomery a memorial was held. So many special and important people came to honor her life such as then, Secretary of State, Condi Rice,MLK III, the son of M. L. King, the Reverend Joseph Lowry; co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with MLK, jr., Reverend. Al Sharpton, actress, Cicely Tyson and more. The AME church was full with hundreds outside as well. I was in that group and proud to have met her personally years ago.
Parks body was carried from the Ross-Clayton Funeral home in Montgomery, transferred to a horse drawn carriage and taken to the AME church on N. Ripley Street for the memorial service. She had died of natural causes at the age of 92. Mrs .Parks was taken from the funeral home in a white hearse and then transferred to a horse-drawn carriage for public viewing. to a I walked behind the carriage that day was thankful to have met her and vowing that I would seek to stand up for what is right in a world gone wrong.
After the celebration of her life in Montgomery , Rosa Parks was flown to Washington DC for 2 days as the nation paid its respect. Those attending her Washington Memorial service were many such as President George W. Bush and First Lady, Laura, Majority Leader Bill Frist, Minority Leader Harry Reid, Secretary of State Condoleeezza Rice, Oprah Winfrey, Julian Bond, U. S. Ted Kennedy, former President and First Lady, and Bill and Hillary Clinton and many more.
February 27, 2013 a statue was unveiled in the U. S. Capital in National Statuary Hall of Mrs. Parks.
Sources: Personal experience, Wikipedia, Google, Library Congress, St. Pauls’ AME church,Henry Ford Museum. Photos:Public domain, Police dept., Nan Ramey.
Category: History, People | Comments Off on “Rosa Parks is Waiting for Us”
As would be expected when I heard that the 5th President of the United State’s son, Jame Monroe had once lived in Jacksonville, I had to find some evidence. It has always been of interest to me to know famous people who have graced our city. Elvis Presley never lived in Jacksonville, but he stayed often in a home in the Murray Hill area. The esteemed preacher and evangelist, Billy Graham spent many occasions in Jacksonville as he preached the Gospel of Christ and even had his doctors here at the Mayo hospital. I photographed him in the once-called “Gator Bowl” and saw him on our Jacksonville newscasts visiting places in our city. Rosa Parks came to Jacksonville on at least two occasions where I met her and she invited me to sit beside her and tell how I broke my arm which was in a cast at that time. There have been many well known visitors who have spent time in our fair city and so to read that a former president’s son had actually spent most of his life here, it was certainly worth detailing.
After reading through a number of stories online, I set out first to find his grave which was found in a cemetery on the westside of the city. Sandy Strickland, a former writer of the Florida Times Union newspaper had written an article “Gravely Hill is a Cemetery within a Cemetery”. Using that as the basic information, “Maps”, provided the address and a trip to the old cemetery dating back to at least the 1830’s was found literally inside the fence of Riverside Memorial Cemetery’s chainlink fence. The sign reads “Gravely Hill Cemetery Historical Landmark, NOTICE Any alterations or work performed on these premises must have authorization by M. Weeks 904-268-1934”. Another sign indicated the property was being maintained by the City of Jacksonville. I learned that the 200 acres of Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery had built its cemetery around the Gravely Hill cemetery. Sandy Strickland named her article precisely that.
Walking through the lawn-cut grounds, I read the names on the stones such as Price, Hogan, Bramlitt, Pacetti, Lauramore, Hills, and of course, there was the grave of a James Monroe flanked by an American flag. On the tomb stone there is no birthdate but only his day of passing.
According to online information from Ann Parkinson, the Concordia Sentinel, October 30, 2009 has him listed as the “oldest Confederate veteran of the American Civil War” at 133 years, 11 months, 24 days at death”. , Monroe says he was born on the 4th of July in 1925. That would have made him 133 years upon his death in June of 1949. Tim Gilmore, a Jacksonville enthusiast wrote in his article “If James Edward Monroe were 133 years old when he died, then he was 22 when, in 1837, Steven Eubanks stated in his will that he wished to be buried beside “the grave of my departed mother in the burial ground on my plantation called Gravely Hill.”
According to sources such as Gilmore, James Edward Monroe was a wanderer and could have been found removed by the police for squatting in the Riverside area during his time in this city.
After reading and researching for a time, there is no real evidence to indicate that J. E. Monroe lived from 1815-1949 except that its on actual official records and on a stone in Gravely Hill. According to a 1926 Associated Press article, he was a major in the military, fought under the command of General Robert E. Lee and there is a post card with the words “Major Edward Monroe youngest son of President James Monroe, 110 years old July 4, 1925. Jacksonville, Florida. ( Find a Grave, James Monroe photos)
Photos from the Find a Grave site: Jacksonville Journal photo, a post card, Pres. James Monroe, Elizabeth, the President’s mother (which is said the Jacksonville Monroe has among his belongings.)
Monroe, The 5th President of the United States is listed as being born April 28, 1758 and died July 4, 1831. He was known as a statesman, lawyer, diplomat, President from 1817-1825, and the last of the Founding Fathers. According to White House records, he and Elizabeth Kortright had three children: Eliza(1786), James (1799) and Maria ( 1802). There is no mention of a James Edward. So, did he live to be 133? Was he the youngest son of the 5th President of the United States?
See you tomorrow,
Nan
Sources: Sandy Strickland , “Gravely Hill is a Cemetery within a Cemetery, The Florida Times UnionMarch 12, 2018,). Tim Gilmore,Gravely Hill Plantation and Graveyard, , December 7, 2018., Find a Grave photos, Find a Grave. Com, James Monroe, White House . Gov.
The situation is bad; really bad. At this time in the city of Jacksonville, dating back to a rule that went in effect February of 2023, people are banned from panhandling on street corners and drivers can be fined up to $250 for handing out even a bottle of water to a homeless person. Those who voted for this ordinance say it is a safety issue but to those without a home, food and drink, it is a nightmare, as if they already don’t have one day-in and day-out in their lives. They each one live that nightmare. Daily. YES, it is their fault. YES, they have gotten themselves in this horrible condition but now what?
As of 2023, they cannot get money, food or drink by a hand-out. You say, “Go to a shelter”. How to find them? How to get there? Are they open 24/7 or are the homeless to eat only once a week? If given food, how will they carry it? Where will they store it? The questions go on and on and on.
It is my guess that 99% of the homeless are on drugs. Their bodies rage with the need to satisfy a longing within. They are seriously dependent on drugs. They cannot control this rage thus they beg, borrow and yes, even steal to solve this horrible addiction. The city leaders’ response to this was to shut down their begging which leaves borrowing and stealing but the rage continues. A drug addict cannot control his or her body. This is a serious problem; a devastating dilemma. In truth, there is only one real answer: God, and they curse him day and night.
Then people say, “Well, they should not have gotten in this situation”. Well, they did. Now what? Another person may say, “Okay, get a job”. How? They are hungry, have no way to get clean, no clothes to look presentable for getting a job, no way to know where jobs might be, no transportation to get to the job interview if they could figure that out, no phone or communication, and the problems continue. And, most of their focus is on the basic needs that everyone has, to eat, and drink.
These thoughts shared here are not to give the homeless a pass. No, it is to hopefully wake up the church, the Body of Christ to see that there is a mission field out that that is almost untapped. The homeless are truly desperate not just for the necessities of life but for the God who created them and can change them. At this point, any homeless I’ve met curse God and so often blame Him for their wayward behaviours.
Now is the time for the Church to step up and make the difference. The situation is dire and the stakes are high. It is almost hopeless in truth. The Church knows it cannot align with the government without the government controlling the church so there is that problem. On the other hand, without the one true God, the homeless have no hope of true recovery.
The homeless don’t have jobs. No they aren’t clean or upstanding pillars of the community but in fact they are desperate and if every church in the city of Jacksonville had even one ministry to help the homeless, lives could be saved and changed.
Here are possible Church Ministries to be considered and, with every single one it should include a time of preaching and learning of God’s grace and glory.
Church Ministries
Bible Lessons, Church Services, Clothes Closets, Food Pantries, Job Opportunities, Shower Stations, Skill Training
There is so much the church could do to help the homeless. The time is now. The need is real. If you’re a true Christian and reading this, please pray that the churches in Jacksonville will step up and meet a serious need in our community. Talk to your church leaders and see what one thing each church could do. The body of Christ is God’s hands and feet and they are so needed at this time in our city.
See you tomorrow,
Nan
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.Proverbs 19:17
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: Deut 15:7
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor. Prof 14:31
He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. Prov. 28:7
Sources: City of Jacksonville Ordinance, Personal experience with homeless, COSAC Foundation
Category: Churches, People | Comments Off on The Homeless in Jacksonville. The Church Their Only Hope
Lee Adams, as he was known, was a botanical artist, painting birds, fruit, flora and fauna. He is known for his opportunity to paint four large murals for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. His home was in Jacksonville, Florida where he attended West Riverside Elementary and graduated from high school in Duval County. For a time he and family lived in Mandarin as indicated in the 1940 census.
Early Years
For much of his life he painted birds, flora and fauna. His work is colourful and rich with detail to the intricacy of body parts including the beak, wings, legs and more. His paintings can be found in the St Vincent’s hospital, West Riverside, elementary school auditorium, the Beaches library, and a remarkable refurbished 12’ x 30’ mural of Ribault’s Landing on the fourth floor of the downtown Jacksonville library.
Lee Adams was the youngest of three children with two elder brothers, Thomas Burton Adams, Jr. and Alexander Hamilton Adams. His elder brother was a real estate developer turned politician. He was a member of the Florida Senate from 1956-1960, Florida State Secretary from 1961-1971 and the 10th Lieutenant Governor of Florida from 1971-1975.
Adam’s father, Thomas Burton Adams and mother, Carolyn Sykes Hamilton Adams are buried in the same cemetery as he and Lee’s wife, Mimi.
Making the Past Come Alive
My grandson, Ramey and I spent a day following leads to the life of Lee Adams, as he was called. It was at Oaklawn Cemetery that we met Nicole Ruff, one of Oaklawn’s consultants. It was great discussing the life of Adams, his influence on Florida, life in Mandarin and artwork that is now world-wide. Her help in our finding his grave and realizing that his family also had a family plot.
Adam’s wife, Mimi, was known for her environmental passion and headed up the Jacksonville Air Pollution Control Board. She was the first chairperson of the board formed in 1968. The two of them were interested in environmental issues. The Avondale park in Duval County is named in their honor and there are some plaques in various parts of the city given for their work on the environment.
This entire week, time was spent visiting each place where his work can be seen and it was found highly insightful. At the Beaches library, the mural work is colorful and beachy. At West Riverside Elementary School, Data entry clerk, Jeanine Mann, a seeming authority on the history of the school, gave the tour of the auditorium where three large paintings sponsored by large corporations hung high and grandeur. One painting was themed of NASA and space, another of Florida and transportation, including airplanes, trains, with communication ties, and the third of the cowboy and cattle segment of the Sunshine State. In that auditorium is also where the music class with Mr. Warren is held. While we were viewing paintings, he could be heard literally, singing to the children’s they entered the class. He also has stories to tell of the history of the school built in 1911.
Researching this artist, the most favourite in our minds was finding that of the 12 x 30 colourful mural of “Ribault’s Landing”, celebrating Christian Huguenots landing along the St. John’s River and the first Protestant prayer “within the limits of the present-day United States”. This painting, now hangs on the South wall of the 4th floor in the downtown Jacksonville library. In May of 2021 the city of Jacksonville announced the mural would be “installed in the Florida Collection” area after having been revived from years of neglect.
The scene, painted by Lee Adams and refurbished by artist Jim Draper, represents the story of Huguenot, Jean Ribault, his crew and Timuquan Indians at the landing in Fort Caroline in 1562. It was the place where the French “knelt in prayer, beseeching God’s guidance and commending the natives to His care”. The marker on Fort George Island says, “This was the first protestant prayer in North America.”
First Protestant Prayer Marker, Fort George Island, Jacksonville, Fl. This marker was erected by the Jacksonville Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, on March 11, 1938. The text on the marker reads as : ” Jean Ribaut and a party of Huguenots landed the morning of May1, 1562 on this island. Here they knelt in prayer, beseeching God’s guidance and commending the natives to his care. This was the first Protestant Prayer in North America.”
Incredible Surprises
According to the Florida Times Union story by John Carter, the large mural was found rolled up in the basement at Robert E. Lee High School. It was originally created in 1959 and hung at the downtown 2nd floor dining area in the Sears building on Bay Street, not too far from the Main street bridge. In 1981, the store relocated moving to Regency Square and the building was demolished making way for the Omni hotel. The art piece was rolled up and taken to Lee High school. Although it has been said the artwork was stored in a box which was even nailed shut, the rolled up artwork was nested by rats, roaches and took a toll on the beautiful oil work. It would need a full restoration.
In the newspaper article, Jim Draper, Pedestrian Gallery owner helped with the restoration promoted by City Council President Jim Overton. Through a turn of events, and special project of the school principal, Jane Condon, the painting was displayed at the LaVilla School of the Arts for a time.
According to The Daily Record, the Fort Caroline refurbished painting was “officially unveiled on the fourth floor of the library” on Tuesday, May 1, 2012 in celebration of the 450th landing.
Lee Adams and his wife were killed in a tragic automobile accident on Roosevelt Blvd in 1971. We looked on Findagrave.com for the location of his internment but we had to search further. Soon, we found that he was buried at Oaklawn Cemetery along with family members.
Regarding Adams’ work
Finding Adams’ artwork is sketchy and quite expensive in most venues. On eBay, his art is going for $450. and up. On the “Invaluable” auction site, his “Parrots” piece is estimated between $800- $1,500. On Facebook Marketplace, there are two prints going for $50. I have purchased them along with World’s Fair tickets and the official guide. The paintings now hang on my wall. Pleasure.
See you tomorrow,
Nan
Sources:
Wikipedia, The Daily Record, Family Search, Jacksonville Library, Oaklawn Cemetery, Florida Times Union, Oaklawn Cemetery, Personal visits. 2-29-24
