Date in History

Opening of the Carnegie Library

1905 – The Carnegie Library in Jacksonville was officially opened to the public on this date. In May of 1901 a devastating fire destroyed most buildings in Jacksonville including the city’s library. In 1902 industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie agreed to donate $50,000 towards the construction of a new library provided the city designate a site and provide $5,000 annually for library support. When the library was opened, it was the largest and only tax-payer supported library in Florida. The original building still exists, but is now privately owned.

Florida’s first governor native to the state was born

1821 – Ossian B. Hart, Florida’s first governor native to the state was born in Jacksonville on this date. His father Isaiah Hart was one of the founders of the city of Jacksonville and they lived on a plantation on the banks of St. Johns River. He served in the Florida House of Representatives and held a seat on the Florida Supreme Court before being elected the state’s 10th governor on January 7th, 1873. Shortly after being elected however, Hart fell ill and died in Jacksonville on March 18th, 1874.

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