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100-482: Samuel Friedland and his brother George Friedland opened his first "Reading Giant Quality Price Cutter" supermarket in the 1920s. The success of the first store led to the opening of more stores. In the late 1940s came the introduction of the name Food Fair . In 1958, Food Fair purchased Setzer's Supermarkets, a 38-store chain in the Jacksonville, Florida , area. In 1961, Food Fair bought J.M. Fields Department Stores ,

200-551: A Confederate Army at the Battle of Olustee , going down to defeat. Union forces retreated to Jacksonville and held the city for the remainder of the war. In March 1864 a Confederate cavalry confronted a Union expedition in the Battle of Cedar Creek . Warfare and the long occupation left the city disrupted after the war. During Reconstruction and the Gilded Age , Jacksonville and nearby St. Augustine became popular winter resorts for

300-468: A grand jury was convened to investigate, 11 officials were indicted and more were forced to resign. In 1963 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools threatened to withdraw accreditation of area schools in a year because of "instructional deficiencies". But voters refused to approve new taxes to improve school conditions. In late 1963, Duval County was spending $ 299 per student compared to

400-574: A $ 1.3 billion government cash advance to Perelman's larder while Sooner only provided $ 1.2 billion in assets along with the typical government guarantees. Sooner Federal was not only the last S&L Perelman bought, but the first he sold; In August 1992, he sold the pieces of Sooner to Bank of Oklahoma and Fourth Financial Corporation for $ 31.4 million. The following month he sold the rest of First Gibraltar to BankAmerica for $ 110 million, retaining four branches in Plano, Texas and $ 1.2 billion of assets in

500-565: A $ 175 million payment to Resolution Trust Corporation . Before 1995 ended, Perelman added two more thrifts to his collective: SFFed's $ 4.1 billion of assets for $ 250 million and Home Federal Financial's $ 735 million of assets and $ 662 million of deposits for $ 70.6 million. Just as quickly as he added assets, branches, and deposits in California, he dumped what he had elsewhere in the country. In 1995 alone he sold off 79 branches with $ 4.3 billion in deposits spread out across five states. 1996 went

600-520: A 900-square-mile entity. Tommy Hazouri supported passage of environmental regulations and reduced pollution odor during his single term as mayor, which began in 1987. Ed Austin was elected as mayor in 1991. His most lasting contribution is the River City Renaissance program, a $ 235 million bond issued in 1993 by the city of Jacksonville which funded urban renewal and revamped the city's historic downtown neighborhoods. Austin oversaw

700-526: A Spanish force from the nearby Spanish settlement of St. Augustine attacked Fort Caroline , and killed nearly all the French soldiers defending it. The Spanish renamed the fort as San Mateo and, following the expulsion of the French, St. Augustine became the most important European settlement in Florida. The location of Fort Caroline is subject to debate, but a reconstruction of the fort was established in 1964 along

800-507: A chain of discount department stores in New England . The latter chain grew substantially, expanding to areas already served by Food Fair, particularly in Florida . By the 1960s, most J.M. Fields stores shopping centers featured a J.M. Fields, Food Fair, or Pantry Pride grocery store. During the 1960s, Food Fair enjoyed great success, but the most significant purchase for the company was that of

900-757: A charter for a town government, which the Florida Legislative Council approved on February 9, 1832. During the American Civil War , Duval County produced several units that fought for the Confederate States Army . At least two were raised out of Jacksonville: the Jacksonville Light Infantry , a militia unit formed in 1859, and the Duval County Cow Boys, mustered in during the summer of 1861. Both units fought as part of

1000-700: A consortium of former New World executives. MacAndrews next purchased Pantry Pride Inc., in June 1985. Its three retail supermarket chains were sold off within months. In 1985, Perelman also took on his biggest deal yet: The Revlon Corporation . Financed with over $ 700 million in junk bonds from Michael Milken's firm, Drexel Burnham Lambert , Pantry Pride Inc. offered to buy any or all of Revlon's 38.2 million outstanding shares for $ 47.5 per share when its street price stood at $ 45 per share. Initially rejected, Perelman repeatedly raised his offer until it reached $ 53 per share, while fighting Revlon's management every step of

1100-487: A division of New World as part of the transaction. After Compact shut down, its remaining assets, including Four Star International , were folded into MacAndrews & Forbes. By the end of 1989, MacAndrews refinanced the holding companies' junk bonds for standard bank loans. The bulk of New World's film and home video holdings were sold in January 1990 to Trans-Atlantic Pictures, a newly formed production company founded by

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1200-651: A dozen times due to storms crossing the state from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, or passing to the north or south in the Atlantic and brushing past the area. The strongest effect on Jacksonville was from Hurricane Dora in 1964, the only recorded storm to hit the First Coast with sustained hurricane-force winds. The eye crossed St. Augustine with winds that had just barely diminished to 110 mph (180 km/h), making it

1300-443: A five-week trial, the jury deliberated for two days, found in favor of Perelman, and awarded him $ 1.45 billion. The damages stung particularly because Morgan Stanley passed up Perelman's offer to settle the case for $ 20 million. Morgan Stanley maintained that the court case was improperly decided, citing the judge's decision to use Florida law over New York law and her decision to order the jury to consider Morgan Stanley guilty before

1400-595: A large profit from the sale. Also in 1989, MacAndrews & Forbes acquired The Coleman Company , Inc., maker of stoves, lanterns, and camping and other recreational equipment, for $ 545 million. Perelman reduced the debt for this purchase by selling the heating and air-conditioning divisions. By the end of 1990 he had sold everything except Coleman's camping equipment and boat businesses, plus added power tool and recreational vehicle businesses. Between 1993 and late 1995 he bought seven more companies for Coleman. In December 1997, Perelman and Al Dunlap met in order to discuss

1500-416: A little slower, but not eventfully. He acquired California Federal Bancorp for $ 1.2 billion, creating the 4th largest thrift in the country with $ 32.3 billion in assets. In 1997, another $ 3.3 billion in mortgages were added courtesy of WMC Mortgage but it was an otherwise quiet year for First Nationwide. In 1998, Perelman negotiated a stock swap with Golden State Bancorp to create the third largest thrift in

1600-531: A number of important works to the city's modern architectural movement. Jacksonville's early predominant position as a regional center of business left an indelible mark on the city's skyline. Many of the earliest skyscrapers in the state were constructed in Jacksonville, dating to 1902. The city last held the state height record from 1974 to 1981. The tallest building in Downtown Jacksonville's skyline

1700-530: A possible deal between Coleman and Sunbeam Products . Coleman's famous but narrow brand held less growth potential than originally thought and Ronald Perelman wanted out. Coincidentally, Al Dunlap was sitting on a financially insolvent company he wanted to dump. It took until March 2 for them to finally come to an agreement: Perelman sold his entire stake (82%) in Coleman to Al Dunlap in exchange for $ 1.5 billion in cash and $ 680 million of Sunbeam stock. They completed

1800-403: A share in a matter of weeks and continued its downward spiral in the following weeks. Perelman bought control of Sunbeam in an effort to salvage the situation but it was for naught. The company had to file for bankruptcy within three years. On February 17, 2005, Perelman filed a lawsuit against Morgan Stanley . Two facts were at issue: Did Morgan Stanley know about the problems with Sunbeam and

1900-546: A single sports franchise, and for that franchise to be an NFL team. The Better Jacksonville Plan , promoted as a "blueprint for Jacksonville's future" and approved by Jacksonville voters in 2000, authorized a half-penny sales tax. This generated most of the revenue required for the $ 2.25 billion package of major projects, which have included road and infrastructure improvements, environmental preservation, targeted economic development, and new or improved public facilities. In 2005, Jacksonville hosted Super Bowl XXXIX , which

2000-485: A small Philadelphia chain called Best Markets. Best's private label brand was called Pantry Pride. The first Pantry Pride store opened its doors at 9:00 a.m. on August 26, 1964, in Hazlet, New Jersey , test-running a no-frills discount store approach. Soon, the stores that were under the "Pantry Pride" logo eventually became more popular than the "Food Fair" brand. By the early 1970s, Food Fair had converted most of its stores to

2100-521: A stone column at his landing site near the river's mouth, claiming the newly discovered land for France. In 1564, René Goulaine de Laudonnière established the first European settlement on the St. Johns River, Fort Caroline , near the main village of the Saturiwa. Philip II of Spain ordered Pedro Menéndez de Avilés to protect the interests of Spain by attacking the French at Fort Caroline. On September 20, 1565,

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2200-552: A strong Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale . In 1979, Hurricane David passed offshore by 40 miles (64 kilometres), bringing winds around 95 mph (150 km/h). Hurricane Floyd in 1999 caused damage mainly to Jacksonville Beach; the Jacksonville Beach pier was severely damaged and later demolished. In 2004, Jacksonville was inundated by Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne , which made landfall south of

2300-704: A unique park system, with various lands operated by the National Park Service , Florida State Parks and the City of Jacksonville Department of Parks and Recreation. Jacksonville operates the largest urban park system in the United States, providing facilities and services at more than 337 locations on more than 80,000 acres (320 km ) throughout the city. A number of parks provide access for people to boat, swim, fish, sail, jetski, surf and waterski. MacAndrews and Forbes MacAndrews & Forbes Incorporated

2400-457: A unit of Ronald Perelman 's Compact Video , later that year. Ownership of Compact Video Inc. was increased to 40% in 1989 after the buyout of Four Star International . It was purchased through a golden parachute deal that was negotiated with David Charnay's Acquisition and Ronald Perelman after Charnay was notified of stock purchases made by Perelman in 1989. In 1989, Perelman also acquired New World Entertainment with Four Star becoming

2500-612: A user from England, accepted the offer and had the pizzas sent to Hayecz's home. The 10,000 Bitcoins were worth about US$ 40 at the time. A plaque was mounted on the wall of the restaurant commemorating the day, with the declaration that Jacksonville is the "Home of the first Bitcoin purchase". This event marks May 22 as "Bitcoin Pizza Day" for crypto-fans. The city has suffered damage in natural disasters. In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew caused major flooding and damage to Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach , Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach ,

2600-480: A year. Normal monthly mean temperatures range from 54.2 °F (12.3 °C) in January to 82.5 °F (28.1 °C) in July; high temperatures average 65.5 to 91.9 °F (18.6 to 33.3 °C) throughout the year. The city of Jacksonville usually averages only about 10 to 15 nights at or below freezing. Such cold weather is usually short-lived. The coldest temperature recorded at Jacksonville International Airport

2700-434: Is a company founded solely for the purpose of buying out another company, but without any preselected target company. In Perelman's case, the company was selling 50 million units for $ 10 each. The IPO was being underwritten by Citigroup , but on December 12, 2008, a year after filing for an IPO, MAFS opted to withdraw their application for the "protection of investors". As of 2019, MacAndrews & Forbes held interests in

2800-526: Is an American diversified holding company wholly owned by billionaire investor Ronald Perelman . Current investments include leading participants across a wide range of industries, from cosmetics and entertainment to biotechnology and military equipment. The principal interests of MacAndrews & Forbes include AM General , Harland Clarke, Merisant , RetailMeNot , Revlon , Scantron , Scientific Games Corporation , SIGA Technologies , Valassis and vTv Therapeutics. MacAndrews & Forbes & Co.

2900-478: Is important to the Jacksonville area, particularly tourism related to golf with the PGA Tour headquarters located in nearby Ponte Vedra Beach . People from Jacksonville are known as Jacksonvillians and, informally, as Jaxsons or Jaxons (both derived from Jax, the shortened nickname for the city). The area of the modern city of Jacksonville has been inhabited for thousands of years. On Black Hammock Island in

3000-641: Is primarily sand and clay rather than limestone, so few sinkholes develop; however, deep, large diameter sinkholes do occur. The architecture of Jacksonville varies in style. Few structures in the city center predate the Great Fire of 1901 . The city is home to one of the largest collections of Prairie School style buildings outside the Midwest. Following the Great Fire of 1901, Henry John Klutho came to influence generations of local designers with his works by both

3100-563: Is the Bank of America Tower , constructed in 1990 as the Barnett Center. It has a height of 617 ft (188 m) and includes 42 floors. Other notable structures include the 37-story 1 Independent Square (with its distinctive flared base making it the defining building in the Jacksonville skyline), originally built in 1972–1974 by the Independent Life and Accident Insurance Company, and

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3200-619: Is traditionally divided into several amorphous areas, comprising large parts of Duval County. These are Northside , Westside , Southside , and Arlington , as well as the Jacksonville Beaches . Four municipalities have retained their own governments since consolidation; these are Baldwin and the three Jacksonville Beaches towns of Atlantic Beach , Neptune Beach , and Jacksonville Beach . Four of Jacksonville's neighborhoods, Avondale , Ortega , Springfield , and Riverside , have been identified as U.S. historic districts and are in

3300-539: The 3rd Florida Infantry . The St. John's Greys, the Milton Artillery, and Company H of 1st Florida Cavalry Regiment were also all formed by men from Jacksonville. Jacksonville was also a key supply point for hogs and cattle shipped from Florida to feed the Confederate forces. The city was blockaded by Union forces, who gained control of nearby Fort Clinch . Though no battles were fought in Jacksonville proper,

3400-749: The Chicago School , championed by Louis Sullivan , and the Prairie School of architecture, popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright . Jacksonville is also home to a notable collection of Mid-Century modern architecture. Local architects Robert C. Broward , Taylor Hardwick , and William Morgan adapted a range of design principles, including International style , Brutalism, Futurism and Organicism, all applied with an American interpretation generally referred to today as Mid-century modern design. The architecture firms of Reynolds, Smith & Hills (RS&H) and Kemp, Bunch & Jackson (KBJ) have also contributed

3500-650: The Jacksonville metropolitan area ranks as Florida's fourth-largest metropolitan region. The metropolitan area consists of Clay County, St. Johns County, Nassau County, and Baker County. Jacksonville straddles the St. Johns River in the First Coast region of northeastern Florida, about 12 miles (19 kilometers) south of the Georgia state line (25 mi or 40 km to the urban core/downtown) and 350 miles (560 km) north of Miami . The Jacksonville Beaches communities are along

3600-578: The National Register of Historic Places . According to the Köppen climate classification , Jacksonville has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with hot humid summers, and warm to mild and drier winters. Seasonal rainfall is concentrated in the warmest months from May through September, when brief but intense downpours with thunder and lightning are common, while the driest months are from November through April. Rainfall averages around 52 inches (1.3 m)

3700-755: The Savings & Loan crisis in 1988 when along with Gerald J. Ford he bought five insolvent thrifts with $ 12.2 billion in assets and $ 5.1 billion in federal aid for $ 315 million. The five banks originally operated as a single entity named First Texas Bank , but the name changed to First Gibraltar after about a week. Perelman's turn-around manifested as trimming the payroll, selling branches, and dumping of $ 2.5 billion of underperforming assets. In 1990, Perelman added San Antonio Savings Association and Sooner Federal to First Gibraltar for $ 10.1 million and $ 5.1 million, respectively. The purchase of San Antonio added $ 1.1 billion of healthy assets, $ 1.2 billion unhealthy assets, and

3800-520: The "Food Fair" name under the new ownerships. An unrelated chain using the Food Fair Fresh Market name has operated in the New York City metropolitan area since 2009 and is a member of Key Food . Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( US : / ˈ dʒ æ k s ən ˌ v ɪ l / JAK-sən-vihl ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida , located on

3900-449: The 28-floor Riverplace Tower . When this tower was completed in 1967, it was the tallest precast, post-tensioned concrete structure in the world. There are more than 500 neighborhoods within Jacksonville's vast area. These include Downtown Jacksonville and its surrounding neighborhoods, including LaVilla , Brooklyn , Riverside and Avondale , Springfield , Eastside , Mandarin , and San Marco . Additionally, greater Jacksonville

4000-473: The 456-store, $ 2.7 billion company. By the end of 1978 the company took the first steps in the long journey out of bankruptcy by closing all of the JM Fields stores. Those stores were quickly purchased by Caldor , Jefferson Ward , and Kmart . In early 1979, the company left their home market of Philadelphia, where the firm was headquartered. The company closed more than 50 stores in the area, even though they were

4100-441: The Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida . It is the seat of Duval County , with which the City of Jacksonville consolidated in 1968. It was the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020, and became the 10th largest city by population in 2023. City-county consolidation greatly increased Jacksonville's official population and extended its boundaries, placing most of Duval County's population within

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4200-519: The British called the Cow Ford; these names reflected the use of the ford for moving cattle across the river there. The British introduced the cultivation of sugarcane , indigo , and fruits as cash crops on plantations , in addition to exporting lumber. A large number of British colonists who were "energetic and of good character" were given land grants in the region and emigrated to the region, becoming

4300-565: The Pantry Pride banner, and the company popularity grew further. In the late 1960s, the company, led by its Pantry Pride stores, continued to grow. The company also opened additional J.M. Fields stores and entered new businesses, launching drug stores , gasoline stations, and shoe stores. It also boosted its core business by entering California and Nevada through the purchase of the Fox Markets chain. The western expansion proved exhausting for

4400-702: The St. Johns River. Spain ceded Florida to the British in 1763 as part of the Treaty of Paris in the aftermath of the Seven Years' War (known as the French and Indian War on the North American front). The British soon constructed the King's Road connecting St. Augustine to Georgia . The road crossed the St. Johns River at a narrow point, which the Seminole called Wacca Pilatka and

4500-492: The Supermarkets General Corporation ( Pathmark Stores) that same year, but discussions were abandoned when Pantry Pride's stockholders filed a complaint. Pantry Pride outsourced their wholesale operations to Supervalu when they sold their Miami and Jacksonville distribution centers. The company then began selling off huge chunks of their assets when they sold two-thirds of their remaining stores, including

4600-459: The U.S. Marine Corps Blount Island Command , and the Port of Jacksonville (JAXPORT), Florida's largest seaport by volume. Jacksonville's military bases and the nearby Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay form the third largest military presence in the United States. Significant factors in the local economy include services such as banking, insurance, healthcare and logistics. As with much of Florida, tourism

4700-406: The United States, suffered from many negative effects of rapid urban sprawl after World War II . The construction of federal highways essentially subsidized development of suburban housing, and wealthier, better established residents moved to newer housing in the suburbs. After World War II, the government of the city of Jacksonville began to increase spending to fund new public building projects in

4800-539: The Vision Care division was sold for $ 574 million, and, in 1988, the National Health Laboratories division became a publicly owned corporation. Additional makeup lines were purchased for Revlon: Max Factor in 1987 and Betrix in 1989 (they were later sold to Procter & Gamble , in 1991). Despite Perelman's regular cleansing of upper management and injecting millions of dollars into the company, Revlon

4900-477: The adjacent Atlantic coast. The area was originally inhabited by the Timucua people, and in 1564 was the site of the French colony of Fort Caroline , one of the earliest European settlements in what is now the continental United States. Under British rule , a settlement grew at the narrow point in the river where cattle crossed, known as Wacca Pilatka to the Seminole and the Cow Ford to the British. A platted town

5000-563: The area, and suffered minor damage from Tropical Storm Bonnie , which spawned a minor tornado. Jacksonville also suffered damage from 2008's Tropical Storm Fay , which crisscrossed the state, bringing parts of Jacksonville under darkness for four days. Fay damaged, but did not destroy, the Jacksonville Beach pier that was rebuilt after Floyd. On May 28, 2012, Jacksonville was hit by Tropical Storm Beryl , packing winds up to 70 mph (110 km/h), which made landfall near Jacksonville Beach . Hurricane Matthew passed 37 mi (60 km) to

5100-429: The business district. The Walker Business College was opened c.  1916 in Jacksonville and advertised that it was the largest African American business school in the United States. During World War II , The U.S. Navy became a major employer and economic force, constructing three Navy bases in the city, while the U.S. Marine Corps established Blount Island Command. Jacksonville, like most large cities in

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5200-417: The case to be reopened because the hiding of email evidence was "a classic example of fraud on the court". The trial court rejected his arguments, but as of January 2009, he is beseeching Florida's 4th Circuit to reopen the case. In 2007, Perelman filed the paperwork for a SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) called MAFS Acquisition through his holding company MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings. A SPAC

5300-559: The city and county governments merged to create the Consolidated City of Jacksonville. Fire, police, health & welfare, recreation, public works, and housing & urban development were all combined under the new government. In honor of the occasion, then-Mayor Hans Tanzler posed with actress Lee Meredith behind a sign marking the new border of the "Bold New City of the South " at Florida 13 and Julington Creek. The consolidation created

5400-556: The city changed hands several times between Union and Confederate forces. In the Skirmish of the Brick Church in 1862, Confederates won their first victory in the state. However, Union forces captured a Confederate position at the Battle of St. Johns Bluff , and occupied Jacksonville in 1862. Slaves escaped to freedom in Union lines. In February 1864 Union forces left Jacksonville and confronted

5500-463: The city's purchase and refurbishing of the St. James Building , which is now used as Jacksonville's city hall . He was mayor in 1993 when Jacksonville was awarded its National Football League franchise, the Jacksonville Jaguars . They are the only major sports franchise in the city, making Jacksonville one of only two markets (the other one being Green Bay), and the only major city, to have

5600-436: The company. In 1986, Ronald Perelman made several attempts on behalf of MacAndrews & Forbes to take-over Gillette Company , offering $ 4.12 billion, and eventually $ 5.7 billion. In October 1987, Perelman withdrew the last offer. In 1988, Consolidated Cigar was sold. Attempted take overs were targeted at CPC International . Ronald Perelman's controlling buyout of Compact Video was in 1986. Four Star International

5700-648: The country with $ 50 billion of assets. The deal left Golden State's shareholders the majority, but Perelman's camp still controlled the company. Everything remained quiet until May 2002 when Citigroup announced plans to buy Golden State for $ 5.8 billion, but ultimately reduced the offer to $ 4.9 billion due to a stock drop. Citigroup's final offer was 0.821 shares of Citigroup common stock and $ 7.47 cash for every share of Golden State exchanged, which converted Perelman's 43 million shares of Golden State into $ 321,210,000 in cash plus 36,124,000 shares of Citigroup. All things considered, Perelman expected to make about $ 2 billion off

5800-406: The deal on March 30, despite a sell-off triggering press release from March 19 that said Sunbeam would not meet sales expectations. On April 3, another press release took Sunbeam's stock from bad to worse: It would not only fall short of sales expectations for that quarter, but it would barely meet the sales expectations of two years ago. The stock went into a tail spin, falling from $ 54 a share to $ 24

5900-551: The deal, but because he had quasi-sold many of his shares in the past, he probably gained substantially less than that. Andrews Group, Inc. was formed from the corporate shell of the former Compact Video. Andrews Group purchased Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. in 1989 and later its former parent company New World Entertainment, Inc. In 1989, Andrews Group lost $ 14.8 million with a negative net worth of $ 10 million. At this time, MacAndrews & Forbes owned 57%. In 1991, Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. went public with 30% sold to

6000-777: The decade, earning Jacksonville the title of "Winter Film Capital of the World". However, the emergence of Hollywood as a major film production center ended the city's film industry. One movie studio site, Norman Studios , remains in Arlington ; it has been converted to the Jacksonville Silent Film Museum at Norman Studios. During this time, Jacksonville also became a banking and insurance center, with companies such as Barnett Bank , Atlantic National Bank , Florida National Bank , Prudential , Gulf Life, Afro-American Insurance, Independent Life and American Heritage Life thriving in

6100-432: The east with winds of 110 miles per hour. It caused storm surge, extensive flooding of the Atlantic Ocean and St. Johns River, and wind damage; the storm knocked out power for 250,000 people. In 2017, Hurricane Irma passed 75 mi (121 km) to the west with 65 mph (100 km/h) winds. It caused severe storm surge and flooding, passing the flood record of Hurricane Dora in 1964. The City of Jacksonville has

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6200-523: The first English-speaking population in Florida. These colonists came from England, Georgia, South Carolina and Bermuda. British judges introduced the system of common law to Florida, resulting in the Floridian legal system utilizing concepts such as trial-by-jury , habeas corpus and county-based government. After their defeat in the American Revolutionary War , Britain returned control of

6300-533: The first such damage in the area since 2004. In September 2017, Hurricane Irma caused record-breaking floods in Jacksonville, with a severity not seen since 1846. As has been typical of other metropolitan areas across the country, suburban growth has continued around Jacksonville, where large areas of land were available for development, drawing more residents, businesses and jobs from the city. This has resulted in further demographic changes. The city's largest ethnic group, non-Hispanic white, declined from 75.8% of

6400-709: The largest urban fire in the southeastern United States. Architect Henry John Klutho was a primary figure in the reconstruction of the city. The first multi-story structure built by Klutho was the Dyal-Upchurch Building in 1902. The St. James Building , built on the previous site of the St. James Hotel that burned down, was built in 1912 as Klutho's crowning achievement. In the 1910s, northern film studios headquartered in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago were attracted to Jacksonville's warm climate, exotic landscapes, excellent rail access, and cheap labor. More than 30 silent film studios were established over

6500-408: The last of their Richmond, Virginia , stores to A&P , which continued to operate the stores under the Pantry Pride banner until 1986. Only about 40 stores in southern Florida remained. In 1984 Pantry Pride acquired Devon Stores, a home improvement store, and the 400-store Adams Drug Company , which operated in the northeastern United States. The owner of Devon Stores, who obtained about 10.4% of

6600-524: The merged company, then sought an ouster of the Pantry Pride Board of Directors. In 1985, using junk bonds , 38% of Pantry Pride was acquired by investor Ronald Perelman . This was enough to acquire control, and Perelman liquidated their assets but kept the losses on the books to offset profits from MacAndrews and Forbes , which he had previously acquired. Perelman used Pantry Pride as a vehicle to acquire other companies, in particular Revlon . By 1986,

6700-456: The mortgage and property management sectors. He renamed the four branches First Madison. It's unclear how much money Perelman made from his savings & loan deals, but it's estimated that he made anywhere from $ 600 million to $ 1.2 billion with most of the profits manifesting as tax breaks elsewhere in his empire. In essence, by owning First Gibraltar he was able to avoid paying hundreds of millions in federal taxes. Perelman jumped back into

6800-459: The name of Pantry Pride was changed to Revlon Group. The Delaware Supreme Court decision relating to the takeover of Revlon by Pantry Pride, Revlon, Inc. v. MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, Inc. , has become a seminal case in American takeover law. In 1985, the last stores in southern Florida were sold to Red Apple Group, a New York supermarket chain owned by John Catsimatidis . By 1990, the chain

6900-483: The national Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve , a University of North Florida team discovered some of the oldest remnants of pottery in the United States, dating to 2500 BCE. In the 16th century, the beginning of the historical era, the region was inhabited by the Mocama , a coastal subgroup of the Timucua people. At the time of contact with Europeans, all Mocama villages in present-day Jacksonville were part of

7000-480: The needed larger geographic tax base to improve services throughout the county. Voters outside the city limits rejected annexation plans in six referendums between 1960 and 1965. On August 27, 1960 , a white mob attacked civil rights demonstrators in Hemming Park with clubs. The police largely stood by. In 1962, a federal court ordered the city to prepare a plan for integration of public schools, in accordance with

7100-523: The new municipal limits; Jacksonville grew to 900 square miles (2,300 km ). As of July 2022 , Jacksonville's population was 971,319, while the population of Duval County was about 1 million. After consolidation, Jacksonville became the most populous city in Florida and the Southeastern United States , and the largest in the South outside the state of Texas. With a population of 1,733,937,

7200-472: The population in 1970 to 55.1% by 2010. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 874.3 square miles (2,264 km ), making Jacksonville the largest city in land area in the contiguous United States ; of this, 86.66% (757.7 sq mi or 1,962 km ) is land and 13.34% (116.7 sq mi or 302 km ) is water. Jacksonville completely surrounds

7300-458: The postwar economic boom. Mayor W. Haydon Burns ' Jacksonville Story resulted in the construction of a new city hall, civic auditorium, public library and other projects that created a sense of civic pride. Development of suburbs led to a growing middle class who lived outside the urban core. An increasing proportion of residents in Jacksonville's urban core had a higher than average rate of poverty, especially as businesses and jobs also migrated to

7400-533: The powerful chiefdom known as the Saturiwa , centered around the mouth of the St. Johns River . One early French map shows a village called Ossachite at the site of what is now downtown Jacksonville; this may be the earliest recorded name for that area. In 1562, French Huguenot explorer Jean Ribault charted the St. Johns River , calling it the River of May because that was the month of his discovery. Ribault erected

7500-441: The predominantly East Coast retailer, eventually divesting the 50 stores by 1972. In 1976, Pantry Pride acquired Hills Supermarkets of New York . Later that year, Pantry Pride purchased the remaining 17 stores of Philadelphia-based Penn Fruit Company. In 1978, Food Fair fell victim to financial problems. The company entered bankruptcy that year and a new management team, led by supermarket veteran Grant Gentry, began streamlining

7600-551: The public. Andrews Group bought: In May 1994, New World bought four more stations from the Great American Communications for $ 360 million and four more from Argyle Television Holdings for $ 717 million. The purchase of Genesis and New World set up one of the spokes for the major 1994 television industry realignment in the wake of Fox 's acquisition of NFL rights . Rupert Murdoch bought complete control of New World Communications for $ 3 billion, giving Perelman

7700-484: The remaining 66% stake in MacAndrews & Forbes Group Inc. to take MacAndrews & Forbes Group Inc. private. Also in 1983, MacAndrews acquired Technicolor Inc. Despite the bond debt, in 1984, MacAndrews & Forbes purchased Consolidated Cigar Holdings Ltd. from Gulf & Western Industries , in addition to Video Corporation of America. The Technicolor Inc. divisions were sold off and, in 1988, its core business

7800-638: The rich and famous. Visitors arrived by steamboat and later by railroad. President Grover Cleveland attended the Sub-Tropical Exposition in the city on February 22, 1888, during his trip to Florida. This highlighted the visibility of the state as a worthy place for tourism. The city's tourism, however, was dealt major blows in the late 19th century by yellow fever outbreaks. Extending the Florida East Coast Railway further south drew visitors to other areas. From 1893 to 1938, Jacksonville

7900-616: The ruling of the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education (1954). A study found schools were in poor condition and poorly equipped. On December 29, 1963, the Hotel Roosevelt fire killed 22 people, the highest one-day death toll in Jacksonville. On September 10, 1964, Hurricane Dora made landfall near St. Augustine , causing major damage to buildings in North Florida. Hurricane Dora

8000-604: The savings & loan game in a big way in 1994 by buying First Nationwide from the Ford Motor Company for $ 664 million. Ford held onto $ 1.8 billion of First Nationwide's assets valued at $ 444 million, two-thirds of which were considered troubled assets, offered to buy back up to $ 500 million of First Nationwide's other $ 7.9 billion of assets that went bad in the future, and gave Perelman $ 50 million to cover potential severance payments. Perelman quickly boosted its portfolio, adding $ 10 billion worth of mortgages in exchange for

8100-476: The second-largest chain in greater Philadelphia in terms of market share. Between 1979 and 1981 more than 200 stores were closed, along with several warehouses. Food-a-Rama bought 14 of the 48 Baltimore -area stores in 1981. By this time, Food Fair had emerged from bankruptcy, and was based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida , under the name Pantry Pride Stores, Inc. The company had entered into talks to be purchased by

8200-569: The state average spending of $ 372 per student. In 1964 all 15 of Duval County's public high schools lost their accreditation. This added momentum to proposals for government reform. Jacksonville Consolidation , led by J. J. Daniel and Claude Yates , began to win more support during this period, from both inner-city blacks, who wanted more involvement in government after passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 , that provided federal oversight and enforcement of their right to vote, and whites in

8300-421: The suburbs, who wanted more services and more control over the central city. Lower taxes, increased economic development, unification of the community, better public spending, and effective administration by a more central authority were all cited as reasons for a new consolidated government. When a consolidation referendum was held in 1967, voters approved the plan with a 65 percent approval. On October 1, 1968,

8400-442: The suburbs. Given the postwar migration of residents, businesses, and jobs, the city's tax base declined. It had difficulty funding education, sanitation, and traffic control within the city limits. In addition, residents in unincorporated suburbs had difficulty obtaining municipal services, such as sewage and building code enforcement. In 1958, a study recommended the city of Jacksonville begin annexing outlying communities to create

8500-570: The territory to Spain in 1783 via the Peace of Paris . The settlement at the Cow Ford continued to grow. After Spain ceded the Florida Territory to the United States in 1821, American settlers on the north side of the Cow Ford decided to plan a town, laying out the streets and plats. They named the town Jacksonville, after celebrated war hero and first Territorial Governor (later U.S. president) Andrew Jackson . Led by Isaiah D. Hart , residents wrote

8600-399: The town of Baldwin . Nassau County lies to the north, Baker County lies to the west, and Clay and St. Johns counties lie to the south. Jacksonville has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean with the Jacksonville Beaches . The city developed along both sides of the St. Johns River . The Trout River , a major tributary of the St. Johns River, is entirely within Jacksonville. Soil composition

8700-479: The trial began. In 2007, the courts of appeal reversed the judgement. The judges' declared Perelman hadn't provided any evidence showing he'd suffered any actual damage as a result of Morgan Stanley's actions. Perelman appealed, but found himself shot down by the Florida Supreme Court who dismissed it in a 5–0 decision. Undeterred even after that setback, Perelman went back to the trial court and asked for

8800-418: The way. Forstmann Little & Company swooped in and offered $ 56 per share. A brief public bidding war ensued, and Perelman triumphed with an offer of $ 58 per share. As a result, Perelman paid $ 1.8 billion to Revlon's shareholders, but he also paid $ 900 million in other costs associated with the purchase. After the acquisition, Perelman had Revlon sell four of its divisions: Two were sold for $ 1 billion,

8900-484: Was 7 °F (−14 °C) on January 21, 1985 . Jacksonville has recorded three days with measurable snow since 1911, most recently a one-inch (2.5 cm) snowfall in December 1989 and flurries in December 2010. Jacksonville has only received one direct hit from a hurricane since 1871. The rarity of direct strikes is attributed to chance. However, the city has experienced hurricane or near-hurricane conditions more than

9000-403: Was Ronald Perelman misled? During the discovery phase, the judge became exasperated with what she perceived as deliberate stonewalling on the part of Morgan Stanley and ordered the jury to assume Morgan Stanley deliberately and knowingly defrauded Perelman. Hobbled, Morgan Stanley had no choice but to argue that Perelman was too savvy an investor to have fallen for their transparent tricks. After

9100-598: Was being supplied by the Fleming Companies . The last store opened in 1991 in Sunny Isles, Florida . By this time, nearly all of the stores were renamed Woolley's, after Bill Woolley acquired the latter named chain of seven stores in the late 1980s. In 1993, Fleming bought the Woolley's chain after a dispute with Catsimatidis. The remaining stores were either closed or sold by 2000. Many of the stores that were sold have retained

9200-444: Was established there in 1822, a year after the United States gained Florida from Spain; it was named after Andrew Jackson , the first military governor of the Florida Territory and seventh President of the United States. Harbor improvements since the late 19th century have made Jacksonville a major military and civilian deep-water port . Its riverine location facilitates Naval Station Mayport , Naval Air Station Jacksonville ,

9300-563: Was founded in 1850 by Edward MacAndrews and William Forbes, a distributor of licorice extract and chocolate. In 1978, Perelman purchased a 40% stake in Cohen-Hatfield Jewelers, and in 1980, Perelman, through Cohen-Hatfield Jewelers, bought MacAndrews & Forbes & Co. Through the purchase, Cohen-Hatfield Jewelers was merged into what became MacAndrews & Forbes Group Inc. In 1983, Perelman formed MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, Inc. Perelman started selling bonds to acquire

9400-518: Was one of the few landmarks to survive the fire. Governor William Sherman Jennings declared martial law and sent the state militia to maintain order; on May 17, municipal authority resumed. It is said the glow from the flames could be seen in Savannah, Georgia , and the smoke plumes seen in Raleigh, North Carolina . Known as the " Great Fire of 1901 ", it was one of the worst disasters in Florida history and

9500-525: Was purchased through a golden parachute deal that was negotiated with David Charnay's Acquisition and Ronald Perelman after Charnay was notified of stock purchases made by Perelman in 1989. After Compact shut down, its remaining assets, including Four Star International , were folded into MacAndrews & Forbes. By the end of 1989, MacAndrews refinanced the Holding companies' junk bonds for standard bank loans. Perelman first entered what became known as

9600-400: Was seen by an estimated 86 million viewers. The first notable retail transaction involving physical goods was paid on May 22, 2010, by exchanging 10,000 mined BTC for two pizzas delivered from a Papa John's in Jacksonville, Florida. Laszlo Hanyecz, who lives in Jacksonville, created a thread on an online forum offering the bitcoins to anyone who would order him two pizzas. Jeremy Sturdivant,

9700-540: Was sold to Carlton Communications for 6.5 times the purchase price. Using the proceeds from the Technicolor division sell off, MacAndrews & Forbes purchased a 20 percent stake in Compact Video Inc., a television and film syndication company. Ronald Perelman's controlling buyout of Compact Video was in 1986. In 1989, Perelman acquired New World Entertainment, with David Charnay's Four Star Television becoming

9800-470: Was the first recorded hurricane to make a direct hit to North Florida. In the mid-1960s, corruption scandals arose among city and some county officials, who were mainly part of a traditional white Democratic network that had dominated politics for the decades since the disenfranchisement of most African Americans at the turn of the 20th century which effectively hollowed out the Republican Party. After

9900-572: Was the site of the Florida Old Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Home ; it operated a nearby cemetery. On May 3, 1901, downtown Jacksonville was ravaged by a fire that started as a kitchen fire. Spanish moss at a nearby mattress factory was quickly engulfed in flames and enabled the fire to spread rapidly. In a mere eight hours, it swept through 146 city blocks, destroyed over 2,000 buildings, left about 10,000 homeless and killed seven residents. The Confederate Monument in Hemming Park

10000-424: Was unable to turn a profit for several years. As of the first quarter of 2007, it had had one profitable quarter in the previous 32. By 2012, Revlon was rebounding, and its net income had grown to $ 51.5 million. As of April 2014, Revlon was trading at $ 25.45 per share, rising from a low of $ 1.20 per share in 2007. A major cause of Revlon's financial problems was the debt load stemming from Perelman's purchase of

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