Jacksonville, Fl — The countdown to Jacksonville’s bicentennial is down to one month. The founding of Jacksonville in 1822 was a rather informal moment, according to the Jacksonville Historical Society.
Jacksonville’s name appeared first on a petition dated June 15, 1822, addressed to then U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams asking him to designate “Jacksonville,” in the U.S. Territory of Florida, as a port of entry.
“It would be nearly ten years, in February 1832, before the territorial legislature granted a local government charter to Jacksonville. But the development of Jacksonville, by people using that name, began in June of 1822, so that is the date and evidence that historians cite as its founding”, said Alan Bliss, CEO of the Jacksonville Historical Society.
EVENTS: Day-long Bicentennial celebration to culminate with fireworks on the St. Johns River
The day-long celebration begins at Noon with performances and other family-friendly programming in James Weldon Johnson Park.
A parade will begin at 4:15 p.m. from James Weldon Johnson Park down Laura Street to Riverfront Plaza, where live music will play into the night before a fireworks show after 10 p.m.