My Visit to Jacksonville Florida

Visiting Jacksonville Florida

          Jacksonville has a diverse Civil War history. I was very excited to discover Confederate Park, The Women of Our Southland Memorial, the Confederate Monument in Hemming Park, and the Union Soldier monument. 

Confederate Park

         Located near downtown Jacksonville, Confederate park is a beautiful park dedicated to the memory of the CSA. When you enter the park from the east you walk under a long tunnel of vegetation leading down to the lake and the Women of Our Southland Memorial. 

East entrance to Confederate Park

As I walked along the pathway I turned toward the lake. A small fountain sprays water into the air. Beautiful trees are throughout the park. The concrete around the lake is showing its wear and the original gate to the park is all overgrown. The park is definitely in need of an overhaul. But it is still a beautiful place.

Original Gated Entrance

Bridge at the gated entrance

Confederate Park Lake

As I walked along the lake I headed back over the Women of Our Southland Memorial. This Memorial was erected to honor the women of the South, the suffering they endured, and how they kept the family together. Breath taking is the best way to describe this memorial. It is an amazing site. I was glad to see it was not vandalized and was in good shape. The cast statue itself is of a Southern Women with 2 children sitting in her lap as she reads a book to them. A very moving moment memorialized forever honoring these amazing and strong women.

On the west side of the Park is a statue in honor of the Robert Burns Association. Slight damage to face of the sculpture is evident. 

Robert Burns Association Monument

As you walk along the west side of the park you will find 2 Eagles guarding the entrance. Just past them is the Plaque stating the history of the park.

The Confederate Monument in Hemming Park

          Located in downtown Jacksonville. this monument is impressive. Standing over 60 feet high this monument commands respect. Surrounded by a beautiful fountain the monument appears to be free of vandalism. Unfortunately the park is full of loitering people making it uncomfortable to relax and view the monument. 

The Union Soldier Monument

          Located in Evergreen cemetery this monument honors the fallen Union Soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Still in good shape and very detailed this monument is one to see. A little difficult to find at first. It is located in the older section and stands over several Union Soldiers graves. 

Location of the Union Monument in Evergreen Cemetery

          If you are in Jacksonville, be sure to visit these places. Be sure to spend time there and don't rush. Take in the history and enjoy the detail of the these beautiful sculptures.

Visiting my family history in Welaka FL

After learning of my family connection to the book Rose Cottage Chronicles I decided it was time to visit this small Florida fishing village. I loaded up my son Mason and off we went in search of our ancestors!

Welatka is about 1hr and 30 minutes from our home. As I approached the town I began to get a feeling of excitement and a feeling of awe knowing.  I was about to see everything I had read about in the book. To actually stand on the ground they stood on and visit their actual gravesite's. 

The first place I went looking for was "White Cottage". This was the home of my Great Great Great Grand Aunt Octavia (Bryant) Stephens family and later in life, her. Unfortunately once I tracked its location down via a map drawn by my Great Great Great Grand Uncle Winston Stephens himself I found the home was no more. 

Only a large vacant lot remains. I am curious as to owns the property now and would like to walk the property with a metal detector and see what I find. 

Our next mission was to find a playground to let Mason play a little. Quickly we discovered a PLAYGROUND!

After Mason stretched his legs and got some energy out we headed to find the family gravesite's.

Just a short drive North we discovered Oakwood Cemetery. The final resting place of many of the characters in the book Rose Cottage Chronicles including Winston and Octavia Stephens, their Daughter Rosa, son Winston Jr. and Baby Belle who died as an infant.

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Directly behind their graves is the Bryant and Stephens family plot where many other family members are buried. My other Great Great Great Grand Uncle Clark Stephens is buried here along with his wife Augustina of the Fleming family in Jacksonville. Fleming Island is named for this family. 

As I studied the map I had I was able to locate Clark and Augustina's  home. It is off old Welaka road on a beautiful piece of property. I will be back to see if I can convince the current owners if I could take a tour of the home.

All in all the trip was a success! Nothing like taking your son along to discover your family history.

I recently discovered a book written about my ancestors

There is a book published named "The Rose Cottage Chronicles" and it is a collection of letters written between my Great Great Great Grand Uncle and his wife. Also included are letters between various other family members such as my Great Great Great Grandfather also. My GGG Grand Uncle (Winston Stephens) was the Captain of the Confederate Florida 2nd Calvary Company B. My GGG Grandfather (Sweptson Stephens) was a 2nd lieutenant in the same unit. This is a fascinating story as it is told by my family themselves in the there own words. 

The original letters and picture are all housed at the University of Florida's special collections library. I was able to visit this place and hold and read the actual letters written by my ancestors. My next stop now is Walaka to visit their gravesites and see the actual area they lived in. 

Cover of the Book

One of the Diaries housed at UF

Another Diary

Another Diary

Another Diary

Winston Stephens

Octavia Stephens

Palatka Florida visit

     My visit to Palatka Florida today was amazing! My first stop was the Confederate Monument in front of the Putnam County Courthouse. This monument stands tall and proud right in front of the courthouse.  As I walked up to the courthouse I could see around the base of it are cannon balls and artillery shells. The monument was erected in 1924 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

From the monument I went in search of more civil war history in the area. I came across St Marks Episcopal Church. This church was built in 1846 and was used by the Union as a barracks. During the war the church was heavily damaged and repaired to its original condition and is still used today.

St. Marks Episcopal Church

As I continued down the street I came across the Bronson - Mulholland House. This is a beautiful home that was originally owned by District Judge Isaac Bronson. He died in 1855 and is buried on the property. During the civil car this home was used as the Union and Confederacy.

After my visit to the Bronson - Mulholland home I was told about Westview Cemetery. In this cemetery there are 49 CSA soldiers, 20 Union soldiers, and 11 U.S. Colored Troops. The cemetery is a short drive southwest of the Bronson - Mulholland house. As I walked the cemetery I was happy to see the CSA and Union soldiers all had been flagged. This is a beautiful cemetery full of history.

Palatka has rich civil war history. I highly recommend a visit to this town.