Did you know the City of Jacksonville was the site of a fire so great it could be seen from Savannah, Ga.?

Jacksonville began as a settlement on a narrow stretch of river that was used as a cattle crossing. Originally known as "Cowford" by English settlers, the city was renamed for Florida's first military governor, Andrew Jackson, in 1822. The early 1880s brought Florida's first electric lights and telephone exchange to the city. On May 3, 1901, disaster struck as the "Great Fire" engulfed more than 146 city blocks and destroyed 2,368 buildings, leaving almost 9,000 people homeless. The fire could be seen from Savannah and smoke was reported all the way to North Carolina.

Reprinted from Quality Cities September/October 2005

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