Jacksonville: The Consolidation Story, from Civil Rights to the Jaguars

The Florida History and Culture Series

by James B. Crooks

In the 1950s and 60s Jacksonville faced daunting problems. The city government was criticized for being boss-ridden and corrupt, African Americans challenged racial segregation, the St. Johns River was heavily polluted, and downtown development had succumbed to suburban sprawl. In 1967 the city decided to consolidate with surrounding Duval County, transforming this conservative Deep South backwater city into a prosperous, mainstream metropolis. James Crooks introduces readers to preconsolidation Jacksonville and then focuses on three major issues that confronted the expanded racial relations, environmental pollution, and the revitalization of downtown. This urban history will fascinate scholars of politics and governmental reform as well as residents of the First Coast city. A volume in the Florida History and Culture Series, edited by Raymond Arsenault and Gary R. Mormino

296 pages, Hardcover

First published March 29, 2004

Reviews

[Aery Inking · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacksonville: The Consolidation Story by James B. Crooks (2004) is a monograph on the city’s history, focused on the creation of its unified city–county government in the late 1960s—an event that occurred in the wake of a public corruption scandal. The author’s account includes the circumstances and events that led up to the creation of the Bold New City of the South, from old Cowford, as well as its aftermath: how things turned out. It is not a page-turner. It is an academic text, extensively footnoted, and well-referenced, but it is well-written, approachable, and of potential interest to anyone who has a connection to that city and its history during the second half of the twentieth century. If that is your interest, this is your book.
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