Editing Jacksonville Beach, Florida (section)

==History==
It was incorporated on May 22, 1907, as Pablo Beach, and changed to Jacksonville Beach in 1925.<ref name="COJB History"/>

The area around present-day Jacksonville Beach was first settled by [[Spaniards|Spanish]] settlers. Spanish missions were established from [[Mayport, Florida|Mayport]] to [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]]. [[Spain]] ceded Florida to [[Great Britain]] by treaty in 1763, only to have Spain regain it again, and then a final time in 1821 to the United States. American river pilots and fishermen came to Hazard, present-day Mayport, and established a port.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the City of Jacksonville Beach|url=http://www.jacksonvillebeach.org/government/about-jacksonville-beach/history|access-date=8 October 2016|archive-date=December 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212014340/http://www.jacksonvillebeach.org/government/about-jacksonville-beach/history|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Pablo Beach===
[[File:PabloBeachNV.jpg|thumb|left|290px|[[United States Army|US Army]] volunteers marching on the beach during the [[Spanish–American War]]]]
In the late 19th century, developers began to see the potential in Duval County's oceanfront as a [[resort]]. In 1883 a group of investors formed the [[Jacksonville and Atlantic Railroad]] with the intention of developing a resort community that would be connected to Jacksonville by rail. The first settlers were William Edward Scull, a [[civil engineer]] and surveyor, and his wife Eleanor Kennedy Scull. They lived in a tent two blocks east of Pablo Historical Park. A second tent was the general store and post office. On August 22, 1884, Mrs. Scull was appointed postmaster. Mail was dispatched by horse and buggy up the beach to Mayport, and from there to Jacksonville by steamer. The Sculls built the first house in 1884 on their tent site. The settlement was named '''Ruby''' for their first daughter. On May 13, 1886, the town was renamed '''Pablo Beach''' after the San Pablo River.<ref name="settlers">" First Settlers at Ruby, Florida." Florida Department of State Division of Historical Resources, 2011. Web. 28 Dec 2011. < {{cite web|url=http://www.flheritage.com/preservation/markers/markers.cfm?ID%3Dduval |title=Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker: Duval - Historical Markers - Preservation - Florida Division of Historical Resources |access-date=December 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229134727/http://www.flheritage.com/preservation/markers/markers.cfm?ID=duval |archive-date=February 29, 2012}} ></ref> In 1885, the San Pablo Diego Beach Land Co. sold town lots ranging from $50 to $100 each along with {{convert|5|to|10|acre}} lots from $10 to $20 per acre within {{convert|3|mi}} of the new seaside resort "Pablo Beach".<ref>Showing its Statistics, Resources, Lands, Products, Climate and Populations. The county Commissioners. 1885. Retrieved December 23, 2011 https://archive.org/stream/duvalcountyflori00duva#page/n5/mode/2up</ref> In September 1892, work on the wagon road to Pablo Beach ([[Atlantic Boulevard (Jacksonville)|Atlantic Boulevard]]) was begun.<ref name="Davis">T. Frederick Davis, ''History of Jacksonville, Florida and vicinity, 1513 to 1924'', Florida Historical Society, 1925.http://ufdc.ufl.edu/NF00000013/00001/Retrieved December 23, 2011</ref> The first resort hotel called the Murray Hall Hotel was established in mid 1886 but on August 7, 1890 it was destroyed in a fire.<ref>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.jacksonvillebeach.org/government/about-jacksonville-beach/history|publisher=jacksonvillebeach.org|access-date=August 4, 2014|archive-date=December 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212014340/http://www.jacksonvillebeach.org/government/about-jacksonville-beach/history|url-status=dead}}</ref> By 1900 the railway company began to have financial difficulties and [[Henry Flagler]] took over as part of his [[Florida East Coast Railway]]. In late 1900 the railway was changed to standard gauge and was extended to Mayport.

The [[Spanish–American War]] broke out in 1898. The 3rd Nebraska arrived July 22, 1898, for training and embarkation. They encamped at Pablo Beach. They were led by three-time presidential candidate, [[William Jennings Bryan]].<ref>"Our History." ''Our History: Greater Metro North & North Shore History''. North Shore Neighborhood Association. 1999. Web. 23 Dec. 2011. {{cite web|url=http://northshorejax.com/wp/?page_id%3D39 |title=Our History &#124; North Shore Neighborhood Association |access-date=December 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630023210/http://northshorejax.com/wp/?page_id=39 |archive-date=June 30, 2014}}</ref> After flooding in the camp at Pablo Beach the 3rd Nebraska moved to downtown Jacksonville.<ref>{{cite web|title=When The Spanish–American War Came To Springfield|url=http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-may-when-the-spanish-american-war-came-to-springfield#.U98ejfldWSo|publisher=metrojacksonville.com|access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref>

===Jacksonville Beach===
[[File:Jaxbeach36.jpg|thumb|right|285px|Ocean View Pavilion in 1936.]]
The amusement park phase of Jacksonville Beach began in 1905 with The Pavilion which was later expanded and called Little Coney Island. It was a popular tourist attraction that had such entertainment as a dance floor, swim room, bowling alley, and roller skate rinks. An issue with contracting, and constant weathering of its wooden structure aged Little Coney Island, causing it to be torn down in 1925. On June 15, 1925, the name Pablo Beach was changed to '''Jacksonville Beach'''.<ref name="settlers" /> The Shad's Pier was created in 1922 by Charles Shad and with help by Martin Williams. Around the same time W. H. Adams, Sr. created the Ocean View Pavilion amusement park on the former site of the Murray Hall Hotel. Adams wanted to create a larger roller coaster than the one at Little Coney Island. His vision resulted in a 93-feet high coaster. The location of the coaster by the beach made it vulnerable to damage and was eventually deemed unsafe. The coaster was then deconstructed to a smaller coaster. The deconstruction of the larger coaster hurt business at the amusement park. By 1949 the Ocean View Pavilion was in decline and then a fire destroyed it a few years later. The only amusement park in Jacksonville Beach today is [[Adventure Landing]]. The boardwalk declined in the 1950s due to the crackdown on gambling and games of chance. Driving on the beach was prohibited in 1979.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Rise and Fall of Jacksonville Beach Amusement Parks|url=http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-jun-the-rise-and-fall-of-jacksonville-beach-amusement-parks#.U98gwfldWSo|website=metrojacksonville.com|publisher=metrojacksonville.com|access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref>

Pablo Beach made aviation history on February 24, 1921, Lt. William DeVoe Coney, in a transcontinental flight from [[San Diego]], California, landed at Pablo Beach, having made the flight in 22 hours and 17 minutes, beating the old record, set two years earlier, by 3 hours and 32 minutes.<ref name="Davis" /> Coney's record was soon eclipsed on September 5, 1922, by [[Jimmy Doolittle]] piloting a [[De Havilland]] [[DH-4]] biplane from Pablo Beach to San Diego in an elapsed time of 21 hours and 19 minutes.<ref>"Doolittle's 1922 Record Flight." Florida Department of State Division of Historical Resources, 2011. Web. 28 Dec 2011. {{cite web|url=http://www.flheritage.com/preservation/markers/markers.cfm?ID%3Dduval |title=Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker: Duval - Historical Markers - Preservation - Florida Division of Historical Resources |access-date=December 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229134727/http://www.flheritage.com/preservation/markers/markers.cfm?ID=duval |archive-date=February 29, 2012}} ></ref>

In 1968 most residents of Duval County voted to approve [[Jacksonville Consolidation|consolidation]] between the county and the City of Jacksonville. Jacksonville Beach, together with Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and the Westside community of Baldwin voted to retain their own municipal governments. As such they are not part of the City of Jacksonville, but receive county-level services from Jacksonville, and vote for Jacksonville's mayor and City Council. Judy Van Zant, widow of lead singer of [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] [[Ronnie Van Zant]], and her daughter Melody opened the Freebird Cafe in 1999. [[Freebird Live]], as it later became, was a popular music venue that became a staple for Jacksonville Beach for 16 years until its closure in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Soergel|first1=Matt|title=Jacksonville Beach's iconic Freebird club closing after 16 years|url=http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/2016-01-14/story/jacksonville-beachs-iconic-freebird-club-closing-after-16-years#|access-date=October 8, 2016|publisher=The Florida-Times Union|date=January 14, 2016}}</ref> In September 1999 [[Hurricane Floyd]] destroyed the Jacksonville Beach Pier. Five years later the pier was rebuilt.<ref>{{cite news|title=Comparing Hurricane Matthew to track of Hurricane Floyd in 1999|url=http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/comparing-hurricane-matthew-to-track-of-hurricane-floyd-in-1999/453344066|access-date=October 8, 2016|publisher=Action News Jax|date=October 4, 2016}}</ref> In October 2016 [[Hurricane Matthew]] forced a mandatory evacuation for Jacksonville Beach.<ref>{{cite news|title=MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR JACKSONVILLE BEACH|url=http://www.beachesleader.com/news/mandatory-evacuation-jacksonville-beach|access-date=October 8, 2016|publisher=Beaches Leader|date=October 6, 2016}}</ref> Hurricane Matthew came 40 miles off the coast of Jacksonville Beach causing major flooding. The Jacksonville Beach Pier was partially destroyed by Hurricane Matthew.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Donovan|first1=Brittney|title=Jacksonville Beach Pier damaged by Hurricane Matthew|url=http://www.fox30jax.com/news/local/jacksonville-beach-pier-damaged-by-hurricane-matthew/454731005|access-date=October 8, 2016|publisher=Action News Jax}}</ref>