Collections : [UNF Library Special Collections and University Archives]

The collection consists of the personal and business correspondence of Bucky Family members and other correspondents from 1893-1915. Most of the letters are incoming correspondence from business associates, close family members, relatives and friends to Jacob (Jake) D. Bucky. Numerous letters from 1893-1895 are written on the "L. Bucki and Son" letterhead stationery. The business correspondence from 1893 to 1895 refers mainly to payments and shipments of materials. Also included are several telegrams and notes concerning Masonic Hall Lodge dues. Of particular interest are the numerous pieces of letterhead stationery providing documentation for late nineteenth century Jacksonville businesses. In 1903-04, several letters from the Jacksonville law firm of Bisbee and Bedell refer to J. D. Bucki's appearance as a witness in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Fidelity & Deposit Co. vs. L. Bucki and Son Lumber Co. Reference is also made by the law firm to the L. Bucki Company ceasing business early in 1898. Three letters written by Fred Bucky to his father on May 16, 22, and 30, 1901 are of special note for their glimpse of life in Jacksonville at the beginning of the twentieth century. The contents also provide a brief eyewitness account of the re-building of Jacksonville after the Great Fire on May 3, 1901. On May 22, he relates to his father: "...It is a sad sight to see the once busy bustling prosperous Jacksonville buried in ashes. One cannot imagine how bad it really is unless they could actually see it. A few well insured ones and those whose homes were spared are alright..." On May 30: "... I know what the poor boy has suffered... the fire excitement was too much for his nerves. The re-building of the city is very slow at present, material is hard to get... " All items are photocopies. Most letters are legible; however, some handwritten letters are difficult to read.

Primarily incoming business correspondence, most of which are inquiries about land purchases in Florida and rental property management activities documenting business life in Jacksonville. Includes also: Florida Uniform Examination questions (1896); campaign literature and messages of Florida Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward; a nineteenth century Jacksonville newsletter, 'St. Andrew's messenger' (1891); and several letters referring to the Jacksonville fire of May 3, 1901

The collection consists of more than 1,000 items, primarily twentieth century material relating to Jacksonville, Florida. Includes letters, documents, and notes relating to the personal, political, and business activities of Eartha M. M. White. Some subject files include publications, reports, programs, photographs, and memorabilia. Of particular interest are materials pertaining to: Prominent African American leaders, e.g., James Weldon Johnson, A. Phillip Randolph, and Simuel Decatur McGill; Historic Jacksonville business, charitable, and religious organizations including Afro-American Life Insurance Company, Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, Clara White Mission, Community Chest Association, and Jacksonville Negro Welfare League; Florida social and educational organizations including Florida State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, Florida Baptist Academy / Florida Normal and Industrial Institute. The bulk of the collection are photographs depicting friends, relatives and events from her long life. Sizes of the photographs vary, ranging from 5x7 to 12x16 inches. A significant amount of her business and personal correspondence is also included. An extensive subject index is available for use with the collection. The collection also contains 156 black and white photographs of southern African American religious and labor groups, circa 1946-1949, by photographer R. Lee Thomas of Mound Bayou, Mississippi. His imprint contains the caption: Made by R. Lee Thomas, Mound Bayou, Mississippi, The Oldest Negro Town in America. Mr. Thomas was an African American photographer active in the early twentieth century in the southern United States, whose work provides photographic documentation of southern black social life during that time period. The majority of the photographs depict groups from Birmingham, Alabama, and adjacent areas.

The collection contains correspondence, publications and printed materials, project and subject files, and photographs relating to Mr. Simons' personal and professional activities throughout his adult life, from his college years until his retirement in 1970. The chronology begins with documentation of his higher education activities, including class notebooks, his thesis (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1915) and correspondence with professors. His professional career as a planning, zoning and municipal consultant is well-documented with extensive business files, including contracts and agreements, notes, correspondence, and working papers for many of the municipal planning, land use, and zoning projects undertaken by Mr. Simons. One strength of the collection is its depth of project publications, reports and plans created by Mr. Simons over a forty year professional career, 1928-1970. Subject files also show Mr. Simons' broad-ranging interests in various urban planning and financial topics. The Jacksonville, Florida, connection is well-documented in his personal papers. Mr. Simons was a longtime resident and civic leader in Jacksonville with broad personal interests, and the collection contains printed materials, including ephemera, relating to his numerous memberships in local clubs and organizations, and his religious affiliation with Riverside Presbyterian Church. Also, included are rare photographs of early Jacksonville residential construction scenes (Venetia), snapshots of Jacksonville landscapes and buildings, city parks, and numerous group photographs from Mr. Simons' participation in professional and social organizations.

The collection contains selective print newspapers, sections and clippings of The Florida Times-Union and the Jacksonville Journal which detail and document Northeast Florida history from 1890 to date. Anniversary and commemorative editions, and selective daily newspapers describe historical developments, the achievements of notable figures, and provide valuable insights into daily life in Northeast Florida. A preponderance of articles feature commentary and analysis on Jacksonville's growth and development through the twentieth century. The earliest newspapers are souvenir trade editions dated 1890; the vast majority of the selective papers date from the late twentieth century to the current decade. The additional selective newspapers in the collection mark significant local subjects, events, people, and places. Topics include: Race relations, mayoral elections, deaths of area leaders, St. John's River, September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City, hurricanes and tropical storms, notable local authors, architecture and building developments, and urban issues. Of note is the continuity of certain subjects, such as race relations, downtown development, and pollution in the St. Johns River, which are recurring themes in articles over many years.

John E. Mathews, Jr. was a Florida state legislator from 1956 to 1970 and President of the Florida Senate in 1969-70. He ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Florida in 1963/64 and 1969/70. The collection contains the extensive personal papers, documents, and memorabilia of Mr. Mathews, spanning the years 1920 - 1988. His early years are particularly well documented, with scrapbooks, report cards, awards, etc. The legislative years (1956-70) are chronicled by detailed reports, documents, and newsclippings; and the gubernatorial campaign years (1963; 1969-70) are well-represented with a near complete set of the master campaign files of correspondence, lists, speeches, newsclippings, scrapbooks, and travel / itinerary materials. The collection is of primary value for research on Mr. Mathews, but in totality, provides insights into Florida political history and government circa 1950-70.