Duval County Florida

St. Nicholas Cemetery History
Location: 3811 Beach Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32207 (Beach Blvd & Carmichael Ave)

Submitted by Kia Hall
Written by: Mattie Davis

A bird likes to sing but cannot write the song for future reference. Some animals fly and cannot write down the process which he transports from one place to another. We have have heard and seen the talking bird, but we have not seen his written concersation. Man is unique in many behavioral patterns. It is an intelligent thing to put down parts of information until we come to a more valid and conclusive bit of evidence that can be checked until we find real truths that exists behind an important community place or project. The difference between man and the lower animals is that man has the ability to communicate and record information. Since early days man has always found a way to leave a record. Before the writing process, man drew pictures on the inside of cave walls that told stories.

Grave Markers, Florida Collection
Written by Lucy Edwards in collaboration with Jacksonville Chapter of D.A.R.

D.S.H Miller was a Florida surveyor. He was the father of the wife of Jacksonvilleís Darius Farris. Darius Farris has the first recorded grave in the St. Nicholas Cemetery, August 31,1849. Information was found by Mrs. Lucy Edwards,along with Jacksonville Chapter of D.A.R. This information was taken from abstract deeds when title insurance has been secured.

1878 - There was a purchase made on January 28,1878. Mrs. Genivieve Hagan sold to Cyrus W. Babcock and wife Annie a portion of the cemetery for $120.00. Another purchase was made by C.W. Babcock and wife Annie on March 18,1878. It was apparent that quite a few parcels of land were purchased from the tract near and around St. Nicholas Cemetery covering the period from the 28th day of January A.D. 1878 to and including the 4th day of April A.D. 1910. There was a committee for the community to establish a cemetery consisting of R.J. Gross,chairman, T.S. Baker and Henderson Davis.

1883 - Cyrus W. Babcock and wife Annie sold to Jacksonville and Atlantic Railroad part of said tract for $375.00 on November 2,1883, filed November 27,1883. Benjamin Mumshaw was apparently a representative from the Railroad Company. A corner was sold by Cyrus W. Babcock to George Ellis. C.W. Babcock brought from Genivieve Hagans, another portion of the same tract. Recorded in Book AA, page 496, AN325.

1894 - $50.00 - On August 14,1894, purchased by Jacksonville and Atlantic Railroad. Property was purchased by Andrew Creighton from Railroad company. Mr. Archibald was president during that time.

The 27th day of July 1910, a corporation was organized and existed under the Florida laws. Mr. J. L. Gross, Mr. February Shaw, Mr. Mark Clark, Mr. Henderson Davis, Mr. J. B. Hagans, Mr. J. L. Delifus and Mr. Paul Murray acted as trustees for the community of St. Nicholas,Florida.

It was understood and agreed as a part of the consideration for this conveyance that, the hereby conveyed premises shall be used and maintained by said trustees and their successors in the trust for cemetery purposes for Colored people living in the St. Nicholas and Spring Glen area. That if the same so ceased to be used and maintained, the title to said premises shall revert to and vest in said Railroad Company.

Everyone who has been connected in any capacity with the improvement and bringing up to an acceptable standard of the St. Nicholas Cemetery, you are to be commended for a job well done. Stay farsighted and looking to the future.

Former Presidents	Trustees	Secretaries
Mr. Rueben Clark	Mr. Alfred Jackson	Mrs. Sylvia Mobley
Mr. Tom Clark	Mr. Thomas Sparks	Mrs. Mary J. Clark
Mr. Wesley McNeil	Mr. Harold Robertson	Mrs. Mattie Richardson Davis
Mr. George Longworth	Mr. Charles Murrell
Mr. Herbert Murray	Mr. Calhoun Williams
Mr. Melvin Elliott

Mr. Charles Murrel was financial secretary/treasurer for many,many years and had to retire from office because of illness. May God bless you for a job well done.

Incorporation

At a meeting duly called and held on September 17,1989, it was decided that this cemetery should be incorporated and it should be governed under the laws of the State of Florida. The minutes were written by sis. Mattie Davis for the purpose of filing in January,1900. Sis. Mattie Davis and Everlena Dunn carried the papers to Attorney Jenning H. Best. Attorney Best had them fill out the necessary papers with the minutes and he filed them with the Florida Department State Division of Corporations & Corporate Records, Tallahassee,Florida. The trustees signed the papers on February 9,1990. The papers were filed in Tallahassee,Florida on February 13,1990.

Officers Were

Mr. Herbert H. Murray,president	Mrs. Dorothy Turner,treasurer
Mrs. Minerva York, vice president	Mr. Henry Dunn,trustee
Mrs. Mattie Davis,secretary	Ms. Jessie Bacon,trustee
Mrs. Everlena Dunn,financial secretary	Mr. Melvin Elliott,trustee

Present Officers

Mr. Henry Dunn,president
Mr. Archie Simpo,vice president
Mrs. Mattie Davis,secretary
Mrs. Everlena Dunn,financial secretary/treasurer
Mr. Abe Alston,chaplin

Trustees

Mr. Herbert Murray	Mr. Henry Dunn
Mrs. Lillian Mobley	Mrs. Mildred Murrell
Mr. Archie Simpo	Mrs. Thelma Payton
Mrs. Julia Patterson	Mrs. Everlena Dunn

Research Committee

Mrs. Alma Brown	Mrs. Everlena Dunn
Mrs. Mattie Davis	Mrs. Ida Rich

The Cemetery that serve the needs of our people.

Written by: Mrs. Mattie M. Davis

Please report website problems to Sue Ann Sanders the Duval County GenWeb Coordinator.