Fatal, unprovoked shark attacks in the United States
...During the summer 1895, Delano Wood, 15, was killed by a 10 foot long shark, probably a bull shark, while swimming in the Trout River, Panama Park.
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...Camp Panama Park, Jacksonville, Fla., Aug. 13, 1898.
The Union: The 4th Regiment. has been transferred from the second brigade to the third and our camp has been moved to Panama Park, which is located five miles northeast of the city. We moved last Wednesday and the boys are all busy putting up tents, etc. This is a much nicer place to camp it being higher ground and more shade. We are also near the St. Johns river and the boys enjoy bathing, boating and fishing. There are two excursions daily on the river to the city for benefit of the soldiers. The boys are all pleased and it will be a great benefit to our health...
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...Col. Durbin made the announcement that the 161st Indiana Regiment was ordered to Jacksonville, Florida . . . the boys were rejoicing over their departure from Camp Mount.
...The boys received their first months pay on the 10th of Aug. 1898.
... Thursday Aug 11" 1898 . We began to break camp and by 9:30 every tent in the regiment had been taken down and by 11 o'clock every thing was packed ready for shipping. We ate our last dinner at Camp Mount at 11:45 and by one o'clock we were on the march for Indianapolis. It was real funny to see the boys as they marched from the camp grounds to the street car station. They were not experienced hands at rolling their blankets and their dog tents with their mess outfit on the inside and as they were given the double quick, a time or two the mess pans began to fly. Some of the boys stopping to pick them up were ran over by the boys behind them. We took the street car as far as sixteenth street from there we marched to the Soldiers Monument and around the Capitol. From there to North Street depot on the Big Four rail road. We were all the afternoon getting there Great crowds of people were collected along the streets and at the depot. We boarded the train about 8.30 that evening. . .
...At 1:40 A M, on August 14 1898, our train landed in Jacksonville Florida.
Our train was ran into Union Station where we got hot coffee. Rations were then passed around and we proceeded to eat breakfast. After breakfast our train was ran out to the camp grounds at Panama Park about five miles North of Jacksonville. It was Sunday morning and the heat was intense . . . . The slowly sinking golden sunset shining over a camp of patriotism and love, while the flag of freedom is floating over our land, while the peaceful pines are waving to and fro at the will of a refreshing sea breeze while the Almighty is looking down upon us from on high . Should we not feel grateful to serve our dear and honored country? Should we not look back and recall the deeds of our forefathers when our country was in A perilous struggle for freedom? Is there anything grander than to serve one's country . . . Notwithstanding our camp in Panama Park was kept clean and nice...
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...On July 24 the battalion finally arrived in Florida. It was quartered at Camp Libre in Panama Park along with the 2nd Mississippi and the 61st Indiana. After an inspection by the future Governor of Massachusetts, Inspector-General Curtiss Guild, the company was assigned to the 7th Army Corps under the command of General Fitzhugh Lee. The insignia of the corps was a red, white, and blue seven pointed star.
Panama Park was located seven miles from Jacksonville. Not only was it too far from town for social entertainment. The soldiers were camped on a sandy plain with no natural shelter from the blistering sun. "It's a 120 degrees in the shade," remarked a soldier before drill. "Yes, and no shade!" added Frank ("The Count"), Lepinski, the company jokester. The only defense from the torrid heat was the nearby St. John's River, where the men found great comfort in swimming until a fourteen foot long alligator was captured in the stream. From then on the Nebraska boys gave up bathing in the vicinity. . .
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Florida Times Union, January 29, 1901
...Championship bicycle racers left New York by steamship for a winter meet at Jacksonville's Panama Park track, said to be the South's finest concrete oval...
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Florida Times Union, November 25, 1906
...The latest in a epidemic of horse thefts was reported from Panama Park, where a light gray mare with no shoes on the hind feet and the ones on the front almost worn off was taken from a barn near Leidy's store in Panama Park. Constable Ben Jones visited the place of the robbery but returned to headquarters without a clue...
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Florida Governor, Francis Philip Fleming,[1841-1908]
15th Governor [1889-1893]
Francis Philip Fleming was born in Panama Park, Duval County, Florida, on September 28, 1841, to Lewis and Margaret (Seton) Fleming.
