Fort George Island near Jacksonville in Duval County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Looking Back

Photographed By Dale K. Benington, June 26, 2010

1. Looking Back Marker

Inscription. Imagine...instead of a lush green landscape of today, a long dusty road stretches to the slave cabins and field beyond.

Bent over cotton plants, under the hot sun with dust-filled air, enslaved people toil day in and day out amidst the odor of sweat and domestic animals. The slaves constant companions are the relentless mosquitoes and flies.

"The weather early this month was unpleasantly hot...here and on all of the Sea Islands where sickness was little known, it has been very sickly - one planter on this River writes my son that he has sixty one cases of fever then on his plantation and there has been eight or ten at a time here..."
George Gibbs, 1846

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.

Location. 30° 26.379′ N, 81° 26.259′ W. Marker is near Jacksonville, Florida, in Duval County. It is on Fort George Island. Marker is on Palmetto Avenue, 2.1 miles north of Fort George Road. This historical marker is located in a national park. The historical marker is in a very remote area that is reached by traveling a considerable distance on an unpaved dirt

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

road. To get there one must turn north, off of the Florida State Route 1A (Heckscher Road), onto Fort George Road, and then traveling about 0.6 miles to the intersection of Fort George Road and Palmetto Avenue, were you turn north on Palmetto Avenue and travel to the end of this road to reach the historical marker. The turn-off from state route 1A can be identified by the "Kingsley Plantation, Fort George Island Visitor Center" sign that is situated right at the turnoff point. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Jacksonville FL 32226, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A different marker also named Looking Back (here, next to this marker); A Very Comfortable Habitation (here, next to this marker); Task System (within shouting distance of this marker); Plantation Crops (within shouting distance of this marker); Kingsley Plantation (within shouting distance of this marker); Plantation Slavery (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Kingsley Plantation (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Kingsley Plantation (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jacksonville.

Also see . . .
1. Kingsley Plantation. This is a link to information provided by the National Park Service. (Submitted on February 4, 2011, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.)

Photographed By Dale K. Benington, June 26, 2010

2. Looking Back Marker

View of historical marker (situated by the back corner of the owner's residence) looking south towards where the slave residences and the plantation fields were located.

2. Kingsley Plantation. This is a link to information provided by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (Submitted on February 4, 2011, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.)

Photographed By Dale K. Benington, June 26, 2010

3. Looking Back Marker

Distant view of the historical marker situated next to where the walkway connects to back of the owner's residence.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 4, 2011, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. This page has been viewed 671 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 4, 2011, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.