The Jacksonville, Mayport and Pablo Railroad
On the morning of May 17, 1888, residents in the wooded communities of Old Arlington woke up to the new sounds of a chugging steam engine and the rattle of railroad cars. It was on that day the Jacksonville, Mayport and Pablo Railroad and Navigation Company the J.M. & P. Railroad began twice daily service from Arlington to Mayport and the beaches areas. The railway was chartered in 1886 by Alexander Wallace , a native of Scotland who owned a successful lumber mill in east Jacksonville and believed Mayport had the potential to become the shipping port for all of northeast Florida. As a destination point for passengers, Wallace also built the Burnside Hotel on the ocean where Hanna Park is now located.
The opening of the railroad provided the people of Jacksonville and the Arlington communities with convenient access to the beaches. Passengers from Jacksonville were brought by the steamer Kate Spencer to a dock on the St. Johns River, near where the Mathews Bridge is now located, to board the train for their ride to the beach. Stops were made in Eggleston (a station at the south end of Paine Street which was complete with a waiting room), Verona, Gilmore, Cosmo, Idlewild, and Mt. Pleasant, small communities lying near and east of Arlington. Unfortunately, Wallace died unexpectedly in 1889, and his hotel burned down soon afterward. His widow sold the railroad in 1892. The new owners extended the track across the Arlington River in the Clifton area to South Jacksonville, ultimately providing 28 miles of railway to the ocean.
The rail service closed in 1895, but for a while handcars were used on the track to deliver the mail. The rails were taken up in 1900 and reportedly shipped to Cuba. The roadbed became known as the tram road and served as a footpath between the small communities. Today, much of the eastern portion of the rail bed has been incorporated into the Wonderwood Expressway.
Erected 2009
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars.
Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 30° 20.007′ N, 81° 36.11′ W. Marker was in Jacksonville, Florida, in Duval County. It was in Arlington. It was at the intersection of Arlington Road and Marcheck Street, on the left when traveling west on Arlington Road. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 5714 Arlington Road, Jacksonville FL 32211, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in Florida’s First Coast. It was also in the American South. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: The Crossroads (about
Another marker is no longer nearby. Historic Eggleston Community (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . . A Jacksonville, Mayport and Pablo Railroad Tour. My Arlington website entry (Submitted on December 29, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 16, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,997 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 23, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 2. submitted on May 16, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
