Allendale in Jacksonville in Duval County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Bessie Coleman and Paxon Air Field
Historic African-American Sites
| | Durkeeville Historical Society | |
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
1. Bessie Coleman and Paxon Air Field Marker
She was born in Texas in 1892. After hearing stories of American airmen returning from World War I, she determined to become a pilot. Frustrated and denied in America, she traveled to France, where she was taught by French aviators, and received her international pilot license in 1921.
Returning to the U.S., she began a career of "barnstorming" -exhibition flying. She became an overnight success, and the media dubbed her "Queen Bess" as she flew over packed stands of spectators, both black and white.
In 1926, near this site, at then - Paxon Air Field, she was flying with her co-pilot in a new plane. Her co-pilot lost control, and Bessie was flung from the plane to her death. The plane crashed and the co-pilot was also killed. The cause of the crash was a loose wrench that slipped into the gearbox after takeoff.
Bessie Coleman's courage and perseverance inspired an entire generation of black aviators.
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Paxon Air Field (1920's)
Erected 2016 by Wells Fargo and Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC) and the Durkeeville Historical Society.
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Location. 30° 20.919′ N, 81° 43.378′ W. Marker is in Jacksonville, Florida, in Duval County. It is in Allendale. It is on Melson Avenue 0.2 miles south of 12th Street W, on the right. The marker is located in front of Hammond Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2142 Melson Avenue, Jacksonville FL 32254, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Florida’s First Coast. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds 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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: McCoys Creek Improvement Project (approx. 2.2 miles away); Centennial Hall Edward Waters College (approx. 2.3 miles away); Camp Captain Mooney Cemetery (approx. 2½ miles away); All Those That Fought (approx. 2½ miles away); Camp Capt. Mooney Cemetery (approx. 2½ miles away); Abraham Lincoln Lewis Mausoleum (approx. 2.8 miles away); Moncrief Community (approx. 2.8 miles away); Durkee Gardens (approx. 2.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jacksonville.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Bessie Coleman Engraved in Jax History with a Marker
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
2. Bessie Coleman and Paxon Air Field Marker
2. History of Aviation. (Submitted on December 4, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
courtesy of WikiMedia Commons
3. Bessie Coleman and Paxon Air Field Marker
Coleman, the first black women to earn a pilots license, died four years later when she fell from a plane over Jacksonville.
Copy Photo United States Postal Service
4. Bessie Coleman
U.S. Postal Service honors Bessie Coleman with a stamp,
Credits. This page was last revised on October 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 4, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 849 times since then and 146 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 4, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
