Urban Core in Jacksonville in Duval County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Henry Hank Thomas
Freedom Riders In Jacksonville
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 20, 2026
1. Henry HankThomas Marker
In 1961, Freedom Riders traveling across the South stopped in Jacksonville. The Freedom Rides were part of a national campaign to challenge segregation in interstate bus travel and transportation facilities. Among them was Henry "Hank" Thomas, one of the original Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Freedom Riders who had ties to Jacksonville, survived the firebombing of a bus in Anniston, Alabama, and continued the journey for justice. This site was home to the former Greyhound Bus Station, where Freedom Riders traveled during the Civil Rights Movement without incident.
Erected by The Legacy Project, City of Jacksonville-Mayor Donna Delgan.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. A significant historical year for this entry is 1961.
Location. 30° 19.645′ N, 81° 39.793′ W. Marker is in Jacksonville, Florida, in Duval County. It is in Urban Core. It is at the intersection of West Bay Street and North Pearl Street, on the right when traveling west on West Bay Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10 N Pearl St, Jacksonville FL 32202,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Florida’s First Coast. It is also in the American South and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 walking distance of this marker: El Modelo Cigar Factory (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ossachite (approx. 0.2 miles away); John Milton Bryan Simpson (approx. Ό mile away); Sinking of the Maple Leaf (approx. Ό mile away); Jacksonville National Bank - 1902 (approx. Ό mile away); Andrew Jackson (approx. Ό mile away); 1960 Civil Rights Demonstration (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jacksonville.
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 20, 2026
2. Henry Hank Thomas Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 21, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 21, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
