JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The top three local stories on firstcoastnews.com over the last few days are all relating to one topic: the bones unearthed Thursday at a construction site in Oceanway.
The following three headlines show the progression of this fascinating piece of Jacksonville and U.S. history unraveling right now, as we watch.
On Your Side’s Jeff Valin went on day-one reporting the only thing we knew at the time: Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said human remains - originally buried near Eastport Road in San Mateo - were uncovered by a bulldozer pushing loads of dirt from that area to I-295 and Main Street in the Oceanway neighborhood.
All work at the site was ordered to a halt per state law (FSS 872.02) related to "injuring or removing tomb or monument; disturbing contents of grave or tomb," the statute states.
The imagination kicked in. Was this a crime scene? Will this finding address any missing persons cases?
The next headline quelled any of those questions sparking new ones that were even more captivating.
According to the Work Progress Administration Veteran’s Grave Registration for 1940-1941 in Duval County, the site was confirmed to be a documented cemetery, according to Jacksonville police.
A documented cemetery for United States veterans being treated in this manner? Disturbed by a bulldozer, scattered, pushed from a resting place to a pile of dirt.
How could this be?
We shared this story on Facebook and many of those questions were echoed.
"How could the property ever had been sold for commercial or roadway if this was documented?" - Linda Wiseman
"Wow!!!! If it was documented you would think the company would have done their due diligence as to where they were excavating." - Maria Isabel
"Wow. This is absolutely a giant embarrassment for the city of Jacksonville ... and power will always be greater than respect of history and human life." -Kaetlyn Parker
Florida highway officials say all proper procedures were followed prior to construction and excavation at the site.
The question of 'how could this be' was answered quickly hours later after we refreshed that headline:
Ah! It was a "colored" cemetery. That explains it.
Excavation crews then uncovered a marked headstone with a name and military rank inscribed on it.
Jacksonville police have not yet released the name of the soldier and say they’re trying to locate any living relatives.
We all need to know his name.
Duval County Property Appraiser Jerry Holland told On Your Side’s Robert Bradfield on Friday that the graves could date back at least 100 years.
Holland said the land was owned by the Broward family who were in the timber industry before the Civil War. The location eventually became a burial site for black people in a community called Pollytown.
"Many of the minorities settled in that area … ," Holland said adding that county records will be updated to reflect what’s being learned about the land. "We will document in the public records so that anyone in the future will know this is where the cemetery, possibly Pollytown, and that minority community was located," he said.
The Florida Department of Transportation and the State Archaeologist are now involved and the rest of the remains will be processed by experts, state officials say.
Those conditions that lead to this forgotten resting place back then are now in plain sight. How it's handled will say everything about who we are now.
Several suggestions on what to do were shared on Facebook.
"I hope they give them a proper burial at the Jacksonville National Cemetery. I would love to attend the ceremony to show my respect." - Michele Crady Collins
" ... I hope the COJ steps up and makes this right! Who cares if living family can be located ... Give them a proper burial! They DESERVE it!" - Joanna Ray
Harold Goodridge is Digital Director at First Coast News and an award-winning newspaper columnist.