Florida's First Coast: A History in Images

Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Pablo / Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, and Palm Valley!
Chronicling Indians and aviators, stock cars and sand traps, Florida s First Coast is a delightful collection of vintage images and local lore, sure to enchant newcomers and residents alike. A well-loved local, retired U.S. Navy Captain Jack Pate decided to tell others the story of the First Coast Beaches after falling in love with the area himself. Using the extensive collections of the Beaches Area Historical Society, Captain Jack introduces the history of the people who settled the Beaches area and their love-hate relationship with the two bodies of water that define it: the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean."

Captain Jack A. Pate, USN, retired, is a 1944 graduate of the US Naval Academy. His 28 years of commissioned naval service included tours aboard the aircraft carrier Enterprise in the Pacific during World War II, patrolling aviation squadrons on the east coast, and as a faculty member of the US Army War College. Captain Pate and his wife Elizabeth have resided in Atlantic Beach since 1986. He has served as a volunteer with The Beaches Area Historical Society since 1993, engaging in research and writing historical articles for both the society s newsletter and the local newspaper, The Beaches Leader.