According to Neptune Beach lore, the origin of the town was established by Dan Wheeler, who lived in the area. Back in the 1920s, he worked in Jacksonville and had to take a train from Mayport to get to work and back. While walking home from Mayport one weekday, someone told him that if you build a train station, a train is obligated to stop there.
So, he built a station and named it “Neptune” in something of an attempt at an “if you build it, they will come,” scenario. Queue, the birth of Neptune Beach.
Only, according to Karen Lamoree, Beaches Museum & History Park archives and collections manager, “None of that is true.”
Lamoree recently organized the Beaches Museum’s new exhibit, “Neptune Beach: A Cool Place to Live.” The exhibit chronicles the formation of the town and the origins of its most unique characteristics and businesses. From Pete’s Bar to firsthand accounts of some of the area’s first surfers, the exhibit showcases collections of significant Neptune Beach memorabilia and history.
Lamoree said that one of the most defining characteristics that made Neptune Beach “A Cool Place to Live,” was its residential atmosphere and small-town feel while also being open to people from all walks of life.
“Neptune was actually built in 1885, by the man that developed it,” Lamoree said. “Obviously he named it after the Roman god, Neptune. We will never know why he chose the name, but it was great marketing because it stuck. Right from the start it welcomed people that were a little different… for example, (the developer) sold property to a lot of single women. That’s unusual at the time.”
Additionally, the town tried, but failed, at getting many commercial developments in the area all the way through the 1940s. Due to the developer’s lack of success, Neptune Beach’s residential quality has since drawn many tourists and families to the area.
“It always stayed resolutely residential,” Lamoree said. “What seemed like a negative consequence actually turned into a positive one.”
The Beaches Museum exhibit, “Neptune Beach: A Cool Place to Live,” will be on display from November 15 through March 1. It is free to see Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
