After the destruction of Fort Caroline, the area was only sparsely inhabited until the 19th century, when sawmills and plantations were established along the St. Johns River.

After the American Civil War these gave way to residential developments, which were gradually absorbed into the Arlington community as it grew.

[2] First proposed in the 1890s by Eugene F. Gilbert, who personally paid for land surveys and eventually convinced the Duval County Commission to use convict labor to start building the road.

[3][4] Originally only 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, the road would soon draw criticism as being too narrow for the large amount of traffic carried between the mainland and the beach.

It relocated three times over the next fifteen years, but the influx of GI bill students following the end of World War II made a permanent location necessary.

Midway between downtown and the beaches, the Sandalwood neighborhood began developing in spring of 1960 and is just one example of the many planned subdivisions beginning to sprawl across the area at that time.

Constructed at an expanse of sand dunes at an expense of $12 million, it initially featured three anchor stores: national chain JCPenney, along with May-Cohens and Furchgotts.

The mall also included a Woolworth dime store as a junior anchor, a cafeteria style Piccadilly restaurant, as well as the single-screen Regency Cinema.

To give back to the community, the mall operators turned over thousands of dollars in coins from their decorative fountains to charities.

Initially, Arlington was a small settlement across the St. Johns River east of the present day central business district.

Today it refers to most of Jacksonville east and south of the St. Johns, west of the Intracoastal Waterway, and north of the Arlington River and Southside.

The commercial district encompasses an area equitable in size to Jacksonville's downtown, and consist of multiple corridors along the Southside Connector (SR 113).

[14] In a 2010 Arlington vision plan, citizens recognized the Regency Square Mall property as being ripe for redevelopment, with the potential to attract new businesses and consumers.

On June 15, 1946, the United States Navy's Blue Angels performed their first airshow at Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport.