This European-style kilometer marker was a gift from the people of Nantes, France, to the people of Jacksonville. It memorializes the Allied invasion of France in World War II and the liberation of the French people from Nazi tyranny. It was placed in “Sister Cities Plaza,” at the corner of Independent Drive and Hogan Street near the Landing, in 1995.
Also in the park is a bench that was presented to the city in 1997 by the mayor of Bahia Blanca, Argentine, to commemorate 30 years of his city and Jacksonville being “Sister Cities,” an international program that fosters business and cultural exchange.
Jacksonville currently has eight Sister Cities. In addition to Nantes and Bahia Blanca, there are Curitiba, Brazil; Changwon, South Korea; Murmansk, Russia; Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, South Africa; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Yingkou, China. There are also currently three “Friendship Cities” in China: Ningbo, Shaoxing and Suzhou.
To learn more about the program, visit www.jsca.org.