Jekyll Island is located off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia , in Glynn County . It is one of the Sea Islands and one of the Golden Isles of Georgia barrier islands . The island is owned by the State of Georgia and run by a self-sustaining, self-governing body.
68-723: Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum (formerly known as the Jekyll Island Museum) is a history museum in the historic district of Jekyll Island of Georgia , in the United States. The historic Club Stables , located on Stable Road, is now the home of the Jekyll Island Museum . This historic building was renovated by Weber Group, Inc. and Main Street Design in 2018, and re-opened spring of 2019. The museum features more exhibit space, more artifacts,
136-430: A mixed-use public Beach Village to increase the number and variety of attractions nearby. These will be oriented to pedestrian uses: an area for new retail shops and a public beach-side promenade. By legislative mandate, sixty-five percent of the island is and will remain in a mostly natural state (including parks and picnic areas). A once-per-day toll has been charged for several decades to enter Jekyll Island. In 1985
204-681: A 25-room mansion, and the historic remains of Horton House . The Historic District includes the Jekyll Island Clubhouse (now the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, a fully functional and award-winning four-star historic hotel), 11 cottages, the historic wharf (now a seafood restaurant), the historic power plant (now the Georgia Sea Turtle Center ), club-era employee housing and a shopping area consisting of numerous historic buildings once used during
272-580: A coastal building material using crushed oyster shells. The island was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was evacuated during World War II by order of the US government. In 1947 the state of Georgia acquired all the property, for security and preservation. A popular tourist destination , the island has beaches frequented by vacationers. Guided tours of the Landmark Historic District are available. Bike trails, walks along
340-404: A convict camp on the island in 1951. In an extension of the lease-convict system, compared to slavery in its abuses, the mostly African-American prisoners performed the manual labor needed to prepare the island for public use. They planted landscaping for drainage, dug and built the foundations of motels and neighborhoods, and built the perimeter road. From September 1951 to December 1954, the island
408-581: A different set of organisms. Saltwater marshes are found around the world in mid to high latitudes , wherever there are sections of protected coastline. They are located close enough to the shoreline that the motion of the tides affects them, and, sporadically, they are covered with water. They flourish where the rate of sediment buildup is greater than the rate at which the land level is sinking. Salt marshes are dominated by specially adapted rooted vegetation, primarily salt-tolerant grasses. Salt marshes are most commonly found in lagoons , estuaries , and on
476-522: A freshwater marsh, the ocean tides affect this form of marsh. However, without the stresses of salinity at work in its saltwater counterpart, the diversity of the plants and animals that live in and use freshwater tidal marshes is much higher than in salt marshes. The most severe threats to this form of marsh are the increasing size and pollution of the cities surrounding them. Ranging greatly in size and geographic location, freshwater marshes make up North America's most common form of wetland. They are also
544-576: A habitat for many species of plants, animals, and insects that have adapted to living in flooded conditions or other environments. The plants must be able to survive in wet mud with low oxygen levels. Many of these plants, therefore, have aerenchyma , channels within the stem that allow air to move from the leaves into the rooting zone. Marsh plants also tend to have rhizomes for underground storage and reproduction. Common examples include cattails , sedges , papyrus and sawgrass . Aquatic animals, from fish to salamanders , are generally able to live with
612-449: A habitat free from fish, which eat the eggs and young of amphibians. An example is the endangered gopher frog . Similar temporary ponds occur in other world ecosystems, where they may have local names. However, vernal pool can be applied to all such temporary pool ecosystems. Playa lakes are a form of shallow freshwater marsh in the southern high plains of the United States. Like vernal pools, they are only present at certain times of
680-404: A limit of 100 members was imposed to preserve the club's exclusivity. From 1888 to 1942 the club opened every January for the winter season, except a few years when there were yellow fever outbreaks . It accommodated some of the world's wealthiest people. Members and their families enjoyed activities such as biking, hunting, horseback riding, and tennis, and frequented the north beaches. Some of
748-457: A low amount of oxygen in the water. Some can obtain oxygen from the air instead, while others can live indefinitely in conditions of low oxygen. The pH in marshes tends to be neutral to alkaline , as opposed to bogs , where peat accumulates under more acid conditions. Marshes provide habitats for many kinds of invertebrates, fish , amphibians, waterfowl and aquatic mammals. Marshes have extremely high levels of biological production, some of
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#1732783048849816-416: A new outdoor classroom, and a new multi-purpose room. Constructed completely within the current footprint of the historic stables building, the new design highlights the building’s construction with high, lofted ceilings and open space. The museum serves as a gateway for daily tours of Jekyll Island’s 90-acre (360,000 m) National Historic Landmark District , including the restored Indian Mound Cottage ,
884-477: A region in the East of England , the embanked marshes are also known as Fens . Some areas have already lost 90% of their wetlands, including marshes. They have been drained to create agricultural land or filled to accommodate urban sprawl . Restoration is returning marshes to the landscape to replace those lost in the past. Restoration can be done on a large scale, such as by allowing rivers to flood naturally in
952-701: A reporter announced finding wreckage in mud in the Mobile River, which a team of archeologists had affirmed may be the ruins of the Clotilda . The Wanderer was built in Setauket, New York as a pleasure boat, but it was acquired by Southerners who opposed the prohibition on the Atlantic slave trade. They had it converted in the Congo and Angola to carry slaves, and the captain purchased more than 500 to take to
1020-457: A two-winged structure that contains numerous suites for rental. The presidential suite contains the three-story turret on the front of the building. Thirty-three buildings from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries surround the hotel; many are the elaborate mansion-sized "cottages" built by the rich. Some cottages offer rooms for rent for temporary stays. Others have been adapted for use as museums, art galleries, or bookstores. The hotel
1088-405: Is humid subtropical , with rainfall concentrated in the hottest months. The north end of the island is the main area that has been affected by human development over the past few hundred years. Early settlers and the loggers who came afterwards developed plantations in this area. They used fallen trees for the construction of ships. In the early 20th century, much of what was considered wilderness
1156-490: Is a 12-foot (3.7 m)-tall steel sculpture of ship sails, intended to signify the harsh, hard nature of slavery. In the midsection of the intercoastal side of the island is a designated 240-acre (0.97 km ) Historic District. This includes most of the buildings erected during the Jekyll Island Club era. They have been carefully preserved. The centerpiece of the grounds is the large Jekyll Island Club Hotel,
1224-637: Is a picnic area on the intercoastal side of the island, facing the marsh and mainland. It is the farthest point on the beach from Clam Creek. This beach is very popular with fishing birds. Dolphins frequently feed here and travel through the area; they are visible when surfacing for air. In 2008, the Jekyll Island History Museum, the Jekyll Island Authority, and the Friends of Historic Jekyll Island commemorated
1292-686: Is known to have been established on Jekyll; however, the Spanish influenced the island from their mission on St. Simons Island . After the Westo invasion on the mainland, they began destroying the missions and slaying the Spanish priests, traveling south along the coast. They spared Father Xander Davilla on Jekyll, keeping him as a slave. (He was later released to the Spanish in a prisoner exchange). In 1663–65, England established grants to land stretching southward from their Jamestown colony to an area below St. Augustine, Florida . The English allied with
1360-558: Is listed in the National Register of Historic Places . The historic district itself has been listed as a National Historic Landmark District since 1978. Tram tours originate from the Jekyll Island Museum located on Stable Road directly across from the historic district. They run several times daily and guides describe much of the history of this area. In the mid-2nd millennium, the island now known as Jekyll
1428-514: Is now called DuBignon Creek. At his residence, Horton established a plantation that was able to supply the population at Frederica with beef and corn; he depended on the labor of enslaved African Americans. Horton continued to develop his property on Jekyll Island. In 1742 his house was destroyed during Spanish attacks, but he had it rebuilt. He developed the cultivation of new experimental crops on his plantation, including barley and indigo . Horton had his house and outbuildings reconstructed after
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#17327830488491496-465: Is tidal marshlands , mostly on the island's western shore. The island measures about 7 miles (11 km) long by 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide, has 8 miles (13 km) of wide, flat beaches on its east shore with sand packed hard enough for easy walking or biking, and boasts 20 miles (32 km) of hiking trails. Like the other Golden Isles, Jekyll is mostly made of older Pleistocene land mass and smaller sections of younger Holocene land. The climate
1564-513: The Cherokee people , Creek people , and Yuchi tribes. They armed the warriors, ordering them to raid the Spanish and Muskogean settlements on Jekyll in 1681–83. By 1702, the English had driven the Spanish from the entire area. General James Oglethorpe established Georgia as a colony in 1733. He renamed the island in honor of his friend Joseph Jekyll , who had contributed £600 towards
1632-666: The Panic of 1907 . They produced a plan for fifteen self-governing branches distributed over the country, overseen by a national commission that would coordinate policy. Aldrich later submitted this proposal to the National Monetary Commission without mentioning its origins, and a similar federated structure was included in the Federal Reserve Act . The Jekyll Island meeting was not disclosed until 1930, when Senator Carter Glass 's claim of credit for
1700-492: The Spanish–American War . The installation looked over St. Andrews Sound toward Little Cumberland. In the second half of the 20th century, homes and motels were built by the Jekyll Island Authority along the northern beaches of the island. The multiple parallel dunes on the southernmost tip are a result of sand from the eroding north beaches traveling southward and being deposited in a recurved spit . This picnic area on
1768-515: The 50 most beautiful small towns in America. The island was listed as a census-designated place prior to the 2020 census with a population of 866. Jekyll Island is one of only four Georgia barrier islands that has a paved causeway to allow access from the mainland by car. It has 5,700 acres (23 km ) of land, including 4,400 acres (18 km ) of solid earth and a 240-acre (0.97 km ) Jekyll Island Club Historic District. The rest
1836-476: The Authority completed the Georgia Sea Turtle Center . The Georgia Sea Turtle Center aims to rehabilitate and return to nature cold stunned and other wounded turtles, the primary species impacted by cold stunning is the critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle . Due to an increasing number of competitive sites, the island had suffered declining numbers of visitors since the late 20th century. In 2006,
1904-456: The Authority planned to revitalize the island. In 2007 it selected Linger Longer Communities LLC (through a competitive process) as its private partner to redevelop a portion of the Island. After a year of planning and hosting public forums throughout the state of Georgia, the Authority and Linger Longer developed a revitalization plan. It includes a renovated Convention Center, with construction of
1972-528: The Federal Reserve's structure prompted rebuttals from Warburg and other banking experts. Under the administration of Governor Melvin E. Thompson , the state of Georgia gained control of Jekyll Island on October 6, 1947, for $ 675,000. The island was initially managed as part of the State Park system. However, by 1950, as costs associated with getting the island ready for tourists began to mount,
2040-614: The State of Georgia bought the island. At the end of November 1910, Senator Nelson W. Aldrich and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury A. Piatt Andrew invited five of the country's leading financiers ( Frank Vanderlip , Henry P. Davison , Arthur Shelton , Benjamin Strong , and Paul Warburg ) to a private meeting at the Jekyll Island Club to develop recommendations for a central banking system that could respond to financial panics like
2108-433: The US. After a six-week voyage in which more than 100 slaves died, on November 28, 1858, The Wanderer anchored near the southern portion of Jekyll Island. Its crew took 409 to 465 enslaved Africans ashore, smuggling them to the mainland. News of the slave ship set off a wave of outrage. The federal government's effort to prosecute the conspirators was unsuccessful. A public art sculpture was commissioned for this site. It
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2176-523: The attacks using the indigenous material, tabby . A mixture of lime, crushed oyster shells, and water, this strong building material has withstood the test of time throughout the Sea Islands. The external structure of William Horton’s two-story house, built from tabby, is one of two remaining two-story colonial-era structures in the state of Georgia. William Horton died in 1748–1749. His property on Jekyll passed through many hands until, just before
2244-442: The beaches and sandbars, and Summer Waves , a water park , are among the active attractions. The historic district features numerous impressive and ambitious buildings from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The island is also full of wildlife , consisting of many different mammals, reptiles, and birds living and breeding in the island's inland salt marshes . In 2018, Architectural Digest named Jekyll Island one of
2312-766: The board membership in the 1970s and 1980s. Now it consists of the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and eight citizens of the state. Some of the later construction projects have included the Soccer Complex, the Jekyll Island Tennis Center, gaining Historic District status and designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1978, and opening the Jekyll Island 4-H Center in 1983. Most recently,
2380-633: The club-era. Jekyll Island It was long used seasonally by indigenous peoples of the region. The Guale and the Mocama , the indigenous peoples of the area when Europeans first reached the area, were killed or forced to leave by the English of the Province of Carolina and their native allies, and by raids by French pirates. Plantations were developed on the island during the British colonial period. A few structures still standing are made of tabby ,
2448-720: The daily rate was $ 1, as of August 2009 it was $ 5, and later raised to $ 10, with an annual pass at $ 100. An annual pass may be purchased at the Guest Information Center before entering the island. Jekyll Island was first listed as a census designated place in the 2020 U.S. Census . Scenes from the films X-Men: First Class , Glory , The Legend Of Bagger Vance , Jekyll Island , and The View from Pompey's Head have been filmed on Jekyll Island. On October 27, 2014, Red Zone Pictures filmed here for Magic Mike XXL (2015), starring Channing Tatum . In 2016, an episode for The Walking Dead Season 7
2516-461: The enormous dunes to the beach. Access to this beach is by way of a long boardwalk. It was built in the mid-1980s by the producers of the film Glory , which was partially filmed here, and has been named for the film. The boardwalk, recently repaired, can be accessed from the soccer complex at the south end of the Jekyll Island. The boardwalk passes through a variety of natural habitats, ranging from ancient dunes to freshwater sloughs . St. Andrews
2584-468: The entrance to the Clam Creek picnic area is the campground, an 18-acre (73,000 m ) facility in a cleared maritime forest . The campground has running water for restrooms, showers, and laundry, as well as a store and bike rentals. The southern end of the island was virtually unused by settlers and visitors until the late 19th century, when the army installed a gun mount on the southern end during
2652-466: The founding of the colony. For many years, including the "Club Era", the island was spelled as "Jekyl". The Georgia legislature in 1929 passed legislation to correct the spelling to "Jekyll", as used by the former sponsor of the colony. In the late 1730s, General Oglethorpe appointed William Horton to set up a military post in the area to protect Fort Frederica on St Simon's Island. By 1738 Horton had set up permanent residence on Jekyll Island, near what
2720-641: The fringes of large rivers. The different types are produced by factors such as water level, nutrients, ice scour , and waves. Large tracts of tidal marsh have been embanked and artificially drained. They are usually known by the Dutch name of polders . In Northern Germany and Scandinavia they are called Marschland , Marsch or marsk ; in France marais maritime . In the Netherlands and Belgium, they are designated as marine clay districts. In East Anglia ,
2788-447: The highest in the world, and therefore are important in supporting fisheries. Marshes also improve water quality by acting as a sink to filter pollutants and sediment from the water that flows through them. Marshes partake in water purification by providing nutrient and pollution consumption. Marshes (and other wetlands) are able to absorb water during periods of heavy rainfall and slowly release it into waterways and therefore reduce
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2856-628: The island for France and renamed it as Ille de la Somme. Ribault later surrendered to the Spanish and was executed. The two countries engaged in competition and armed confrontations along the Georgia and Florida coasts. After his army swiftly defeated the French, Philip II of Spain immediately had a colony established on Jekyll. More brief conflicts between these two countries along the coastline followed. Spanish priests established missions intending to convert Native Americans to Christianity. No mission
2924-477: The island from his father and intended to build a house. Du Bignon purchased the rest of the island from his siblings, with the help of his brother-in-law Newton Finney and an investor. Their plan to market the island as a winter retreat for the wealthy came to fruition on February 17, 1886. They decided to construct a clubhouse which was completed in January 1888. Fifty-three members purchased shares for $ 600 each;
2992-474: The island was taken out of the state park system. It was organized as a separate authority with the goal of its becoming self-sustaining, considered achievable because of its resources and attractions. The Jekyll Island Authority was created in February 1950 under the direction of Governor Herman Talmadge . It was designed to be a governing board. This board consisted of nine gubernatorial appointed members and
3060-582: The late 17th century the Guale and the Mocama were driven out of what is now Georgia by attacks from French pirates and from native allies of the English in the Province of Carolina . The survivors resettled in what is now Florida. The men used spears to take fish from the surrounding creeks. The women were experts on the native vegetation, gathering nuts and fruit. They made a type of tea from parched holly leaves. These settlers were said to also have cultivated
3128-469: The magnitude of flooding. Marshes also provide the services of tourism, recreation, education, and research. Marshes differ depending mainly on their location and salinity . These factors greatly influence the range and scope of animal and plant life that can survive and reproduce in these environments. The three main types of marsh are salt marshes , freshwater tidal marshes , and freshwater marshes . These three can be found worldwide, and each contains
3196-530: The markets had changed and the soil became exhausted. By 1862 when Union Army troops arrived, the Du Bignon plantation was completely deserted. After the American Civil War ended, the Du Bignon family returned to the island. Henri Charles divided the island among his four children. In 1875 John Eugene Du Bignon, a nephew, became owner of property on the island. He inherited the southern third of
3264-814: The marsh is sometimes called a carr . This form of vegetation is what differentiates marshes from other types of wetland such as swamps , which are dominated by trees , and mires , which are wetlands that have accumulated deposits of acidic peat . Marshes provide habitats for many kinds of invertebrates , fish , amphibians , waterfowl and aquatic mammals . This biological productivity means that marshes contain 0.1% of global sequestered terrestrial carbon . Moreover, they have an outsized influence on climate resilience of coastal areas and waterways, absorbing high tides and other water changes due to extreme weather . Though some marshes are expected to migrate upland, most natural marshlands will be threatened by sea level rise and associated erosion . Marshes provide
3332-486: The most diverse of the three types of marsh. Some examples of freshwater marsh types in North America are: Wet meadows occur in shallow lake basins, low-lying depressions, and the land between shallow marshes and upland areas. They also happen on the edges of large lakes and rivers. Wet meadows often have very high plant diversity and high densities of buried seeds. They are regularly flooded but are often dry in
3400-480: The next decade, the Authority directed development of motels, houses, the convention center, and a shopping center, as well as the towers at the entrance to the causeway. In the 1970s the Authority began renovating the historic cottages and club hotel in the historic district. During the 1980s, it supervised the construction of bike paths and the re-opening of the clubhouse in December 1987. The legislature reorganized
3468-431: The ocean side of the island features plenty of picnic tables, a full bathroom with showers, and a boardwalk to traverse the 20-foot (6.1 m)-high dune ridge to the beach. The dune is needed to protect the wooded area and interior of the island from erosion due to storms. This area was repaired in 1983, with bulldozers pushing new primary dunes into place to correct the damage caused by 30 years of beachgoers trampling over
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#17327830488493536-462: The past 100 years as an example of coastal Georgia building techniques; it is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the state. Across the street from the Horton House ruin is the du Bignon cemetery, established by the next family to own the house and much of the island for generations. Its tabby wall surrounds the graves of five people who died in the 19th century. Just across the street from
3604-470: The picnic area to the North End Beach and Driftwood Beach. These beaches are characterized by another tidal creek emptying into St. Simons Sound and a boneyard of pine and water oak tree roots. The two-story house built from tabby in 1742 stands along N. Riverview Rd. The frame is intact, while the roof, doors, and windows are gone. Tabby was an indigenous material developed along the coast that
3672-401: The plantation continued to prosper, as evidenced by the 1850 census . On November 28, 1858, fifty years after the importation of slaves to the United States was prohibited, the ship The Wanderer landed on Jekyll Island with 465 slaves. This was the next-to-last successful shipment of slaves to American soil from Africa . By 1860, the plantations on Jekyll had declined in productivity, as
3740-463: The sheltered side of a shingle or sandspit . The currents there carry the fine particles around to the quiet side of the spit, and sediment begins to build up. These locations allow the marshes to absorb the excess nutrients from the water running through them before they reach the oceans and estuaries. These marshes are slowly declining. Coastal development and urban sprawl have caused significant loss of these essential habitats. Although considered
3808-492: The summer. Vernal pools are a type of marsh found only seasonally in shallow depressions in the land. They can be covered in shallow water, but in the summer and fall, they can be completely dry. In western North America, vernal pools tend to form in open grasslands, whereas in the east, they often occur in forested landscapes. Further south, vernal pools form in pine savannas and flatwoods . Many amphibian species depend upon vernal pools for spring breeding; these ponds provide
3876-467: The survivors of the slave ship The Wanderer , the next to last ship documented to transport slaves to US territory in the prohibited Atlantic slave trade. Clotilda , out of Mobile, Alabama , brought in 110 slaves in July 1860, and is ranked last. Because the ship was burned and sunk, some observers thought accounts of its slave voyage was a hoax, but there is considerable documentation. In January 2018
3944-453: The three sisters: squash and pumpkins, beans, and corn (maize); as well as sunflowers and tobacco , which was used for many ritual purposes and celebrations. In 1510 explorers from Spain were the first to land at Jekyll Island, naming it Isla De Ballenas (Whale Island). Later Juan Ponce de León was appointed as the civil governor of this and Spain's other claimed North American territories. In 1562 French explorer Jean Ribault claimed
4012-543: The wealthiest members built their own "cottages", mansion-sized residences that are mostly still standing in the 21st century. Even the wealthy endured financial losses during the Great Depression , and the club had financial difficulties. When the United States entered World War II , it ordered the island evacuated for security purposes, ending the era of the Jekyll Island Club. After the war in 1947,
4080-500: The word can be used for any low-lying and seasonally waterlogged terrain. In Europe and in agricultural literature low-lying meadows that require draining and embanked polderlands are also referred to as marshes or marshland. Marshes can often be found at the edges of lakes and streams, where they form a transition between the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems . They are often dominated by grasses , rushes or reeds. If woody plants are present they tend to be low-growing shrubs, and
4148-485: The year 1800, Christophe du Bignon acquired all of the property of the island. Christophe du Bignon and his family arrived here from France in 1792 as refugees from the violence of the French Revolution against the elite. Du Bignon developed a prosperous plantation based on African slavery . After he died in 1825, his son Henri Charles Du Bignon inherited the property. Under the new ownership of Henri Charles
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#17327830488494216-664: The year and generally have a circular shape. As the playa dries during the summer, conspicuous plant zonation develops along the shoreline. Prairie potholes are found in northern North America, such as the Prairie Pothole Region . Glaciers once covered these landscapes, and as a result, shallow depressions were formed in great numbers. These depressions fill with water in the spring. They provide important breeding habitats for many species of waterfowl. Some pools only occur seasonally, while others retain enough water to be present all year. Many kinds of marsh occur along
4284-430: Was charged with the operation and care of the island. Black residents of Brunswick petitioned the state for access‚ and in 1950‚ a portion of southern Jekyll‚ renamed St. Andrews Beach‚ was designated for blacks‚ becoming the first public beach in Georgia accessible to African Americans. Five years later‚ the state erected the “Colored Beach House,” which now stands as a historic landmark at Camp Jekyll. The authority placed
4352-482: Was developed into golf courses. A short winding road leads to a parking lot and one of the three picnic areas on the island. To the west is a vast marsh hammock and a view of the Sidney Lanier Bridge , a 480-foot (150 m)-tall cable-stay bridge on Hwy 17. A large fishing pier extends northwest from the picnic area. To the east, a bridge crosses Clam Creek, in front of an inland marsh, to connect
4420-493: Was filmed on the island, as well as part of an episode in season 10 in 2019. In 2021, some scenes for The Menu were filmed on Driftwood Beach. The musical version of The Color Purple (2023) shot several scenes on Driftwood Beach in March 2022. Jekyll Island has a small airfield . Marsh In ecology , a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants . More in general,
4488-426: Was formed from crushed oyster shells, lime and water to make a kind of cement. It is featured in several historic sea island structures dating from the antebellum plantation era. The house was occupied by Major William Horton during the British colonial period. He developed Georgia's first brewery (the ruins of which are a few hundred yards down the road). The remains of the house have been meticulously preserved over
4556-512: Was near the border between the Guale people and the Mocama people. Historians have debated whether the town of Guadalquini was on Jekyll Island or St. Simon's Island, and whether the people that lived there late in the 16th century were Guale or Mocama. By early in the 17th century Guadalquini was occupied by the Mocama. Both the Guale and the Mocama became part of the Spanish mission system . In
4624-540: Was primarily closed to the public. Upon completion of the six-year causeway project and erection of the drawbridge on December 11, 1954, Jekyll Island officially re-opened for public use. The Authority was criticized and received negative publicity in the mid-1950s. The Georgia Legislature restructured the Authority in 1957, requiring board members to be elected officials. The state attorney general, state auditor, public service commissioner, state parks department director, and secretary of state were all made board members. In
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