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107-673: It was founded in 1961 by Stanley Pearle, an optometrist in Savannah, Georgia , United States. In 1971, Pearle purchased a 17-store optical chain owned by Robert Hillman and Larry Kohan; together, Hillman and Kohan stayed on and helped to expand Pearle Vision nationwide. By the 1970s the chain was owned by G. D. Searle Pharmaceutical, with founder Stanley Pearle serving as a board member. Stanley Pearle sold his stores to British conglomerate Grand Metropolitan in 1985. Grand Met expanded Pearle Vision to more than 1,000 locations worldwide by 1990, but profits became elusive. In 1996, Grand Met sold

214-446: A telegram asking for a year before making any final decisions. Although he did not initially favor divorce or separation, he wrote her a year later to ask that they live apart permanently, and she agreed. William soon began withholding money from Juliette unless she agreed to a divorce. After consulting a lawyer, she learned that for a divorce to be granted, she would need to prove adultery and desertion, or adultery and cruelty. In

321-581: A "Liquid Container for Use with Garbage Cans or the Like", Patent 1,124,925, and a design patent, D45234, for the trefoil Girl Scout Badge. In 1999, the City of Savannah named its ferry service the Savannah Belles Ferry after four of Savannah's notable women, including Low. In 2016, the first official Girl Scout trail honoring Low was created by a Girl Scout for her Gold Award project. The trail

428-725: A bungalow near the main house and named it "The Link" to signify the bond between the British Girl Guides and the American Girl Scouts. While no longer the president, Low remained an active presence in the organization. She worked on and appeared in The Golden Eaglet , the first Girl Scout movie. At a fundraising campaign in New York during Girl Scout Week, she dropped pamphlets onto a crowd of people from an airplane. On October 31, that same week,

535-616: A camping facility in Cloudland, Georgia , designed to train leaders and girls together. Cloudlands was later renamed Camp Juliette Low. Low developed breast cancer in 1923 but kept it a secret. She caught the flu after an operation to remove the malignant lumps, leaving her bed-ridden until February 1924. When she recovered, she resumed her work with the American Girl Scouts and the International Council. She secretly had two more operations to try to cure her cancer, but

642-475: A child, Gordon spent more time on art and poetry than on school work. In addition to writing and performing plays, she started a newspaper, the Malbone Bouquet , with her cousins which featured some of her early poetry. She also formed The Helpful Hands Club with her cousins, with the goal of helping others. The members learned to sew and tried to make clothes for the children of Italian immigrants. She

749-562: A design known as the Oglethorpe Plan . During the 1996 Summer Olympics hosted by Atlanta , Savannah held sailing competitions in the nearby Wassaw Sound . On February 12, 1733, General James Oglethorpe and settlers from the ship Anne landed at Yamacraw Bluff and were greeted by Tomochichi , the Yamacraws , and Indian traders John and Mary Musgrove . Mary Musgrove often served as an interpreter. The city of Savannah and

856-465: A dramatic increase in the number of violent crimes, including at least 54 deaths due to gun violence, a number not seen since the early 1990s. The first quarter of 2018 saw crime trending downward, compared to 2017. Before British colonization of the Americas and the founding of colonial Georgia , the coastal region's indigenous inhabitants practiced Native American religions . Since colonization,

963-478: A host, she held parties and events at the house and also received visits from such illustrious guests as her husband's friend Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales , and the writer Rudyard Kipling , whose wife was related to her mother. Despite her husband's opposition, she devoted time to charity work, including regular visits to a woman with leprosy ; she also fed and cared for the poor in a nearby village, and joined

1070-484: A letter that "Daisy fell out of bed – on her head, as usual...." That same year, she broke two of her fingers so severely that her parents considered having them amputated. She also had frequent earaches and recurring bouts of malaria . Gordon developed partial hearing loss as a child. At her wedding, a grain of rice thrown in celebration landed in her left ear and led to an infection. Its removal punctured her ear drum, leading to permanent deafness in that ear. As

1177-782: A local educator, saying, "I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight." Soon after, in March 1912, Low formed the first two American Girl Guides patrols, registering 18 girls. The early growth of the movement in the United States was due to Low's extensive social connections and early work to recruit new members and leaders, among them her family and friends. She also advertised in newspapers and magazines. Baden-Powell put her in touch with people interested in Girl Guiding, including Louise Carnegie . After forming

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1284-647: A lot of time together over the next year. In August 1911, Low became involved with the Girl Guides , a girl-serving offshoot of the Boy Scouts, headed by Agnes Baden-Powell , Robert's sister. She formed a Girl Guides patrol near her home in Scotland, where she encouraged the members to become self-sufficient by learning how to spin wool and care for livestock. She also taught them knot tying, map reading, knitting, cooking, and first aid, while her friends in

1391-579: A peaceful surrender to save Savannah from destruction, and Union troops marched into the city at dawn. Savannah was named after the Savannah River, which probably derives from variant names for the Shawnee , a Native American people who migrated to the river in the 1680s. The Shawnee destroyed another Native people, the Westo , and occupied their lands at the head of the Savannah River's navigation on

1498-484: A plan to spread Girl Guiding nationwide by changing the name from Girl Guides to Girl Scouts, establishing a national headquarters, and recruiting patrons outside Georgia. Upon returning to Savannah, she learned that the Savannah Girl Guides had already renamed themselves to Girl Scouts because "Scout" reminded them of America's pioneer ancestry. West objected to the name change, saying that it trivialized

1605-465: A project on which focus her time and skills. In May 1911, she met Sir Robert Baden-Powell at a party, and was inspired by the Boy Scouts , a program that he had organized. With 40,000 members throughout Europe and the United States, at the time, it stressed the importance of both military preparedness and having fun, two values she appreciated. Low and Baden-Powell became close friends and spent

1712-499: A prominent landscape painter. After the death of her sister Alice, in 1880, Gordon relocated to Savannah to take over household duties while her mother grieved. During this period, she met William Mackay Low, the son of a family friend, and they began courting in secret. William left Savannah to study at the University of Oxford , and they did not meet again until almost three years later, in 1884. Gordon had traveled to Europe in

1819-589: A ton of silk per year was exported to England. Georgia's mild climate offered perfect conditions for growing cotton , which became the dominant commodity after the American Revolution . Its production under the plantation system and shipment through the Port of Savannah helped the city's European immigrants achieve wealth and prosperity. By the nineteenth century, the Port of Savannah had become one of

1926-693: A writer whose family played a role in the founding of Chicago. When she was six months old, her father joined the Confederate States Army to fight in the American Civil War . In 1864, due to the close proximity of Union troops to Savannah, she moved with her mother and two sisters to Thunderbolt, Georgia . After the Union victory in Savannah the same year, her family received many visits from General William T. Sherman , who

2033-509: Is Georgia's fifth most populous city, with a 2020 U.S. census population of 147,780. The Savannah metropolitan area , Georgia's third-largest , had a 2020 population of 404,798. Savannah attracts millions of visitors each year to its cobblestone streets, parks, and notable historic buildings. These include the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA ),

2140-479: Is the main location of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil . Opulent buildings that succumbed to fire include the mansions at Bonaventure Plantation and Greenwich Plantation . Colonial Park Cemetery was the city's principal burial ground for much of the eighteenth century when Georgia was a British colony. Laurel Grove Cemetery , with the graves of many Confederate soldiers and enslaved African Americans,

2247-612: Is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County . Established in 1733 on the Savannah River , the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. A strategic port city in the American Revolution and during the American Civil War , Savannah is today an industrial center and an important Atlantic seaport. It

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2354-488: The Coastal State Prison in Savannah. Beyond its architectural significance as the nation's largest, historically restored urban area, Savannah has a rich and growing performing arts scene and offers cultural events throughout the year. Savannah's architecture, history, and reputation for Southern charm and hospitality are internationally known. The city's former promotional name was the "Hostess City of

2461-921: The Georgia Historical Society (the oldest continually operating historical society in the South ), the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences (one of the South's first public museums), the First African Baptist Church (one of the oldest African-American Baptist congregations in the United States), Temple Mickve Israel (the third-oldest synagogue in the U.S.), and the Central of Georgia Railway roundhouse complex (the oldest standing antebellum rail facility in

2568-805: The Gulfstream Aerospace company, maker of private jets, and various other significant industrial interests. TitleMax is headquartered in Savannah. Morris Multimedia , a newspaper and television company based in Savannah. In 2000, JCB , the third-largest producer of construction equipment in the world and the leading manufacturer of backhoes and telescopic handlers, built its North American headquarters near Savannah in Pooler on I-95 near Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport . By 2023, Naturals2Go relocated to Savannah, and Amazon has operated throughout Savannah and its metropolitan area since 2021. The Georgia Department of Corrections operates

2675-579: The Isle of Hope . The Savannah International Trade & Convention Center is located on Hutchinson Island , across from downtown Savannah and surrounded by the Savannah River. The Savannah Belles Ferry connects the island with the mainland, as does the Talmadge Memorial Bridge . The Georgia Historical Society is an independent educational and research institution with a research center in Savannah. The center's library and archives hold

2782-662: The January 1985 Arctic outbreak . Seasonally, Savannah tends to have hot and humid summers with frequent (but brief) thunderstorms that develop in the warm and tropical air masses, which are common. Although summers in Savannah are frequently sunny, half of Savannah's annual precipitation falls from June through September. Average dewpoints in summer range from 67.8 to 71.6 °F (20 to 22 °C). Winters in Savannah are mild and sunny with average daily high temperatures of 61.4 °F (16 °C) in January. November and December are

2889-546: The Methodist evangelists John Wesley and George Whitefield . Christ Church continues as an active congregation located on its original site on Johnson Square. The Independent Presbyterian Church , which was founded in 1755, has represented the community's Presbyterian constituency. Other historically prominent churches have included: the First Bryan Baptist Church , an African American church that

2996-502: The National Weather Service has kept records of most data continually since then; since 1948, Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport has served as Savannah's official meteorological station. Annual records (dating back to 1950) from the airport's weather station are available on the web. Savannah is a city of diverse neighborhoods. More than 100 distinct neighborhoods can be identified in six principal areas of

3103-1207: The Netherlands (pearle.nl), Belgium, Germany ( Apollo-Optik ), Austria (pearle.at), Poland , Portugal , Italy, Finland and Estonia . For more than 40 years the company has been selling branded products and products under its own brand name. The first Pearle Optical store in the Middle East opened in Marina Mall, Kuwait , on January 15, 2003, and currently operates 18 stores in the Middle East: 4 in Kuwait , 10 in KSA , 3 in UAE , 5 in Egypt and 1 in Qatar . The company's operations in California are affected by consumer protection statutes designed to protect consumers from Pearle's operations with optometrists and opticians in

3210-603: The Red Cross by making surgical dressings and knitting clothing for soldiers. They also picked oakum , swept workrooms, created scrapbooks for wounded soldiers, and made smokeless trench candles for soldiers to heat their food. By the end of 1917, Low convinced Lou Henry Hoover to become the Girl Scouts' National Vice President and Edith Bolling Galt Wilson , President Woodrow Wilson 's second wife, to become its Honorary President. Following World War I, interest in

3317-556: The Statesboro and Jesup micropolitan statistical areas. The official 2020 population of this area was 608,239, up from 525,844 at the 2010 census. In 2010, there were 51,375 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 21.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. Among them, 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who

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3424-669: The United States Census Bureau (2011), the city has a total area of 108.7 square miles (281.5 km ), of which 103.1 square miles (267.0 km ) is land and 5.6 square miles (15 km ) is water (5.15%). Savannah is the primary port on the Savannah River and the largest port in Georgia. It is also near the U.S. Intracoastal Waterway . Georgia's Ogeechee River flows toward the Atlantic Ocean some 16 miles (26 km) south of downtown Savannah and forms

3531-556: The Virginia Female Institute , the Edgehill School, and Mesdemoiselles Charbonniers, a French finishing school in New York. While studying at Edgehill, she joined the secret group Theta Tau (based on the sorority of the same name ), whose members held meetings and earned badges. In 1880, after finishing boarding school, she took painting lessons in New York, with teachers including Robert Walter Weir ,

3638-468: The fall line , near present-day Augusta . These Shawnee, whose Native name was Ša·wano·ki (literally, "southerners"), were known by several local variants, including Shawano, Savano, Savana and Savannah. Another theory is that the name Savannah refers to the extensive marshlands surrounding the river for miles inland, and is derived from the English term " savanna ", a kind of tropical grassland, which

3745-480: The hunting season in Scotland. They spent much of their first two years of marriage apart, due to Juliette's medical problems and William's long hunting trips and gambling. The long separations, combined with her inability to bear children strained their relationship. Low often painted, but also learned woodworking and metalworking . She even designed and built iron gates for her home in Warwickshire . As

3852-474: The poverty line , including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over. By the 2022 American Community Survey , the median household income was $ 53,258 with a per capita income of $ 31,006. In 2010, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 55.04% Black , 38.03% White , 2.00% Asian , 0.03% Native American , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.93% from other races , and 2.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.07% of

3959-681: The 1779 Siege of Savannah and for an independent America. One of the few black regiments to fight for the American side in the Revolutionary War, the soldiers were recruited from present-day Haiti , which was the French colony of Saint-Domingue until its independence in 1804. Chippewa Square honors the Battle of Chippawa during the War of 1812 . It features a large statue of James Oglethorpe ,

4066-792: The Baptist , the Episcopal St. John's Church , and Temple Mickve Israel (the third-oldest synagogue in the U.S.). According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, the largest Christian group overall were Protestants within the Baptist tradition, served by the Southern Baptist Convention , National Baptist Convention , National Missionary Baptist Convention , and Progressive National Baptist Convention . Non-denominational Protestants represented

4173-645: The British at the Siege of Savannah . The British did not leave the city until July 1782. In December 1804 the state legislature declared Milledgeville the new capital of Georgia. Savannah, a prosperous seaport throughout the nineteenth century, was the Confederacy's sixth most populous city and the prime objective of General William T. Sherman 's March to the Sea . On December 21, 1864, local authorities negotiated

4280-601: The Deep South, this is characterized by long and almost tropical summers and short, mild winters. Savannah records only a few days of freezing temperatures each year, and snowfall is rare. Due to its proximity to the Atlantic coast, Savannah rarely experiences temperatures as extreme as those in Georgia's interior. Nevertheless, the extreme temperatures have officially ranged from 105 °F (41 °C), on July 20, 1986, and July 12, 1879, down to 3 °F (−16 °C) during

4387-609: The East Coast, spreading Girl Guiding to other communities, before returning to Savannah to speak with President William Taft , who would be visiting her home. She hoped to convince him that his daughter, Helen, should become a patron for the Girl Guides, but was unsuccessful. Many competing organizations for girls that claimed to be the closest model to Boy Scouting were forming, and Low believed that gaining support from prominent people would help legitimize her organization as

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4494-559: The Fall, and as a romantic escape. Savannah was also named as America's second-best city for "Cool Buildings and Architecture", behind only Chicago . The mile-long Jones Street has been described as one of the most charming streets in America. Savannah is noted for its 22 squares and small parks along five historic streets running north to south. Each street has between three and five squares. The squares vary in size and character, from

4601-475: The Girl Guides activities to be gender-inappropriate, and he was concerned that the public would question the masculinity of the Boy Scouts if the girls participated in similar activities. Although the Girl Guides were growing, the Camp Fire Girls were doing so at a faster rate, so Low traveled to England to seek counsel from the British Girl Guides. By the time she returned to America, in 1913, she had

4708-593: The Girl Guides began to increase in many different countries. In response, Olave Baden-Powell , the Chief Guide, created the International Council of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts as a way to bring together the different communities of Guides and Scouts across the world. The first meeting took place at the Girl Guide headquarters in London, which Low attended as the United States representative. Low stepped down as

4815-407: The Girl Scouts celebrated the first Founder's Day , a day to honor Low and her accomplishments. In 1922, the Girl Scout convention took place in Savannah. She helped plan and organize the convention by renting an auditorium, arranging for appearances by professional athletes, the mayor, and the school superintendent, and hiring a film company. After the 1922 convention, she began planning Cloudlands,

4922-415: The Girl Scouts' centennial anniversary was commemorated, with Low receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom . She was inducted into the Savannah Women of Vision investiture in 2016. Camp Juliette Low in Cloudland, Georgia , bears the name of its founder. Her birthday, October 31, is commemorated by the Girl Scouts each year as Founder's Day. She was also awarded two patents, a utility patent for

5029-449: The Girl Scouts. In response to the thrift program, enacted by the United States Food Administration with the goal of teaching women how to conserve food, Girl Scouts in Washington, D.C., began growing and harvesting their own food and canning perishable goods. Herbert Hoover wrote to Low, thanking her for the contributions of the Girl Scouts and expressing hope that others would follow suit. She responded by organizing Girl Scouts to help

5136-443: The Girl Scouts. At the time, the organization had 73 patrons and 2,400 registered members. Low decided to build a stronger central organization for the Girl Scouts by writing a new constitution that formed an executive committee and a National Council. She held the first National Council meeting under the new name, Girl Scouts, Inc. on June 10, 1915, and was elected the organization's founding president. The Girl Scouts expanded after

5243-443: The Girl Scouts.) Low's home in Savannah is visited by Girl Scouts from all over the world. In 1965, her birthplace was listed as a National Historic Landmark . Low also donated a 7 acres (2.8 ha) park in Savannah which bears her name. The park (originally part of her family homestead, the remainder of which was developed into the Gordonston neighborhood, which includes a road named Kinzie Avenue, after Low's family) has been

5350-456: The House of Representatives majority leader), to become patrons. Although she had received support from many patrons, Low still funded most Girl Scout expenses herself. At the start of World War I , Low rented Castle Menzies , in Perthshire , Scotland, and let a family of Belgian refugees move in temporarily. On February 13, 1915, she sailed back to the United States on the RMS  Lusitania . When she arrived, she continued her work for

5457-413: The National President of the Girl Scouts in 1920 to devote more of her time to promoting Guiding and Scouting internationally. She attended as many meetings of the International Council as she could, and underwrote the travel of foreign delegates, so that they could also attend. And she assisted Olave Baden-Powell in converting 65 acres (26 ha) of land into a campsite for the Girl Guides. Low furnished

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5564-409: The Netherlands. HAL Investments bought the Belgian stores 1 year later from GIB and merged both chains into Pearle Benelux. Luxottica , owner of LensCrafters , purchased Cole National in 2004, a deal that brought together the two largest eyewear retailers in the United States. The Pearle chain of opticians in Europe is now part of Grandvision and has more than 1000 branches in 43 countries including

5671-409: The Pearle stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico to Cole National Corporation, which operated optical departments inside such retail stores as Sears , BJ's Wholesale Club and Target . In 1997 Cole National bought the 150-store NuVision chain in Michigan and converted them to the Pearle Vision name. The Belgian stores were sold to GIB in Belgium and the Dutch stores to HAL Investments in

5778-463: The Savannah River, one mile east of Savannah's Historic District. Built between 1808 and 1812 to protect the city from attack by sea, it was one of several Confederate forts defending Savannah from Union forces during the Civil War . Fort Pulaski National Monument , located on Cockspur Island, 17 miles (27 km) east of Savannah, preserves the largest fort protecting the city during the war. The Union Army bombarded Fort Pulaski in April 1862 with

5885-452: The South", which the city government still uses. An earlier nickname was "the Forest City", in reference to the large population of live oak trees that flourish in the Savannah area. These trees were especially valuable in shipbuilding during the 19th century. In 2019, Savannah attracted 14.8 million tourists from across the country and around the world. Savannah's downtown area is one of the largest National Historic Landmark districts in

5992-418: The U.S. and now a museum and visitor center). Savannah's downtown area, which includes the Savannah Historic District , its 22 parklike squares , and the Savannah Victorian Historic District , is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States (designated by the federal government in 1966). Downtown Savannah largely retains the founder James Oglethorpe 's original town plan,

6099-439: The United States entered World War I . Gordon Low publicized the Girl Scouts through newspapers, magazines, events, and film. In 1916, she relocated Girl Scout headquarters from Washington, D.C., to New York City. The same year, she returned to England to fundraise and open a home for relatives of wounded soldiers, where she volunteered three nights per week. By November, she was back in the United States, continuing her work with

6206-406: The United States, and the same year established the first Girl Guide troop in the country in Savannah, Georgia . In 1915, the United States' Girl Guides became known as the Girl Scouts, and Juliette Gordon Low was the first leader. She remained active until the time of her death. Her birthday, October 31, is celebrated annually by the Girl Scouts as " Founder's Day ". Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon

6313-515: The United States. The city's location offers tourists access to the coastal islands and the Savannah Riverfront, both popular tourist destinations. Tybee Island , formerly known as "Savannah Beach", is the site of the Tybee Island Light Station , the first lighthouse on the southern Atlantic coast. Other picturesque towns adjacent to Savannah include the shrimping village of Thunderbolt and three residential areas that began as summer resort communities for Savannahians: Beaulieu , Vernonburg, and

6420-501: The aid of a new rifled cannon . Confederate troops soon surrendered, and the cannon rendered all brick fortifications obsolete. Juliette Gordon Low Juliette Gordon Low ( née Gordon ; October 31, 1860 – January 17, 1927) was the American founder of Girl Scouts of the USA . Inspired by the work of Robert Baden-Powell , founder of Scout Movement , she joined the Girl Guide movement in England , forming her own group of Girl Guides there in 1911. In 1912, she returned to

6527-503: The case of adultery, Bateman would need to be named, which would have social repercussions for all parties involved. This slowed the divorce proceedings. In late 1902, Low received money from her husband for the first time in two years. She used it and her savings to rent a house in London. William committed to a support agreement in 1903, which was to award her £2,500 a year, the Low home in Savannah, and stocks and securities. Later that year, she purchased her own home in London, along with

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6634-415: The center of long-running disputes between Gordonston residents and non-residents as to whether the park was donated to the residents of Gordonston, or to the residents of Savannah at large, even to the point of disagreement over the park's name. The park figures prominently in Karen Kingsbury 's 2013 novel The Chance . In 1979, Low was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame . On May 29, 2012,

6741-436: The city of Savannah and the surrounding area have remained predominantly Christian . However, a Jewish community has lived in Savannah since the colony's first year. Later, Gullah-Geechee culture and Hoodoo practices were also observed, often alongside Christianity. Founded in 1733, with the establishment of the Georgia colony, Christ Church is the longest continuous Christian congregation in Georgia. Early rectors include

6848-435: The city's founder. In popular culture, the square is the location of the park bench seen in the 1994 film Forrest Gump from which the title character dispenses wisdom to others waiting for a bus. Because both Calhoun Square (the official name until 2022) and Whitefield Square were named for prominent slaveholders, a movement was begun in 2021 to rename them Sankofa Square and Jubilee Square, respectively. Calhoun Square

6955-412: The city: Downtown (Landmark Historic District and Victorian District), Midtown, Southside, Eastside, Westside, and Southwest/West Chatham (recently annexed suburban neighborhoods). Besides the Savannah Historic District , one of the nation's largest, five other historic districts have been formally demarcated: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Savannah's official 2020 population was 147,780, up from

7062-431: The colony of Georgia were founded on that date. In 1751, Savannah and the rest of Georgia became a Royal Colony , with Savannah as its capital. By the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War , Savannah had become the southernmost commercial port in the Thirteen Colonies . British troops took the city in 1778, and the following year, a combined force of American and French soldiers, including Haitians, failed to rout

7169-488: The driest months recorded at Savannah–Hilton Head International Airport. Each year, Savannah reports 21 days on average with low temperatures below freezing, though in some years, fewer than 10 nights will fall below freezing, and the city has even gone an entire winter season (1879–80) without recording a freeze. Although decades might pass between snowfall events, Savannah has experienced snow on rare occasions, most notably in December 1989 , when up to 3.9 inches (9.9 cm)

7276-429: The first American troops, Low described herself as "deep in Girl Guides," and, by the next year, she had released the first American Girl Guides manual, entitled How Girls Can Help Their Country , based on Scouting for Boys by Robert Baden-Powell and How Girls Can Help to Build Up the Empire by Agnes. Low established the first headquarters in a remodeled carriage house at 330 Drayton Street in Savannah, behind

7383-463: The formal fountain and monuments of the largest, Johnson , to the playgrounds of the smallest, Crawford . Elbert, Ellis , and Liberty Squares are classified as the three "lost squares" destroyed in the course of urban development during the 1950s. Elbert and Liberty Squares were paved over to make way for a realignment of U.S. Route 17, while Ellis Square was demolished to build the City Market parking garage. The city restored Ellis Square after razing

7490-431: The funeral, it was revealed that he had left almost everything to Bateman, and that he had revoked his 1903 support deal with his widow. William's sisters contested the will , with the support of Low, who ultimately received a sum of money, the Low house in Savannah with its surrounding land, and stocks and securities. After her husband's death, Low traveled, took sculpting classes, and did charity work while looking for

7597-528: The home she had inherited from her husband. The headquarters contained meeting rooms for the local Girl Guide patrols, while the lot outside provided space for marching or signaling drills and sports, including basketball. Edmund Strudwick Nash, who rented the main house from Low, offered to pay rent on the carriage house as his contribution to the organization, becoming one of the American Girl Guide's first benefactors. Nash's son, Ogden Nash , immortalized "Mrs Low's House" in one of his poems. Low traveled along

7704-461: The house next door, which she rented out for income. After her husband had what may have been a stroke, Low temporarily called off the dissolution of their marriage. She considered it wrong to divorce him when he could not defend himself. The proceedings resumed in January 1905 once his condition improved. William died from a seizure in Wales on June 8, 1905, before the divorce was finalized. After

7811-416: The interim and learned several new skills, including shorthand , bareback riding , and hunting partridge . In late 1885, William proposed marriage. The Lows' wedding in Savannah on December 21, 1886, coincided with her parents' wedding anniversary. The couple honeymooned at St. Catherines Island near Savannah. Then they leased property in London and Scotland, spending the social season in London and

7918-550: The local nursing association. By 1895, Low was growing increasingly unhappy in her marriage. She rarely spent time alone with her husband, who had grown distant and began having affairs and drinking heavily. In 1901, Anna Bridges Bateman, the widow of Sir Hugh Alleyne Sacheverell-Bateman, stayed as a guest at the Lows' home in Scotland. Upon discovering her husband's affair with Bateman, Low left to stay with friends and family. She worried that he planned to divorce her, so she sent him

8025-476: The military instructed them in drilling , signaling, and camping. She organized two new Girl Guides patrols in London when she visited for the winter of 1911. In 1912, Low and Baden-Powell took a trip to the United States to spread the scouting movement. She hoped to bring it to her hometown, Savannah, to help girls learn practical skills and build character. When she arrived, she called her cousin Nina Pape,

8132-489: The most active in the United States. In the United States' early years, goods produced in the New World had to pass through Atlantic ports such as Savannah's before they could be shipped to England. The Port of Savannah grew to become North America's fourth-largest port for shipping container traffic. In 2023, the port handled 4.9 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEU). Savannah's first hotel, City Hotel ,

8239-495: The name of scout and would cause older Boy Scouts to quit. Baden-Powell supported Low's use of the term "scout," although he preferred the term "guide" for the British Girl Guides. In 1913, Low set up the Girl Scouts national headquarters in Washington, D.C., and hired her friend Edith Johnston as National Executive Secretary. The national headquarters served as the "central information dispenser" for Girl Scouting, as well as

8346-437: The next day. 250 Girl Scouts left school early that day to attend her funeral and burial at Laurel Grove Cemetery . Low was buried in her Girl Scout uniform with a note in her pocket stating: "You are not only the first Girl Scout, but the best Girl Scout of them all." Her tombstone read, "Now abideth faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love." In 1948, a postage stamp ( Scott catalogue number 974) honoring Low

8453-542: The official 2010 count of 136,286 residents. The U.S. Census Bureau's official 2020 population of the Savannah metropolitan area —defined as Bryan , Chatham, and Effingham counties—was 404,798, up 16.45% from the 2010 census population of 347,611. Savannah is also the largest principal city of the Savannah–Hinesville–Statesboro combined statistical area. This larger trading area includes the Savannah and Hinesville metropolitan statistical areas as well as

8560-503: The official sister organization to the Boy Scouts. Her biggest competition was the Camp Fire Girls , which was formed in part by James E. West , the chief executive of the Boy Scouts of America and a strong proponent of strict gender roles. In March 1912, Low wrote to the Camp Fire Girls, inviting them to merge into the Girl Guides, but they declined even after Baden-Powell suggested that they reconsider. West considered many of

8667-421: The oldest materials related to Georgia's history. The Savannah Civic Center on Montgomery Street hosts more than nine hundred events annually. Savannah has consistently been named one of "America's Favorite Cities" by Travel + Leisure . In 2012, the magazine rated Savannah highest in "Quality of Life and Visitor Experience". Savannah was also ranked first for "Public Parks and Outdoor Access", visiting in

8774-621: The parking garage. The garage was rebuilt as an underground facility, the Whitaker Street Parking Garage, and opened in January 2009. The restored Ellis Square opened in March 2010. Separate efforts are now underway to revive Elbert and Liberty Squares. Franklin Square is the site of Savannah's Haitian Monument, which commemorates the heroic efforts of the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue in

8881-428: The place where girls could purchase their badges and the newly published handbook, How Girls Can Help Their Country . Low recruited leaders and members in various states and spoke with every group that she could. Around the same time, she designed and patented the trefoil badge, although West claimed that the trefoil belonged to the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts had no right using it. She traveled back to London in

8988-566: The population. Non-Hispanic whites were 32.6% of the population in 2010, compared to 46.2% in 1990. In 2020, its makeup was 48.62% Black or African American, 36.60% non-Hispanic white , 0.21% Native American, 3.80 Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 0.47% some other race, 3.53% multiracial, and 6.62% Hispanic or Latino of any race. The total number of violent crimes in the Savannah-Chatham County reporting area ran just above 1,000 per year from 2003 through 2006. In 2007, however,

9095-694: The same store, which presents a conflict of interest under California consumer law. On June 12, 2006, the Supreme Court of California ruled that Pearle Vision could not escape the reach of those statutes, and Pearle Vision's attempts to find a loophole through the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 were unavailing. This United States corporation or company article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( / s ə ˈ v æ n ə / sə- VAN -ə )

9202-672: The second-largest Christian group, including the Christian churches and Churches of Christ . Methodists were the third-largest, spread among the United Methodist Church and African Methodist Episcopal Church . The single second-largest Christian denomination was the Roman Catholic Church , served by the Diocese of Savannah . Among Savannah's non-Christian population, which forms a minority, Hinduism

9309-426: The southern city limit. Savannah is prone to flooding due to abundant rainfall, an elevation just above sea level, and the shape of the coastline, which poses a greater surge risk during hurricanes. The city currently uses five canals. In addition, several pumping stations have been built to help reduce the effects of flash flooding. Savannah's climate is classified as humid subtropical ( Köppen Cfa ). Throughout

9416-599: The summer, where she met King George V and Queen Mary of Teck , and received the Girl Guide Thanks Badge from Princess Louise for promoting Guiding. Low also formed the Honorary Committee of Girl Scouts and elected her family and friends to the committee. By using her connections, she was able to convince Susan Ludlow Parish, Mina Miller Edison ( Eleanor Roosevelt 's godmother), the wife of Thomas Edison , and Bertha Woodward (the wife of

9523-805: The total number of violent crimes jumped to 1,163. Savannah-Chatham has recorded between 20 and 25 homicides each year since 2005. In 2007, Savannah-Chatham recorded a sharp increase in home burglaries but a sharp decrease in thefts from parked automobiles. During the same year, statistics show a 29 percent increase in arrests for Part 1 crimes. An additional increase in burglaries occurred in 2008 with 2,429 residential burglaries reported to Savannah-Chatham police that year. That reflects an increase of 668 incidents from 2007. In 2007, there were 1,761 burglaries, according to metro police data. Savannah-Chatham police report that crimes reported in 2009 came in down 6 percent from 2008. In 2009, 11,782 crimes were reported to metro police — 753 fewer than in 2008. Within 2009, there

9630-481: The year before. In the meantime, street robbery decreased by 23 percent. In 2008, metro police achieved a 90 percent clearance rate for homicide cases, described as exceptional by violent crime unit supervisors. In 2009, the department had a clearance rate of 53 percent, which police attributed to outstanding warrants and grand jury presentations. The SCMPD provides the public with up-to-date crime report information through an online mapping service. The year of 2015 saw

9737-400: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.13. As of 2010, the median income for a household in the city was $ 29,038, and the median income for a family was $ 36,410. Males had a median income of $ 28,545 versus $ 22,309 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 16,921. About 17.7% of families and 21.8% of the population were below

9844-611: Was Savannah's chief municipal cemetery during the nineteenth century. Bonaventure Cemetery is a former plantation and the final resting place for some illustrious Savannahians. Also located in Savannah are the Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery and the Levi Sheftall Family Cemetery , which both date back to the second half of the eighteenth century. Fort Jackson (named for the Georgia politician James Jackson , not Andrew Jackson ) lies on

9951-442: Was a 12.2 percent decrease in violent crimes compared with 2008. Property crimes saw a 5.3 percent decline, which included a 5.2 percent reduction in residential burglary. In 2008, residential burglary was up by almost 40 percent. While some violent crimes increased in 2009, crimes like street robbery went down significantly. In 2009, 30 homicides were reported, four more than the year before. Also, 46 rapes were reported, nine more than

10058-541: Was a friend of her uncle. Sherman arranged an escort to take her family to Chicago in March 1865. Upon arriving in Chicago, Gordon became sick with brain fever , although she recovered without severe complications. A few months later, after President Andrew Johnson issued the amnesty proclamation, her father reunited with the family to move back to Savannah. As a young child, she was accident-prone and had numerous injuries and illnesses. In 1866, her mother mentioned in

10165-430: Was born in 1860, at 10 East Oglethorpe Avenue in Savannah, Georgia . She was named after her grandmother, Juliette Augusta Magill Kinzie , and nicknamed Daisy, a common sobriquet at the time, by her uncle. She was the second of six children born to William Washington Gordon II , a cotton broker with the firm Tison & Gordon, which was later renamed to W. W. Gordon & Company, and Eleanor "Nellie" Lytle Kinzie,

10272-531: Was borrowed by the English from Spanish sabana and used in the Southern Colonies . (The Spanish word comes from the Taino word zabana .) Still other theories suggest that the name Savannah originates from Algonquian terms meaning not only "southerners" but perhaps also "salt". Savannah lies on the Savannah River, approximately 20 mi (32 km) upriver from the Atlantic Ocean. According to

10379-476: Was completed in 1821. It also housed the city's first United States Post Office branch. Between 1912 and 1968, the Savannah Machine & Foundry Company was a shipbuilder in Savannah. For years, Savannah was the home of Union Camp , which housed the world's largest paper mill. The plant is now owned by International Paper and remains one of Savannah's largest employers. Savannah is also home to

10486-617: Was dubbed "Crazy Daisy" by her family and friends, due to her eccentricities. As her cousin Caroline described her: "While you never knew what she would do next, she always did what she made up her mind to do." Gordon's parents raised her with traditional Southern values, emphasizing the importance of duty, obedience, loyalty, and respect. By the age of 12, she had begun boarding school , attending several different ones during her teen years, including Miss Emmett's School in New Jersey ,

10593-490: Was informed in 1925 that she had about six months to live. She continued to do work for the Girl Scouts, and even sneaked away during her recovery from surgery to make a speech at the organization's regional conference in Richmond, Virginia . Low traveled to Liverpool , England, where Dr. William Blair-Bell was developing a treatment for cancer. She tried it, an IV containing a solution of colloidal lead. The treatment

10700-554: Was issued by the United States Postal Service . Over 63 million were printed, making it a common issue. At the time, the Post Office had a policy of not honoring civic organizations. It took a joint resolution of Congress, with the approval of President Harry S. Truman , to produce the stamp for her. (The National Postal Museum suggests that it may have helped that Bess Truman was honorary president of

10807-478: Was most recently affected by an active 2016 hurricane season , including Hurricane Matthew (which made a partial eyewall landfall), and was brushed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The 2024 season saw impacts from Hurricane Debby and Hurricane Helene . The first meteorological observations in Savannah probably occurred at Oglethorpe Barracks circa 1827, continuing intermittently until 1850 and resuming in 1866. The Signal Service began observations in 1874, and

10914-608: Was organized by Andrew Bryan in 1788; First African Baptist Church ; and St. Benedict the Moor Church, which was the first African American Catholic church in Georgia, and one of the oldest in the Southeast . The oldest standing house of worship is First Baptist Church (1833), located on Chippewa Square . Other historic houses of worship in Savannah include: the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. John

11021-600: Was recorded in one day in parts of the city. Savannah is at risk for hurricanes , particularly of the Cape Verde type of storms that take place during the peak of the season. Because of its location in the Georgia Bight (the arc of the Atlantic coastline in Georgia and northern Florida) as well as the tendency for hurricanes to re-curve up the coast, Savannah has a lower risk of hurricanes than some other coastal cities such as Charleston, South Carolina . Savannah

11128-934: Was renamed Taylor Square in 2024. Among the historic homes that have been preserved are: the Olde Pink House , the Sorrel–Weed House , Juliette Gordon Low 's birthplace, the Davenport House Museum , the Green–Meldrim House , the Owens–Thomas House , the William Scarbrough House , and the Wormsloe plantation of Noble Jones. Mercer Williams House , the former home of Jim Williams in Monterey Square ,

11235-566: Was seldom affected by hurricanes during the 20th century. Hurricane David , in August 1979, is a notable exception. However, the historical record shows that the city was frequently affected during the second half of the 19th century. The most prominent of these storms was the 1893 Sea Islands hurricane , which killed at least 2,000 people. (This estimate may be low, as deaths among the many impoverished rural African Americans living on Georgia's barrier islands may not have been reported.) Savannah

11342-600: Was the city's second-largest religion. Judaism was Savannah's third-largest, with a history dating back to 1733. Orthodox Judaism , Reform Judaism , and Conservative Judaism were the predominant Jewish traditions adhered to. Islam was the area's fourth-largest religion, followed by the Baha'i . Agriculture was essential to Savannah's economy during its first two centuries. Silk and indigo production, both in demand in England, were early export commodities. By 1767, almost

11449-464: Was unsuccessful, and she spent her 66th birthday fighting off lead poisoning . She traveled back to the United States to meet with her doctor, who informed her that she did not have much longer to live. She went to the Low home in Savannah, where she spent her last few months. Low died in Savannah in 1927, at the age of 66. An honor guard of Girl Scouts escorted her casket to her funeral at Christ Church

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