On This Day in Jekyll History…

May 22, 1792 - Christophe duBignon purchases ¼ interest in Jekyll Island, becoming a member of the Sapelo Company.

Having retired from a life a sea with the French India Company, Christophe Anne Poulain duBignon settled in his native Lamballe, France in 1784 with ambitions to grow his fortune. When Revolution began in 1789, Christophe began to look for a safer place to raise his growing family. An acquaintance, Franis Marie Loys Dumoussay de la Vauve, had just purchased four islands along the coast of Georgia and created the Sapelo Company. duBignon agreed to invest in the Company in 1790, and make plans to move his family to America. Upon arrival in 1792, duBignon learned that the Sapelo Company had purchased Jekyll Island, and because work on quarters on Sapelo had not progressed he took up residence in the former home of Major Horton. He purchased ¼ of the island as an additional investment.

This would mark the beginning of the duBignon presence on Jekyll, which would last for nearly a century.

<!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> Enjoy History?  Visit the Jekyll Island Museum, 100 Stable Road, Jekyll Island, GA www.jekyllisland.com/history

or become a Fan of the Jekyll Island Museum on Facebook

Tags: Christophe duBignon, history, jekyll island
Posted in History comes Alive | No Comments »

On This Day in Jekyll History…

April 8, 1926, Jekyll Island Club Member McEvers Bayard Brown passes away aboard his yacht Valfreyia.

Brown Cottage, circa 1890. Image courtesy of the Jekyll Island Museum

Born in 1853 in New York City, McEvers Bayard Brown was the only child of Alexander Speers Brown and Ruth Hunter Bayard. He was a lawyer, investment banker and involved in shipping with the family firm LeRoy, Bayard & McEvers. Also he became a director in numerous companies including the Terminal and Danville RR. His club memberships included the Union Club, Knickerbocker Club and Riding Club.

As a member of the Jekyll Island Club, Brown was the first to construct a private cottage in 1888, legend has it, for his bride who decided not to marry him. Designed by noted architect William Burnet Tuthill - designer of Carnegie Hall - the cottage was never occupied by Brown who despondently sailed his yacht Lady Torfrida to England and lived out his life on his yachts. He kept his membership active in the Jekyll Club, paying dues and assessments, contributing when called upon and buying bonds until his death.

Being unmarried and childless he left half of his estate to his first cousin, Robert Fulton Cutting (Club member 1923 - 1934), and half to the offspring of his other first cousin, William Bayard Cutting (Club member 1886-1912). His body was returned to the U.S. and is buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY.

Enjoy History?  Visit the Jekyll Island Museum, 100 Stable Road, Jekyll Island, GA www.jekyllisland.com/history

or become a Fan of the Jekyll Island Museum on Facebook

Tags: Brown Cottage, jekyll island history, McEvers Bayard Brown
Posted in History comes Alive | No Comments »

On this Day in Jekyll History, March 20, 1899…..

President William McKinley arrives on Jekyll Island.

“Jekyl Island has had the greatest crow in its history for the past few days,” newspapers reported that March of 1899, as President McKinley holidayed at the small coastal community known in its heyday as an exclusive retreat frequented by the nation’s top financiers, merchants, socialites, and diplomats.

“Every room in the clubhouse and every cottage has been occupied by millionaire guests. The president and vice-president of the United States, and the speaker of the house, have been guests of the club. The eyes of the world have been on Jekyl,” printed the Brunswick Call on March 22, 1899.

McKinley came to Jekyll Island at the invitation of Cornelius Bliss, his former Secretary of the Interior and a long-standing Club Member.

Frederic and Frances Baker, who owned Solterra Cottage, were abroad that season visiting Europe and North Africa. They graciously made their 12-room Queen Anne shingle-style cottage available to President McKinley and his party, which also included Mrs. McKinley, Vice President Garrett A. Hobart, and Mrs. Hobart.

The simultaneous presence of Thomas Reed, Speaker of the House, on the island created a stir in the papers. Reed had run against McKinley for the 1896 Republican Party nomination. Speculations ran rampant that the serene island setting would help settle a long-standing feud between the two party leaders, and that Jekyll Island would be an ideal place to propose nominees for the next national election. Those who would comment stated “there is no politics whatever in their present visit South” and that the trip was undertaken “solely for rest and recuperation.”

Reporters were disappointed to discover that they were banned from the island. But when Joseph Pulitzer, the owner of the New York World, abused his privileges as a Jekyll Island Club Member by inviting journalists onto the island as guests to capture the story, other reporters were allowed entry.

On occasions when the President and the Speaker did meet on Jekyll Island, the New York Times reported the tipping of hats, smiles exchanged, low bows, handshakes, and other polite exchanges. A local reporter considered it a sign of reconciliation when Reed was seen arm-in arm with Senator Hanna, the President’s campaign manager, commenting, “The future is alright.”
During the trip, McKinley enjoyed an informal afternoon reception at Solterra Cottage, “at which the members of the island colony were presented to the President and to Mrs. McKinley.” Club Members mingling at the reception included James Scrymser, Joseph Stickney, N.K. Fairbank, H.K. Porter, and Charles Stewart Maurice, among others.

During his stay, the President enjoyed several “pretty drives” around the island and attended an “old-fashioned cake walk” at the Clubhouse sponsored by the island’s African American employees. He departed the island on March 22, calling his stay on Jekyll Island “simply delightful.”

McKinley went on to win his re-election easily, with Theodore Roosevelt as his running mate. McKinley was known for his support of high tariffs on imports as a means of prosperity. As president, he presided over the Spanish-American War. He annexed the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Hawaii into the United States and set up a protectorate over Cuba.

Excerpted from “Presidential Past Preserved” by Andrea Marroquin, Jekyll Island Museum.

Tags: jekyll island, jekyll island history, william mckinley
Posted in History comes Alive | No Comments »

On This Day in Jekyll History…

March 19, 1947, the Georgia’s Supreme Court ruled in a 5-2 decision in the case of Thompson v. Talmadge, that the General Assembly had exceeded its power in electing Herman Talmadge governor during the “Three Governors Affair.” The ruling cleared the way for M.E. Thompson to become the Governor of Georgia.

As State Revenue Commissioner in 1946, Thompson had recommended that the State of Georgia purchase Jekyll Island from the Jekyll Island Club for use as a beach front State Park. Now that he had been declared the rightful Governor of the State, Thompson quickly initiated the purchase of Jekyll Island. By October 1947, the sale was finalized and a new era of Jekyll history was beginning.

Enjoy History?  Visit the Jekyll Island Museum, 100 Stable Road, Jekyll Island, GA www.jekyllisland.com/history

or become a Fan of the Jekyll Island Museum on Facebook

Tags: jekyll island, jekyll island history, M.E. Thompson
Posted in History comes Alive, Uncategorized | No Comments »

On This Day in Jekyll History…

March 11, 1775, Clement Martin, owner of Jekyll Island, dies.

Clement Martin is a lesser known figure in the history of Jekyll Island. He arrived in the colony of Georgia in 1754 having moved from St. Kitts in the Caribbean. Martin was appointed to the King’s Council - a group of 12 influential men from the colony - in addition to being elected to the General Assembly of the colony.

Martin was granted 600 acres on Jekyll Island by the King’s Council in 1766 - claiming land previously held by Raymond Demere. In 1768 Martin gained rights to the remainder of Jekyll Island after he petitioned for the land formerly occupied by Major Horton and his family.

Martin probably never occupied Jekyll Island as his primary residence, but did cultivate the island for a number of years. Upon his death on March 11, 1775 Jekyll Island transferred to the ownership of the island in equal shares to his son John, and daughters Jane and Anne. Interestingly, his eldest son - Clement Martin, Jr. - was intentionally left out of the transaction. Apparently, Clement Jr. had caused great offense to his father. According to his will, Clement Martin, Sr. left his namesake “six dunhill fowls for having cheated me of six thousand pounds.”

The Martin family had little time to enjoy the island after their father’s death. With the outbreak of the American Revolution, John Martin remained loyal to the British - resulting in the seizure of Jekyll Island and his banishment from Georgia.

Enjoy History?  Visit the Jekyll Island Museum, 100 Stable Road, Jekyll Island, GA www.jekyllisland.com/history

or become a Fan of the Jekyll Island Museum on Facebook

Tags: 1775, Clement Martin, jekyll island, jekyll island history
Posted in History comes Alive | No Comments »

On This Day in Jekyll History…

March 10, 1862, the Union Navy takes control of Jekyll Island.

The USS Mohican (on left, seen during the assault on Port Royal, SC) arrived off Jekyll on March 8, 1862, and captured the island on March 10.

Just days after the abandonment of Jekyll Island by the Confederate Army, Jekyll Island fell into the hands of the Union. Three Union vessels had been in local waters since March 8th. Two days later, Lt. Henry Miller and a detachment aboard the U.S.S. Mohican were assigned the duty of seizing two batteries on Jekyll Island. Miller reported “I landed with the rifle company of marines of this vessel and hoisted the flag over the rebel batteries on Jekyll Island, guarding St. Simon’s entrance… I dispatched a scouting party to ascertain if possible if any of the enemy remained on the island. A number of log huts on a deserted camp ground were the only sign of the enemy they discovered.”

Jekyll was captured by the Union without a shot being fired.

Enjoy History?  Visit the Jekyll Island Museum, 100 Stable Road, Jekyll Island, GA www.jekyllisland.com/history

or become a Fan of the Jekyll Island Museum on Facebook

Tags: jekyll island, jekyll island history, Union Navy, USS Mohican
Posted in History comes Alive | No Comments »

On This Day in Jekyll History…

March 7, 1849, Frank Goodyear was born in Buffalo, New York.

Frank Henry Goodyear was born to Bradley Goodyear, a country doctor from Groton, NY and Esther Permeliakinne, both of whose ancestors date back to the early 1600’s in America. Frank was educated in the public schools, and started his professional life as a teacher. Soon he became a bookkeeper for a saw-mill owned by Robert Looney in Looneyville, New York (later named Wende). In 1871 he married Josephine Looney) the boss’ daughter.

From Looneyville, Frank was sent to Buffalo to set up a small lumber and coal company. Being successful, the firm expanded to Pennsylvania and had mills in four counties. While in Buffalo, Frank bought 85 acres of timberland from Looney and gradually added more. In 1887 he and his brother Charles, who had given up a lucrative law practice with Grover Cleveland (later Governor of New York and U.S. President), founded a Lumber firm, the F.H. &G. Goodyear Co. In 1902, this was reorganized as the Goodyear Lumber Co. Frank was innovative in setting up his sawmills by the timber source rather than in cities and which used the waterways to raft the logs to the mills. He became the first to use railroads for transporting timber to the mills.

In 1895 he started building the Sinnemahoning Valley RR connecting Western NY and Pennsylvania rail lines. This was later absorbed by the Buffalo & Susquehanna Railway of which he also had an interest. Seeing opportunity he moved south and established the Great Southern Lumber Co and the New Orleans & Great Northern RR Co. He built the largest sawmill in the World, at that time, in Bogalusa, Louisiana. His mill and railroad interests also developed naturally in investments in the coal industry.

Frank built and maintained a mansion in Buffalo and built the “Goodyear Cottage” at the Jekyll Club in 1906. He died in 1908.

Enjoy History?  Visit the Jekyll Island Museum, 100 Stable Road, Jekyll Island, GA www.jekyllisland.com/history

or become a Fan of the Jekyll Island Museum on Facebook

Tags: Frank Goodyear, jekyll island, jekyll island history
Posted in History comes Alive | No Comments »

On This Day in Jekyll History…

March 6, 1901, Edwin and Sarah Gould arrive at Jekyll Island for their first stay in Chichota Cottage.

Chichota, Courtesy of the Jekyll Island Museum

Built in 1897 for David H. King, Chichota was purchased in 1900 by Edwin Gould, son of railroad magnate and financier Jay Gould. The interior courtyard featured a swimming pool - and it was the only cottage on the island to have one. Gould made many improvements to the property, adding a private dock, a large casino with a bowling alley and shooting gallery, an indoor tennis court, and a grennhouse.

After the death of their oldest son, Edwin, Jr., the Goulds virtually abandoned the home. The cottage fell into a state of disrepair and was torn down in 1941. Two stone lions stand guard over the ruins of Chichota today.

Enjoy History?  Visit the Jekyll Island Museum, 100 Stable Road, Jekyll Island, GA www.jekyllisland.com/history

or become a Fan of the Jekyll Island Museum on Facebook

Tags: Chichota, Edwin Gould, jekyll island, jekyll island history
Posted in History comes Alive | No Comments »

History unearthed on Jekyll

2/25/2009
By ANNA FERGUSON

The Brunswick News

Although Jekyll Island has been a state park for only about 60 years, the land has long been used as a resort area.

It may have been a seasonal stomping ground for individuals seeking refuge centuries ago, say archaeologists who are unearthing artifacts at an island excavation site.

Alex Sweeney and a team from Brockington and Associates, Inc. began excavating and mapping portions of Ben Fortson Parkway, near the Jekyll Island Gas Station, Monday for a planned road project.

Two days into their work, the team found a scene not that common for construction projects. Instead of never ending mounds of dirt and sand, the diggers found artifacts left over from Jekyll’s days gone by.

Shards of pottery and food waste in the form of animal bones from American Indian vacationers have been found.

The ancient evidence of island life has shown area historians what they already assumed from previous digs: American Indians used the island for seasonal layovers, much like tourists do today.

“Jekyll Island wasn’t a traditional village,” said John Hunter, director of the Jekyll Island Museum, who is overseeing aspects of the dig. “It was more of a seasonal camp, almost like the vacation spot it has become in more recent years.”

The area of concentration for the dig has been identified as a place of importance for the island, Hunter said. While it is not rare for excavators to find small pieces of history under the island soil, finding so many in one place could mean that the spot was a prime historical location.

Archaeologists first started survey work on the site in 1994, and it was resurveyed in 2008. They are now visiting the site in greater depth and conducting a more intensive phase of research of examination.

Based on the results of last year’s work, Sweeney described the site as “likely the remains of either a seasonally occupied resource extraction locale or a small village or hamlet.” The prehistoric ceramic shards discovered at the site suggest it may have been occupied beginning about 300 BC, during the Middle to Late Woodland Period, at a time when small seasonal villages were beginning to appear.

It may have been occupied until as late as about 1540 AD, the end of the Mississippian Period and just before European arrival to the area, Sweeney said.

As excavators continue to dig up the earth, they are hoping to be able to map out plans so that construction on the land will not interfere with historic value, Hunter said.

When important artifacts were unearthed in past digs, the pieces were sent to an archaeological lab for further view and either sent back to the museum or to the University of West Georgia for holding and viewing. In this case, Hunter isn’t sure what would happen to any significance pieces. He said it is too early in the excavation process to tell, though he assumes the same process would apply.

But, Hunter warns, it’s too soon in the digging stage to really identify how important the site may be to Jekyll’s history.

“Just because you find a few pieces in one spot, that doesn’t mean it’s the core,” Hunter said. “Just the same, this is very interesting. I’m certainly not an archeologist, but we are very excited about learning things about the island and its people that we never knew before.”

Hunter is encouraging the community to get in on the historical action. An archaeology class from the College of Coastal Georgia, led by Ntungwa Maasha, a professor of astronomy, physics and geology, will examine the site today to get a first-hand glimpse at an archeological dig.

On Thursday, the public is encouraged to visit the site and interact with excavators and historians during a viewing day.

“It’s always fun to involve the public on these digs,” Hunter said. “Everyone learns a lot. Whenever we have a dig on the island, people inevitably come over and want to know what’s going on and what we are finding.

“The first question they always ask is if we have dug up any pirate gold. So you know, we never do.”

BREAKOUT:

The public is invited to Jekyll Island to view the archeological dig and ask questions to historians about the significance of the site. A public viewing will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday at the site on Ben Fortson Parkway, near Jekyll Island gas station. For more information, call the Jekyll Island Museum at 635-2119.

Tags: Archaeology, jekyll island, jekyll island history, Native Americans
Posted in History comes Alive | No Comments »

On This Day in Jekyll History…February 24, 1917, Edwin Gould, Jr. dies tragically while at Jekyll Island.

One of the great tragedies of the Jekyll Island Club era took place on a nearby marsh hammock. Kate Brown, tutor to the Macy children recorded it in her diary as such:

“There was a dreadful accident here last evening which makes us feel sad today. Eddy Gould, the one young man in (his) twenties in the Island and son of the Mr. Gould who brought us down here, went out last night to visit his coon traps. He had set them on a lovely island, separated from Jekyll by a mile or more of water and marsh, and the only person who went with him was a young man who is tutoring the Dowes children. It was a very dark night and Eddy Gould bent over a trap which was sprung to see what it had caught. In bending he knocked against his gun which he had carelessly left cocked and it went off, shooting him through the stomach and killing him. The tutor had to leave him there and struggle back to land. He was entirely unfamiliar with the swamp and overturned twice in his canoe and waded waist deep before he got back. It was hours before help could get there.”

The Goulds, who had been a very active part of the Jekyll Island Club rarely returned to the island after that day. Their home Chichota, falling into disrepair, was eventually demolished by the Club in 1940, leaving only the foundations and two stone lions standing guard in silent tribute.

Enjoy History?  Visit the Jekyll Island Museum, 100 Stable Road, Jekyll Island, GA www.jekyllisland.com/history

or become a Fan of the Jekyll Island Museum on Facebook

Tags: 1917, Edwin Gould, jekyll island, jekyll island club, jekyll island history
Posted in History comes Alive, Uncategorized | No Comments »