by Andrea Marroquin

“The Holidays in History” tour will begin at the Jekyll Island Museum. Small groups of guests will venture by tram throughout the Historic Landmark District.

“Our costumed characters will change frequently and will be a daily surprise,” said John Hunter, the Director of the Jekyll Island Museum. “Guests will see the entire district and enter two of the cottages. But which cottage interiors they visit will also change on a daily basis. This enables us to be responsive to those guests who want to come back for a variety of experiences with us.”

Guests might witness a Victorian Christmas at Club Cottage in the year 1890 or an Edwardian holiday season at Mistletoe Cottage around 1910. They might hear about the Jekyll Island Club’s seasonal celebrations inside historic Faith Chapel, built in 1904. They might take their revelry into a rustic hunting retreat at Moss Cottage in the year 1905. Or they might participate in festivities at Indian Mound Cottage in the year 1917.

“Jekyll Island is an ideal backdrop for this program,” Hunter explained. “Our history is so rich and our historic buildings span a very broad time range.”

The museum possesses an array of costumed characters to draw from as well as a talented crew of interpretive guides. Experiences will vary throughout the month of December and no two tours will be the same.

“We hope that this tour will help to spread the sentiment of the season and bring those joys into our guests’ holidays today and in the future,” Hunter said.

Jekyll Island Museum, Stable Road. Program offered daily, December 6-31, 11 am, 1 pm, & 3 pm, except December 24 and 25. Rate is $16 for adults, $7 for children 6-12, and free under 6.

see more online

Sneak preview of the tour on youtube
youtube.com/user/JekyllIslandMuseum

Tags: holidays in history tour on jekyll island, jekyll island history, jekyll island museum
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William and Almira Rockefeller’s spacious vacation home on Jekyll Island, Georgia will soon be receiving callers for the first time in quite awhile.

Indian Mound Cottage was built in 1891 as a winter retreat for Gordon McKay but was purchased by the Rockefellers in 1905. William Rockefeller, brother to John D. Rockefeller was a charter member of the Jekyll Island Club beginning in 1886. It was William and Almira Rockefeller who oversaw the additions and renovations that gave Indian Mound Cottage its present day appearance.

In recent months, the cottage has been thoroughly restored, inside and out, from the roof on down. Now the ambitious project is finally nearing completion.

John Hunter, the Director of Historic Resources for the Jekyll Island Authority, manages one of the largest ongoing preservation programs in the Southeast, caring for Jekyll Island’s 34 historic buildings. Indian Mound Cottage was funded from the capital improvement budget of the Jekyll Island Authority. “The preservationists with JHC from Peachtree City have accomplished a mighty task with this 12,000-square foot structure,” Hunter said.

During the project, workers replaced the cedar-shake roof as well as the airconditioning system. They repainted the exterior shingle siding and trim. They painstakingly scraped, patched, repaired, primed and painted the porch railings, deck, columns, and balconies. They industriously repainted all of the interior walls and ceilings, as well.

“Great care has been taken to retain the many unique details and craftsmanship inside the house, from the banister, to the molding, to the mantelpieces,” Hunter commented.

Period-inspired carpeting in historic colors and patterns, a contribution from the Friends of Historic Jekyll Island, will also be newly installed throughout the entire second story.

The newly restored home serves as a wonderful backdrop for the museum’s period furnishings, its lithograph portraits of William and Almira Rockefeller, and the many documented stories of the family’s visits to the island that bring the house to life and stir the imagination.

Gretchen Greminger, the Curator of the Jekyll Island Museum, reported that some interesting architectural finds were located during the course of the restoration process. Work crews came across original plaster remnants, some original shingles dating to the McKay period of the house, and notably a George Cowman signature. “The George Cowman signature was found on one of the wall studs inside the wall in Almira’s bedroom. George Cowman was the contractor that did the Rockefeller additions,” Greminger explained. “Given that we have been working to restore this structure to the way Cowman first made it look for the Rockefellers, I believe that gives us a very real and direct link to the man who wrote his name here,” Greminger reflected. “I like to think he would be happy with what we have done.”

Members of the public wishing to see Indian Mound Cottage newly restored can look forward to that opportunity. Indian Mound will soon reenter the cottage rotation in the Jekyll Island Museum’s daily tours of the historic district.

phone I (912) 635-4036
event rental I (912) 635-4403

Tags: indian mound cottage on jekyll island, jekyll island history, jekyll island museum, national landmark historic district
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by Andrea Marroquin, Programming Coordinator

While many Jekyll Island Club Members were known as “Captains of Industry,” lawyer Robert Weeks De Forest was dubbed the “Captain of Philanthropy” for his lifetime of social service.

The Charity Organization Society was just one of many organizations De Forest created to assist others. It coordinated relief for New York’s poor.

Starting the Christmas of 1912, the Charity Organization Society took an active part in the New York Times’ first Christmas fund drive asking its readers not to forget their jobless, orphaned, aged, injured, homeless, and ill neighbors struggling to make ends meet. Headlines read, “Santa Clause please take notice! Here are New York’s 100 neediest cases.” One of four organizations involved in the campaign’s early years, the Charity Organizajtion Society collected stories about the poor and their struggles. It told personal stories of fathers, mothers, small children, and elderly citizens in distress. The appeals did not request money, but simply presented their circumstances and stated their needs.

Aid was given in many ways. People were provided food, shelter, and medicine. The sick and injured were treated. Boys and girls were sent to school and taught skills to help their struggling families. One hundred percent of the funds raised went to the needy, with The New York Times supporting all the costs of the campaign.

Readers rushed to help those in need of Christmas generosity. Some donations were received from the wealthy, but the drive appealed to everyone according to their means. Letters showed that a dollar given by one meant as much as a thousand given by another, and all gifts were sent in the same spirit of generosity and good will. During the Christmas of 1916, De Forest wrote to thank the New York Times for giving readers an opportunity to help. De Forest wrote “The desire on the part of us who are more ‘blessed’ with prosperity to help those who are least ‘blessed,’ is I am glad to say, quite universal among our American people.” Donations poured in from all ages and social classes, and varied from less than one dollar to $1,600, raising $17,000 of Christmas joy that season alone. To De Forest, the Christmas drive was, in part, an opportunity to develop the spirit of giving in the young. “I have been accustomed to encourage each child of my acquaintance to give each year to some particular case on your list and I have provided each with the means for doing so,” he wrote. One child told him she helped a particular family “because the boys are so brave.” Through the touching stories, people came to care about helping others. The “100 Neediest Cases” fund became a year, the “100 Neediest Cases” has raised $250 million.

Robert Weeks De Forest devoted himself to numerous charitable, civic, and cultural activities. President Taft once called his services on behalf of others a “shining record.” Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress. Capture the Holiday Spirit this Season!

This holiday season there are many needs in the local community. The Jekyll Island Authority has created some fun and easy ways to make a big difference locally through its sponsorship of United Way of Coastal Georgia. United Way advances the education, health, and financial independence of Glynn and McIntosh Counties through its many partner agencies. Here are some simple ways you can participate in the season of giving on Jekyll Island and help United Way:

United Way Golf Tournament – Support United Way November 14, 2009. 9:00 am Shot-Gun. 2 Person Scramble on Indian Mound’s Course. $50 per person (includes Golf/Cart, Boxed Lunch & prizes). For more information, contact the Jekyll Island Golf Course, 912-635-2368.

Tags: jekyll island club era, jekyll island history, jekyll island museum, jekyll island united way, philanthropy, robert weeks de forest, season of giving, united way golf tournament
Posted in Beachscape, November 2009 | No Comments »

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By Andrea Marroquin, Museum Specialist
  
On Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 2:00 pm, venture to Horton House on Jekyll Island, Georgia and meet Major William Horton, a British colonial officer, and his company of soldiers and indentured servants, in a joint living history program offered by Fort Frederica National Monument and the Jekyll Island Museum.
  
Horton, portrayed by Jon Burpee of Fort Frederica National Monument, bellows orders at the 18th century British soldiers drilling with muskets on the grounds, entreats the crowd to join ranks for the safety of the fledgling colony, and explains his grievances against the Spanish. Horton is determined to hold both his Jekyll Island estate and Fort Frederica for England.
  
Soldiers from the Castillo at St. Augustine have been at odds with the English colonists and tensions have been mounting for years. Overtures of peace between the two nations once took place right at Jekyll Island. Now that peace has been broken and the Spanish have grievances of their own. British soldiers are now on constant guard against the appearance of Spanish soldiers in their midst.
  
Horton was the first Englishman to obtain property on Jekyll Island, acquiring a 500-acre land grant in 1735. Horton gained much stature as an officer in the Royal Colony of Georgia. He was placed in charge of the fort on St. Simon’s Island during General Oglethorpe’s absence in England in 1736 and later commanded troops in defense of the colony. During food shortages he supplied corn and beef to Fort Frederica from his own personal supplies on Jekyll Island.
  
Because of his importance, he became a target of the Spanish from St. Augustine. His original two-story wooden house was burned by the Spanish as they retreated across the island following the Battle of Bloody Marsh in July of 1742. This would be the Spanish Army’s final strike against the British in the Colony of Georgia.
  
John Hunter is the director of the Jekyll Island Museum, a division of the Jekyll Island Authority, which maintains the Horton House Historic Site. Hunter points out that the year 1742 was an eventful one for Horton.
  
“In 1742, Horton was placed in command of a new grenadier company of thirty men. His wife and children finally joined him in Georgia after being an ocean apart for many years. Fort Frederica was raided by the Spanish. Finally, his house was burned down and his crops and livestock were destroyed. That all happened by mid-summer!” Hunter exclaimed. “There was constant excitement.”
  
With the help of his indentured servants, Horton rebuilt his home by the following year. The sturdy tabby house still stands today, one of the earliest standing tabby structures in Georgia.
  
Guests are invited to participate in the colonial life of the island through an assortment of activities. These activities are designed to share information about Horton, his family, his servants, and his property on the island, as well as their significant role in producing goods to supply the needs of the struggling British colony.
  
Horton’s servants will demonstrate various chores such as carding and spinning wool, soap making, and blacksmithing, which were all essential skills in the colonial era.
  
In contrast to such labors, guests can try their skills in a variety of 18th century entertainments on the front lawn. Games might include such favorites as hoop rolling, graces, sack racing, and more.
  
During the living history program, visitors can quench their thirst with a dram of Major Horton’s finest beverages. Horton, who established Georgia’s first brewery, will offer up his best hospitality inside of Horton House, with family-friendly drinks poured by his servants. Visitors will be served frothy mugs of ginger-flavored “ale” (ginger ale) or root-flavored “beer” (root beer).
  
Through musket demonstrations, children’s games, food and drink, guests can experience the strategically important role of Jekyll Island in the struggle for British survival in the New World.
  
For more information, call or visit the Jekyll Island Museum on Stable Road, 912-635-4036. Admission to the living history program is free of charge.

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On This Day in Jekyll History…

June 29, 1840 Jekyll Island Club Member Charles Stewart Maurice is born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

Charles Stewart Maurice, Image Courtesy of the Jekyll Island Museum

Charles Stewart Maurice was born to Charles Frazier Maurice – an educator who opened a private school which merged with the Mt. Pleasant Military Academy in Ossining, NY- and Cornelia Joline. Charles Stewart attended his father’s school and in 1858 entered Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, graduating in 1861 as Phi Beta Kappa and class Salutatorian. From there, he enrolled in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) for marine engineering, taking sophomore and junior classes in one year.

In 1862 he joined the U.S. Navy, serving as 3rd Assistant Engineer until the end of the Civil War in 1865. Turning down an Assistant Professorship in Math at the U.S. Naval Academy, Maurice started his business career as an Engineer for the Lower Hudson Steamboat Company designing engines. He left in 1866 to open a Tannery in Athens, PA with his friend Eugene Underhill. In 1869 he sold out to his partner and returned to New York supplying lumber to the Oswego-Midland RR to build bridges.

In 1871 he formed Kellogg & Maurice, with partner Charles Kellogg, to build road and railway bridges. They became one of the pioneers in iron bridges and were the second company to build a steel bridge. Some of their bridges were; the Tombigbee River, 3rd Ave Elevated Railway in New York City, and spans in Nova Scotia and Brazil.

In 1884 Kellogg & Maurice merged with other firms to form the Union Bridge Building Co. with partners George S. Field, Edmund Hayes, Thomas C. Clarke, and Charles McDonald (Field, Hayes and Clark were also Jekyll Club members). Their bridges included; Hudson River at Poughkeepsie, NY, the Niagara Cantilever Bridge, the Ohio River Bridge at Cairo, IL, Mississippi River at Memphis, TN., and the Hawkesbury Bridge at New South Wales, Australia.

In 1869, Maurice married Charlotte Marshall. Their children were Archibald Stewart, George Holbrooke, Marian Bridge “Mamie”, Charles Frazier, Cornelia “Nina”, Charlotte Marshall, Margaret Stewart “Peg”, Albert Touzalin, and Emily Marshall. The family was very active in the Jekyll Island Club life, coming early in the season and staying late. In 1890, he built Hollybourne Cottage, which still stands today as a part of the Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District.

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: Charles Stewart Maurice, Hollybourne Cottage, jekyll island history, jekyll island museum
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By Andrea Marroquin, Programming Coordinator, Jekyll Island Museum
  
Jekyll Island was named in 1734 by General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of the Georgia colony, in honor of Sir Joseph Jekyll. Jekyll was a financial backer of the young colony, who, along with his wife, had contributed a total of £600 to the venture. In 1738, Oglethorpe wrote a letter from Jekyll Sound to Sir Joseph Jekyll. He wrote “Sir: I am now got to an anchor in a harbour and near an island that bears your name.”
  
Sir Joseph Jekyll, son of John Jekyll, was born in London in 1663. He went to school at the Middle Temple and became a lawyer in 1687. Within the span of ten years, he rose to the position of Chief Justice of Chester. In 1697 he also became a member of Parliament, and retained this position for the rest of his life. He went on to become Sergeant-at-Law and King’s Sergeant. In 1700, King George I made him a Knight. In 1717, he became Master of the Rolls, the third most senior judge in England. His wife was Lady Elizabeth Somers.
  
Jekyll was a man of great judicial and legislative power, in a position to advance the cause of the Georgia Colony. He was also one of the officials named to receive mandatory reports on the progress of English settlement. In naming Jekyll Island after him, Oglethorpe flattered a man with both money and influence. Jekyll would lose some of this influence with the public towards the end of his career, however.
  
Jekyll became very unpopular with the working classes in 1736, for sponsoring the Gin Act, which established taxes on retailing liquor. During the ensuing Gin Riots, his house had to be protected from a mob. In one episode he was reportedly knocked down and nearly killed in the middle of Lincoln’s Inn Field, an area of dancing bears, animal matches, and public pulpits. As a result of this incident, palisades were set up and a pleasant garden was installed in the area.
  
Jekyll passed away on August 19, 1738. In his will he designated a portion of his substantial estate to be applied to the national debt. His contemporaries ridiculed Jekyll for this benevolent gesture. One commentator scoffed that he might as well have “attempted to block the middle arch of Blackfriars Bridge with his full-bottomed wig.” In later proceedings, the will was actually set aside on the “ground of imbecility,” even though he was an active member of Parliament at the time he made the will.
  
Jekyll passed away before he received the letter Oglethorpe addressed to him. In time the spelling of the island’s name became corrupted. The island was referred to on maps and historic documents by alternate spellings, such as “Jeckel,” “Jeekel,” “Jekil,” “Jeykil,” and “Jekyl.” The misspelling of the name became standardized when a group of wealthy northerners purchased the island and dubbed themselves “The Jekyl Island Club.”
  
Around 1928, Club members commissioned a portrait of Sir Joseph Jekyll to be modeled after another portrait painted by Michael Dahl and owned by Sir Herbert Jekyll. Through correspondence with the Jekyll family, the spelling error was discovered. Club members agitated for the name of the island to be corrected.
  
On July 31, 1929, the Georgia State Legislature passed a resolution to change the spelling of “Jekyl Island,” declaring “the correct and legal spelling of the name of said island is and shall be Jekyll Island.”
  
Thus, 191 years after his death, the portrait of Sir Joseph Jekyll prompted a final legal resolution to be enacted in his honor. This seems a fitting end to the tale of a lawyer, judge, and politician.
  
The original portrait commissioned by the Jekyll Island Club is on display in Dubignon Cottage in the Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District. Tours of the historic district are available through the Jekyll Island Museum on Stable Road, (912) 635-4036.

Tags: 1738, barrier island history, Georgia, georgia colony, georgia history, georgia's jewel, golden isles, historic district, James Oglethorpe, jekyll island, jekyll island museum, jekyll island name, sir joseph jekyll, south georgia
Posted in Beachscape, May 2009 | No Comments »

By Andrea Marroquin

On April 7, 1909, far from the warm waters and sandy shores of Jekyll Island, Georgia, American explorer Robert E. Peary was bundled in furs and battling ice. But on that day just one century ago, thanks in part to several Jekyll Island Club Members in the Peary Arctic Club, he still felt the warm glow of success. In a diary showing signs of wear from the polar trail, Peary wrote “The Pole at last. The prize of 3 centuries, my goal for 20 years. Mine at last!” With these words Peary struck his claim as the first person in history to finally reach the geographic North Pole. With him was African-American explorer Matthew Alexander Henson as well as 4 Inuit men Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo, and Ookeah.

The quest for the North Pole was part of the continuing search for a Northwest Passage to the Orient. Prior attempts had failed to reach the North Pole despite great sacrifices of money and life. Some 756 men had died trying to find it. Peary credited the success of his own Arctic explorations in part to his financial supporters in the Peary Arctic Club, many of whom were prominent Jekyll Island Club Members. It was they, according to Peary, “who furnished the sinews of war, without which nothing could have been accomplished.”

Just five miles away from where Peary posted his “five flags at the top of the world” sat Camp Morris K. Jesup, where Peary declared his igloo “The Most Northerly Human Habitation in the World.” The camp was named for Jekyll Island Club Member Morris Ketchum Jesup. The first president of the Peary Arctic Club, Jesup had contributed $25,000 towards the construction of the Arctic S.S. Roosevelt, the ship which had battled the ice between Greenland and Ellesmere Island to attain the record furthest point north ever reached by ship under her own steam. It was from this ship that Peary and his dogsled teams had embarked on their quest for the North Pole.

Peary had unloaded his ship and established a packing box village of supplies and equipment that protected the party against the loss of the SS. Roosevelt on the ice. This winter camp was named Hubbardville after Jekyll Island Club Member General Thomas Hamlin Hubbard, a Civil War veteran, lawyer and railroad director, who was also a President of the Peary Arctic Club. Peary had launched his dog sled drive for the Pole from this point.

Upon his return, Peary entrusted to General Hubbard the proof of his claims that he had reached the Pole. It was fortunate for Peary that he had influential backers. He soon learned that Frederick Cook claimed to have reached the Pole in 1908, although Cook was eventually discredited. Throughout the Peary-Cook controversy, Hubbard supported Peary, publishing a piece addressed “To Students of Arctic Exploration” with mathematical evidence suggesting that Peary had indeed passed within 1.6 miles of the North Pole. Peary gained the confidence of many in his own time, earning congratulations from President Roosevelt, who wrote “He has performed one of the greatest feats of our times; he has won high honor for himself and for his country.”
The National Geographic Society and The Royal Geographical Society acknowledged his success. In 1910, President Taft formally recognized Peary’s achievement. Peary was given the Thanks of Congress by a Special Act in 1911. On the anniversary of his journey a century later, some doubts remain whether Peary actually reached the North Pole. There was no one on the last stage of the journey to confirm his exact location. Some technical navigational issues could allow for some variation in his position. Experts do, however, agree that Peary and his companions put themselves at great risk and traveled hundreds of miles from safety to reach the close vicinity of the North Pole.

A number of Jekyll Island Club Members supported Peary’s Polar campaigns in addition to Jesup and Hubbard. Other Club Members who actively contributed to the Peary Arctic Club were F.G. Bourne, James J. Hill, Mrs. Morris K. Jesup, Moses Taylor Pyne, and J.H. Smith. Peary wrote several books about his Polar travels. They include Northward over the Great Ice and The North Pole. Matthew Henson also wrote an account of the journey entitled A Negro Explorer at the North Pole. The movie Glory and Honor by Kevin Hooks dramatizes the 1909 expedition to the North Pole.

Jekyll Island Club Members shaped the world in many ways, contributing to many significant events in their day. Call or visit the Jekyll Island Museum on Stable Road for information about its daily tours throughout Jekyll Island’s 240-acre National Historic Landmark District telling their stories, (912) 635-4036.

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By Andrea Marroquin
 
 
Jekyll Island Club Member Cornelius Newton Bliss, one of the biggest dry goods merchants of New York, was frequently nominated for public office and just as frequently declined the honor, refusing opportunities to be elected governor and mayor of New York and even turning down the opportunity to be President McKinley’s running mate in the 1900 national elections before Theodore Roosevelt accepted the nomination.
 
 
Like Theodore Roosevelt, Cornelius Bliss was a proponent of preserving America’s public lands. Perhaps for this reason, Bliss, famous for refusing public office, did accept the position of 21st United States Secretary of the Interior in President McKinley’s cabinet from March 6, 1897 to February 19, 1899. In this capacity, Bliss focused his attentions, in part, on forest preservation.
“The preservation of public forests. . . is a matter of vital interest to the entire nation,” Bliss proclaimed in November of 1897, in those days before the birth of the United States Forest Service. In his care were an estimated 1,835,017,692 acres of public lands including 19 Forest Reserves which encompassed almost 19 million acres. Bliss reported to the President regarding the need for “adequate laws for their protection and the proper enforcement thereof, coupled with the inauguration of a comprehensive forest system.”
 
 
“It was my intention originally to establish a forest bureau in this department, but the inadequacy of the appropriation for the work precluded my carrying into effect such [a] plan,” Bliss lamented.
 
 
Bliss had a relatively modest proposal for a beginning Forest Bureau, which he described as a trained corps of 50-60 professional forest agents, supervisors, patrolmen, and assistants to patrol the reserves and enforce regulations. While he was unable to establish a Forest Bureau during his tenure in office owing to a lack of funds, he did go a long way towards establishing a vision for preserving the nation’s forest resources. He spoke of the benefits of such a plan to preserve timber, prevent forest fires, and save the country’s forests for future generations.
 
 
Perhaps his greatest legacy as Secretary of the Interior was made through his hiring of Gifford Pinchot, who was related to Jekyll Island Club Member Amos F. Eno. In 1898, Bliss chose Pinchot as Chief of the Division of Forestry to design an organization to manage the nation’s forests. Pinchot was the nation’s first native professional forester. Under Pinchot, the Bureau of Forestry eventually became known as the United States Forest Service.
 
 
Pinchot advocated the conservation of the nation’s Forest Reserves by planned use and renewal and coined the term “conservation ethic” as it applied to natural resources. It was Pinchot who established the mission of the U.S Forest Service “to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run.” He would run the U.S. Forest Service until 1910.
 
 
Today, the United States possesses a system of 155 National Forests, scientifically managed for multiple uses, including recreation, timber, wilderness, minerals, water, grazing, fishing, and wildlife management. Thanks in part to the enthusiasm, planning, and vision of predecessors such as Cornelius Newton Bliss and Gifford Pinchot, the Forest Service recently celebrated its 100th Anniversary. It is now launching into a new century of service in the United States.
 
 
An active Jekyll Island Club Member, Bliss served on the Executive Committee overseeing Jekyll Island’s management for at least 17 years, from 1892 to 1909, and owned a private flat in the Jekyll Island Clubhouse Annex. Bliss also helped raise funds to build the Jekyll Island Club Stables, purchasing Stall Number Two.
 
 
The historic Club Stables, located on Stable Road, is now the home of the Jekyll Island Museum. It contains exhibits and a Museum Store and is the gateway for daily tours of Jekyll Island’s 240-acre National Historic Landmark District. Call or visit the Jekyll Island Museum at (912) 635-4036 for more information about its many famous Jekyll Island Club Members and its daily tours of Jekyll Island’s historic district.

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Jekyll Island volunteer citizens have teamed up to coordinate the first annual Easter Egg Stroll on April 11. The Stroll is a laid back alternative to the Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Festival previously held. It is geared toward young children ages 6 and under. All eggs will be numbered and will have to be redeemed for prizes at the Easter Egg Stroll Information Booth located near the Sweet Shoppe. One unspecified number will merit a grand prize. There will be 12 of these lucky grand prize eggs hidden. Otherwise small prizes will be awarded based on the number of eggs found, with a limit of 20 per child. Once the eggs are redeemed for prizes, they will be re-hidden for other children to find throughout the afternoon. The event is free; for more information, contact the Jekyll Island Visitor Information Center at (912) 635-3636.
 
 
In addition to the Easter Egg Stroll, the Jekyll Island History Center will also offer a special free tram ride at 11:30 that day. Guests are encouraged to wear their best Easter attire and take a 20 minute, kid-friendly tram ride through the beautiful Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District. The ride will end near the Easter Egg Stroll Information Booth where the kids can begin their egg hunt. Although the ride is free, spaces are limited. Please make your reservations by calling the Jekyll Island Museum
at 635-4036.

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The Jekyll Island Museum 2009 Tour Schedule

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Only one small piece now remains of Solterra Cottage, which was at one time a sizable structure with several detached outbuildings and an enviable location beside the Clubhouse.  Once the largest cottage on Jekyll Island, it entertained President William McKinley and his party as guests, 110 years ago this March.

“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.  He was succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt after his assassination.

Solterra Cottage was destroyed by fire on March 9, 1914.  Today, a single, small architectural remnant remains of the beautiful sprawling structure where the President once stayed and greeted the Jekyll Island Club Members who had the wealth and connections to substantially influence his presidential prospects in the 1900 elections.
Only a dovecote, used to raise pigeons or doves in Solterra’s backyard, survived the blaze.  The small outbuilding was relocated several times around the National Historic Landmark District to serve assorted needs and keep it out of harm’s way from various improvement projects.

Recently the Friends of Historic Jekyll Island funded the stabilization and relocation of the dovecote, allowing this small building to be placed closer to its original location.  The last piece of a splendid structure, the dovecote has now been preserved near where Solterra once stood.  A simple interpretive panel will be installed nearby to share the stirring story of Solterra Cottage’s history with the visiting public.
John Hunter, the Director of the Jekyll Island Museum, termed the preservation project, “a small but satisfying connection to Jekyll’s Island’s presidential past.

See the schedule below for Jekyll Island Museum tour information to find out more about our Club Era residents.

Tags: georgia beaches, jekyll island history, jekyll island museum, jekyll island vacation, solterra cottage, william mckinley
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Thursday, February 26, 2:00-4:00 PM – The public is invited to join Alex Sweeny and an archaeological research team from Brockington and Associates as they excavate the remains from a native American shell midden near the Jekyll Island gas station on Ben Fortson Parkway.  The public will learn more about the current archaeological research efforts on Jekyll Island and delve into the puzzles of the past. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the site, inspect artifacts uncovered during the course of the dig, ask questions, and learn about Georgia’s prehistory.

Details about the site:
The midden site was first discovered during an archaeological survey conducted in the mid-1990s. It was resurveyed in 2008. The archaeologists are now returning for a second more intensive phase of research to examine the site in greater depth.

Based on the results of last year’s work, Sweeney describes the site as “likely the remains of either a seasonally occupied resource extraction locale or a small village or hamlet.” Prehistoric ceramic sherds located at the site suggest that 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 and his crew are working closely with members of the Jekyll Island Museum on the project. The Jekyll Island Museum, a division of the Jekyll Island Authority, works in consultation with the Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Natural Resources to oversee the management of all of the archaeological resources on Jekyll Island.

John Hunter, the Director of the Jekyll Island Museum, encourages visitors to attend the public archaeology program. “I would like to see the museum spend more time doing public archaeology in the long term,” he admitted. “It is a great way to share information about the past. You get to be outside, doing something active and hands on, and really learning concrete, everyday things about the people who were here before us. What could be better than that?”

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As a partner of Kellogg & Maurice and the Union Bridge Company, Charles Stewart Maurice helped to construct many road and railway bridges that became part of the historic fabric of their communities.

Hollybourne Cottage, the vacation retreat Maurice built on Jekyll Island in 1890 with the help of architect William Day, was designed to be an architectural wonder of its own. This May, in honor of Historic Preservation Month, the Jekyll Island Museum will be opening the bridge-builder’s island mansion up for a limited number of exclusive tours.

Kellogg & Maurice, the company Maurice co-founded in 1871 with partner Charles Kellogg, was a pioneer in iron bridge construction and the second company in the country to build a steel bridge. The company constructed the 3rd Avenue Elevated Railway in New York City (1878), the Smithfield Street Bridge across the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh (1883), as well as bridges in Nova Scotia and Brazil.
In 1884, Kellogg & Maurice merged with other companies to form the Union Bridge Company. This firm constructed many notable spans of the day, including a cantilever bridge crossing the Niagara Gorge. By the time Maurice retired in 1895, he had helped traverse many of the nation’s major waterways and had been instrumental in the construction of major landmarks around the country.

Hollybourne Cottage, the unique vacation retreat Maurice built on Jekyll Island, is just as noteworthy, but it is in need of preservation. That is why Hollybourne Cottage is the focus of the “Reclaiming Past Glories” tour offered by the Jekyll Island Museum this May in celebration of Historic Preservation Month.

“Of all of the cottages in Jekyll Island’s historic district, Hollybourne Cottage currently offers the most challenges to preservation,” remarked John Hunter, the Director of the Jekyll Island Museum. Hunter points out that remarkable progress has been made recently in stabilizing the building’s exterior. “From the shutters, to the porches, to the front door, to the roof, we have tackled some major projects in establishing the long-term stability of the structure. But on the inside we still have a long way to go. That’s why we normally do not allow public access to the interior of this really special cottage.”

Jekyll Island Museum Curator Gretchen Greminger, one of the guides leading the behind the scenes tours, agrees that it is exciting to be able to share this unique structure with the public. But she warned that guests should not expect to see a restored and furnished interior like the cottages that are part of other tours of the historic district. Greminger said that this Historic Preservation Month tour will proceed through the fabulous leaded glass doors of Hollybourne Cottage into the main foyer. Guests will visit the front parlor, the dining room, the gunroom, the kitchen, and the butler’s pantry.

The tour will focus on the preservation efforts that have gone into the building over the last 20 years and on the unique design of the cottage, which was influenced a great deal by Maurice’s background in bridge engineering. While learning about the problems affecting the home’s current condition, visitors will also have the opportunity to view historic photographs of the vacation retreat that will help to envision what it looked like in its original condition when it was a much-loved haven for Mr. and Mrs. Maurice and their nine children.

The “Reclaiming Past Glories” tour departs from the Jekyll Island Museum on Stable Road each Saturday from May 3-31, 2008 at 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm. The cost of the program is $10 for Adults, $5 for Children 6-12, and Free under 6. For more information, call the Jekyll Island Museum at 912-635-4036.

Tags: Hollybourne Cottage, jekyll island history tours, jekyll island museum, National Historic Preservation month, Reclaiming Past Glories, Stable Road
Posted in Beachscape, May 2008 | 2 Comments »

By Andrea Marroquin, Museum Specialist

In April of 1886, Marshall Field became a charter member of the Jekyll Island Club. Like many of Jekyll Island’s prominent Club Members, Field was a self-made man with humble beginnings. Born in 1834 near Conway, Mass., Field was the third of six children. When his father sold the family farm to his older brother, Field realized he would need to learn a trade. At 15, he obtained his first job as a clerk at a local dry goods shop, where his employer said that he would never be able to run a store. Nevertheless, at 21, he moved to Chicago and gained employment with the largest dry goods company in the city. He slept in the store to save his $400 annual salary, and became a partner by the time he married Nannie Douglas Scott in 1863. They would have two children together, Marshall Field, Jr. and Ethel Field. In 1865, Field opened a dry goods business with some other investors. The company soon moved to a prominent building on State Street known as the “Marble Palace.”

The six-story building burned down and $3.5 million of merchandise was lost, however, during the catastrophic Chicago Fire of 1871. Then, in 1873, the store reopened only to be
razed by fire again just five years later. It was determinedly rebuilt yet again. By 1881, Field had bought out the company. His store, “Marshall Field & Co.,” catered to fashionable middle and upper class women. He offered personal shoppers, unconditional refunds, home delivery, an interior decoration department, telephone services, a library, a nursery, and restful places to meet and socialize. His store was the first to offer in-store dining, as well as a bridal registry. When streetcars were introduced, Field also ensured the availability of convenient transportation. Field’s policy was, “Give the lady what she wants.” In 1887, Field also opened a 500,000 square foot wholesale store that sold items in bulk to retailers throughout the central and western United States. The small-town farm-boy had achieved big-time financial, social, and political success.

Hobnobbing on Jekyll Island, he frequented the Clubhouse and Fairbank Cottage along
with the nation’s other business leaders. In 1904, his name was put forward as a potential
Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, but he refused to consider the position. Field, widowed in 1896, was remarried to a longtime friend and neighbor, Delia Spencer Caton, in September of 1905. Field died a few months afterwards, on January 16, 1906, in New York City. He had developed a case of pneumonia from playing golf in Chicago on New Year’s Day.
At the time of his death, Marshall Field employed 12,000 people in Chicago. He was the wealthiest man in the city, one of the wealthiest in the country, and the richest merchant in the world. What was the secret of his success? Field left the following advice: 1) Never give a note,  2) Never buy stock on margin,  3) Don’t speculate,   4) Don’t borrow,  5) Don’t mortgage your business,  6) Always pay cash,  7) Sell on shorter time than your competitors,  8)Sell the same quality for less,  and 9) Hold your customers accountable for their obligations.

Field left a philanthropic legacy to the city of Chicago, as well. He helped found what would become the Art Institute of Chicago. He established the Field Museum of Natural
History. He also donated the original tract of land to the University of Chicago, a portion
of which is known today as Marshall Field. John Shedd was appointed to serve as the company’s president after Field’s death. Shedd completed Field’s plans for a 12-story expansion of the State Street store, which would later become a National Landmark. With its grand reopening in 1907, the store briefly gained the glorious title of “the world’s largest department store.”

To learn about other members of the Jekyll Island Club, visit the Jekyll Island Museum
on Stable Road, (912) 635-4036. Exhibits are open to the public free of charge and tours
of the historic district depart daily.

Tags: jekyll island club era, jekyll island georgia, jekyll island history tours, jekyll island museum, marshall fields
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Passport to the Century

Travel into the past. Hear the remarkable story
of the Jekyll Island Club in the American Gilded
Era, and enter two restored cottages filled with
rich tales and elegant furnishings.
January 2 – May 26, 2008
• 11 am, 1 pm & 3 pm daily
May 27 – September 1, 2008
• 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm & 3 pm daily
September 2 – December 5, 2008
• 11 am, 1 pm & 3 pm daily
$16 Adults • $7 Children 6-12
Free under 6 • approx 90 min

Reclaiming Past Glories

Tour the last Jekyll Island Club Cottage to be
preserved. Hear about the family that resided
in this vacation retreat and discover the steps
required to preserve the structure. Don’t miss
this rare sneak peak inside a cottage that is
only open to the public in honor of Historic
Preservation Month!
May 3-31, 2008 • Sat only • 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm
$10 Adults • $5 Children 6-12 • Free under 6 •
approx 60 min

Reclaiming Past Glories

May 2-31
Celebrate Historic Preservation Month with a special
behind the scenes tour of Hollybourne Cottage!

In Service of Others

June 17 – August 7
Explore the hidden world of the hired help at this
upscale turn of the century resort.

Hands on History

July 2 – July 30
Embark on a guided learning adventure for
family fun! Wednesdays only, 9:30 am and 11:00am.

For more information, visit our website at
www.jekyllisland.com.
To make reservations
contact the Jekyll Island
Museum at 912-635-4036
Tours operate daily except Christmas Day & New Year’s Day.
Tour availability & pricing subject to change.

Tags: Jekyll Island April Beachscape, jekyll island history, jekyll island museum, Jekyll Island tours
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