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.

Tags: amos f eno, Beachscape, conservation, conservation ethic, cornelius bliss, forest bureau, forest preservation, forest protection, forest reserves, forest service birthday, Georgia, georgia beaches, georgia coast, gifford pinchot, jekyll island, jekyll island club, jekyll island club members, jekyll island club stables, jekyll island clubhouse annex, jekyll island executive committee 1800, jekyll island facts, jekyll island georgia, jekyll island history, jekyll island history exhibits, jekyll island museum, jekyll island national historic landmark district, jekyll island stable stall 2, president mckinley, timber preservation, tour jekyll island historic district, united states forest service
Posted in April 2009, Beachscape | No Comments »

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.

Tags: Beachscape, easter, easter at the beach, easter celebration, easter egg hunt, Easter Festival, georgia coast, georgia coast easter, golden isles easter, historic district, historic tram ride, jekyll, jekyll island, jekyll island authority, jekyll island beach, Jekyll Island Beachscape, jekyll island club national historic landmark, jekyll island easter egg stroll, Jekyll Island Events, jekyll island history, jekyll island museum
Posted in April 2009, Beachscape | No Comments »

The Jekyll Island Museum 2009 Tour Schedule

Tags: georgia beach vacation, georgia beaches, georgia coast, jekyll island georgia, jekyll island history, jekyll island museum, jekyll island tour schedule, jekyll island vacation
Posted in Beachscape, March 2009 | No Comments »

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
Posted in Beachscape, Festivalgoer, March 2009 | No Comments »

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?”

Tags: georgia coast history, georgia coast vacations, jekyll island, Jekyll Island Events, jekyll island history, jekyll island museum, Jekyll Island vacations
Posted in History comes Alive, Press Releases | No Comments »

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 | 1 Comment »

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
Posted in April 2008, Beachscape, History comes Alive | 2 Comments »

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
Posted in April 2008, Beachscape, History comes Alive | No Comments »

By John Hunter, Director of the Jekyll Island Museum

The question of Jekyll Island and its future is not new to the General Assembly or the citizens of Georgia. From the day it was purchased from the Jekyll Island Club in 1947, it has been a source of controversy. This place of beauty and history draws people. It creates memories and “firsts” that last generations. It is a place that is and should always be enjoyed by all. In 1950, the State of Georgia realized that for Jekyll Island to reach its full potential as a resort destination, it should be broken free from the State Parks system and direct control by the General Assembly, and be charged with a new course. This course would be codified and legislated, and would be a unique new partnership between state government and the private sector. Pre-dating the current buzz word “public/private partnership” by almost 50 years, this experiment would create the Jekyll Island State Park Authority - a state agency given the tools of the private sector to create and operate business, attract private investment, and develop a resort that provided beach access to all. A Master Plan for developing the island was completed in 1951. Using a combination of legislative appropriations, revenue bonds, and private investment a modern resort destination was created that featured golf courses, motels, residential areas, and recreational amenities while providing for care of the island’s rich natural and historic resources. This was done with the goals of maintaining 65% of the island in its natural state, make it as affordable and available as possible to all, and with the business model and mandated goal of being self-sufficient.

The bulk of development on Jekyll was completed by 1974. By the late 1970s, Jekyll had begun to suffer during a period of national economic stagnation. Downturns in tourism and the economy challenged Jekyll’s ability to remain self sufficient. As facilities aged and tourism trends shifted, and little changed on the island, a cycle of boom and bust was fostered between 1979 - 2007. When changes were planned, many were met with resistance - the Sea World type attraction in 1974, a new marina with condos in the early 1980s, the Great Dunes golf course expansion in 1994; and some were embraced - the rehabilitation of the Jekyll Island Club in 1985, continued improvement in the Historic District, the creation of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. All of these ideas were the result of trying to improve the economics of the island, knowing there are continued pressures on revenues when you are operating a resort designed and built in the 1950s but are tying to capture today’s travel markets and compete with other destinations. At all of these moments of debate, the general solution has been to fix what we have - to “update it” with fresh coat of paint, a new owner, or a renewed marketing push. At best, we would add a new attraction like Summer Waves and hope it would bring enough to the bottom line that we could improve another area. This “boom” of investment would go “bust” a few years later when people who returned to a “new” hotel found the same “old” hotel, and while they loved the island they would choose not to come back. That is not to say Jekyll Island does not have a loyal following, it does - for those who appreciate what it is and those who dream about what it could be. But many times that loyalty is based upon a visit long ago, or a memory created and shared and does not result in economic stability through frequent visitation or investment. Some of those loyalist stick it out because of that love, and keep their convention on the island for 40 years - until even they can’t justify the return to an island that just can’t meet their needs. The new visitors become harder to keep as well because while they are attracted to the island, their desire for modern accommodations and amenities drives them to other destinations. The end result of this cycle is long term stagnation. While revenues may grow, they can’t keep up with the aging facilities and their needs. You keep up to degree, but there is never enough funding for true investment that can make a lasting economic impact. Operationally, the island suffers because they get behind on technology, or new efficient methods, and business suffers because you can not compete.

So how is it solved? That is the $500 million dollar question. While money is not always the answer, in this case money is the question. Jekyll Island has a choice, create a new model for the island or continue on a well worn path. If you chose the new model who will fund it? In today’s world would the State of Georgia be able to invest $500 million in the long term sustainability of the Island? Where would the money come from? Cuts to education or transportation? A new tax from somewhere? The State of Georgia gave us that answer in 2007 - find the investment in the private sector. So today we move forward with revitalizing the island because it is what we must do. We must find new investment. We must compete. We must change. If we do not do these things, we will never see the what we all want for the Island - a thriving interactive historic district with well maintained buildings, picnic areas and public areas that are safe and free, be an eco-friendly sustainable destination, have the ability to add new amenities that meet the needs and interests of our visitors, or create educational programs and opportunities that highlight our nature and history. Worst of all, we might not be able to protect the island from future development when some decides that “enough is enough” with the question of Jekyll Island.

Tags: jekyll island, jekyll island development, jekyll island history, jekyll island museum, jekyll island revitalization
Posted in History comes Alive, Just the Facts | 2 Comments »

By Meghan Ross, Museum Staff

Sixty years ago, three hundred Georgians braved the elements to be among the first to visit Jekyll Island as a new state park. The weather was not ideal for opening day, which took place on March 6th, 1948. But cold and rain did not stop visitors from exploring the island that had long been the exclusive winter playground to America’s wealthiest families.
Several activities lured visitors in from each corner of the state. The Clubhouse pool was to be finished within the week and nine holes of golf ready within the month. There were also six scheduled boar hunts that took place that month to help control the boar population. Opening day events included bus rides to the state’s first public beach, a sumptuous opening day dinner in the Grand Dining Room as well as a dance for visitors to mix and mingle.
Beginning in 1954, the island’s history also became a main attraction. Tallu Fish, the island’s first curator, was instrumental in attracting visitors to Jekyll Island by opening up Indian Mound Cottage to the public as a museum.
She started the first guided tram tours through the historic district. She also helped to boost tourism by advertising the legend of the “Wishing Chair” to raise money for historic preservation. For just twenty-five cents, guests had the privilege of sitting in the infamous chair to make a wish in hopes that it would be granted. This “Wishing Chair” can still be seen on guided tours of the historic district inside Indian Mound Cottage today.
Jekyll Island’s amusement park, Peppermint Land, was open for business in the spring of 1956. This little amusement park, run by Harvey Smith, had its very own roller coaster, ferris wheel, carousel, and go-cart track. Unfortunately, due to financial issues, Smith had to close the doors to Peppermint Land in 1966.
In April of 1961, the Jekyll Island Authority opened the doors to its new Aquarama. This modern structure housed a meeting space large enough to accommodate two thousand people. It also included a 150-foot pool, dressing rooms, and an exhibition hall. The Aquarama was a big hit with tourism for Jekyll Island.
Nine holes of the original 1928 Great Dunes Golf Course were renovated and open for limited play in 1948. In 1955, the present Great Dunes golf course was completed and reopened to the public. In the early 1960s, Jekyll Island opened up its new 18-hole golf course named Oleander. In 1966, another 18-hole golf course named Pine Lakes opened, and in 1975 the 18 holes of the Indian Mound golf course were ready for play.
Over the sixty years that Jekyll Island has been a state park, we have seen many attractions come and go. Peppermint Land is no longer here, the Aquarama closed, and some activities have been shaped and molded over time.
To learn more about Jekyll Island’s earlier history, please visit the Jekyll Island Museum located on Stable Road. Exhibits are open to the public free of charge, and tours of the historic district depart daily. For more information, call (912) 635-4036.

Tags: jekyll island, jekyll island history, jekyll island museum, jekyll island state park, Jekyll Island tours
Posted in Beachscape, March 2008 | 2 Comments »