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Page 2A, The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, June 14,2023
Pedal Through 400 Years of History
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by Gail Drake
In April 1942, German
submarines were sighted
off the coast of Georgia.
President Roosevelt
dispatched U.S. military
officers to the island’s
winter residents to alert
them. The residents
packed up and left their
luxury cottages that
night, their closets still
full of expensive clothes.
Why were German
U-boats drawn to this
Georgia beach? Because
one-sixth of America’s
wealth was living on
that island at that sea
son. For nearly 60 years,
Jekyll Island hosted a
private club of Amer
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ica’s richest families,
including JP Morgan,
William Rockefeller, and
William Vanderbilt.
Jekyll Island’s rich his
tory began long before
the millionaires took up
residence. For 400 years,
this little Georgia island
was home to at least
four different cultures
and language groups.
The earliest residents
were Guale and Moca-
ma, Native Americans
who became part of the
Spanish mission system.
In the 17th century they
were run off the island
by French pirates, who
spared Father Davilla
and kept him as a slave.
In 1663 England es
tablished land grants,
eventually pushed the
Spanish into Florida, and
in 1733 General Ogletho
rpe established Georgia,
naming the island after
his friend and financier,
Joseph Jekyll.
Every summer I drag
my brood on a bike hike
around Jekyll, travelling
through 400 years of
history. We cruise board
walks through acres of
tidal marshlands and
sidewalks covered with
moss-dripping oaks. If
only the trees could talk.
We bike past the ruins of
the tabby Horton House,
home of Major William
Horton, appointed by
Oglethorpe to protect
Fort Frederica on St.
Simons Island next door.
Horton established a
plantation that grew bar
ley, corn, beef and indi
go. The property passed
to the Du Bignons, aris
tocrats who escaped the
French Revolution—and
the guillotine, running a
plantation through five
generations of French
speakers. Their walled
tabby ceme
tery lies near
the Horton
House.
We pedal
to the fishing
pier, then de
tour to Drift
wood Beach
with its
wind-blown
twisted trees
and trunks.
Then miles of
sidewalks along private
homes, pristine beach,
dunes and palms. And
finally to the historic
district with its grand
hotel from the American
Gilded Age, registered
as a National Historic
Fandmark.
The “Jekyl Island
Club” was incorporated
in December 1885 by
founders John Du Big-
non and Newton Finney,
who quickly sold shares
for a secluded, elite,
winter hunting club - to
a limited membership of
100. It was labeled “the
richest, the most exclu
sive, the most inacces
sible club in the world.”
President William
McKinley was invited
as a guest - but not as a
member.
Chicago architect
Charles Alexander de
signed the 5-story club
house, a Queen Anne
style with the famed
Gail Drake
Delaney Garcia Inducted into The
Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
Visit www.lee.ga.us to apply today!
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Special to the Ledger
Delaney Garcia of
Albany, Georgia, was
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recently initiated into
The Honor Society
of Phi Kappa Phi, the
nation’s oldest and most
selective all-discipline
collegiate honor society.
Garcia was initiated at
Abraham Baldwin Agri
cultural College.
Garcia is among
approximately 25,000
students, faculty, profes
sional staff and alumni
to be initiated into Phi
Kappa Phi each year.
Membership is by invi
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nomination and approv
al by a chapter. Only
the top 10 percent of
seniors and 7.5 percent
of juniors are eligible for
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turret. The clubhouse
contains an elegant din
ing hall, where families
gathered daily to enjoy
sumptuous dinners
prepared by New York
chefs. Members also
enjoyed
boating,
biking,
swim
ming,
bowling,
tennis and
golf.
In 1896,
banker
and steel
magnate
JP Morgan
con
structed the first U.S.
condominium, “San
Souci” with six suites.
Over the years, 18
“cottages” were built by
the wealthiest patrons.
Several were construct
ed in the New England
shingles style, such as
Moss Cottage, built by
Philadelphia marble
works Williams Stroth
ers and later occupied
by the Macy family of
New York. Crane Cot
tage, an elaborate Italian
villa, boasted 26 bed
rooms and 17 modern
bathrooms, showcasing
Robert Crane’s explod
ing plumbing business.
The villa features a
sunken garden, foun
tains and piazza court
yard, today a popular
venue for weddings.
Some of the mansions
remain today and some
lie in ruins. Each has a
family tale to tell. The
sole Democrat in a club
of Republicans, Joseph
Pulitzer built his winter
cottage at the far end of
the 240-acre district. He
was the only member
of the press permitted
on the island. Howev
er, his wife hated the
gnats and refused to
return. Edwin Gould,
son of railroad financier
Jay Gould, built a villa
named “Chichota” with
an indoor swimming
pool. In 1917, Edwin Jr.
was tragically killed in
a hunting accident, and
the grieving Goulds
never returned. The
home was later demol
ished, leaving the empty
pool and two stone
lions to guard the home
entrance. Frank Good
year built his three-story
mansion - but died two
years later.
Two national events
occurred on this remote
location. In 1910, under
cloak of darkness, five
financiers traveled by
train under their first
names only to Jekyll,
formed a study group
to reorganize existing
U.S. banking laws, and
forged the foundation
for the Federal Reserve.
In 1915, the first trans
continental telephone
call connected Alexan
der Bell in New York,
Thomas Watson in San
Francisco, President
Woodrow Wilson in
Washington—and The
odore Vail, president of
AT&T, at Jekyll Island
Clubhouse.
Truly a Golden Isle,
Jekyll Island remains a
Georgia treasure to be
enjoyed by lovers of his
tory, nature and sports.
Bring your bikes—or
rent—and pedal your
way through history.
Gail Drake practices
probate, adoption, me
diation and children’s
law in Albany, GA.