Monthly Archives: September 2019
When a mining accident in Nova Scotia became a headline in the Brunswick News and the Atlanta Journal, nobody quite understood why this story was so well covered in the local media. It did not take long to find the missing link between Jekyll Island and Nova Scotia. Gov. Griffin visited Canada in early 1959 on official business. During his visit, 12 miners were trapped in a Nova Scotia mine for several hours before all of them were safely rescued……
Despite being a state park, Jekyll Island was not exempt from the prevailing politics of the 50s and 60s. The island was subject to segregation until 1964, just as the rest of Georgia and other Southern states. What set Georgia apart was the creation of the very first “negro subdivision” , better known as St. Andrews, in 1955. While the name and designation may sound offensive in today’s society, in the 50s it was commonly used language. The designation of…..
The new Authority had big plans in 1957 for Jekyll Island State Park, and needed a slogan or banner to attract visitors. But how? At the time, state parks were known to only open seasonally, but the Authority wanted to let people know the island was open for business all year long. When in 1959 the two towers were constructed at the entrance of the causeway, the original cast iron banner read: “Year-Round Family Resort”. That banner was never erected……
