Behind every creation are visionaries who take a huge risk without the absolute certainty that their plan and idea will ultimately succeed. One only needs to browse through history books to recognize this fact. The creation of Jekyll Island State Park is certainly no exception to this rule. On the contrary, it is proof that visionaries can lay the foundation upon which an idea can sprout and grow; as if the visionaries trust the fertile ground within which their seed…..
How many times have we heard that infamous phrase? And how many times has history proven that this concept is simple, yet hard to achieve? In the case of Jekyll Island and its foray into the “year-round resort” market, it actually worked but only with the help of some “heavenly,” read “State” intervention. When the new Authority took control of the island’s day-to-day management in 1957, and all previous board members were replaced with State-elected officials*, B.E. Thrasher took the…..
The Drifters may have had a top single in 1964 with the same title, but I doubt their lyrics were based on the Jekyll Island boardwalk. It is hard to imagine that the island’s ocean side featured an actual boardwalk, stretching almost two miles long, but some do remember although remnants of it are barely visible. In 1957, the Authority approved the construction of a concrete boardwalk along the ocean side. The purpose was to create a unique family beach…..
Considering that the Causeway to Jekyll Island was finished by the end of 1950, one can only question why it took another 4 years to actually build and open the missing bridge. Was it really a “bridge too far” or was the delay caused by some other unforeseen circumstances? The reason for the seemingly long delay is actually multi-causal and cannot simply be contributed to one single factor. Let’s travel back to 1950, the year that the Jekyll Island Authority…..
For years Georgians had been reading about this very private and secluded winter retreat for the Millionaires, never thinking that one day all would be able to actually enjoy the same experience. And then March 1948 arrived. The steamboat “Robert E. Lee” patiently waited at the Brunswick docks for the first one hundred passengers to settle in and get comfortable for the 40-minute scenic cruise. From the deck, passengers could admire the natural beauty of the marshes, Colonel’s Island, and…..
Jekyll Island has a rich history as one of Georgia’s barrier islands. It is probably remembered best in connection with the founding of the 13th Colony in 1733 when Major Horton, second in command to Gen. Oglethorpe, settled on the island and supplied the troops of Fort Frederica (Saint Simons Island). Others may know the island’s more recent history from the Jekyll Island Club, founded by America’s wealthiest in 1886, who called the island their own private winter retreat until…..
Welcome to my blog page! This is the first blog of many to come, all focusing on different aspects of research, documenting, and writing. Yet all will focus on the content of my first historic non-fiction book “From Millionaires to Commoners-The History of Jekyll Island State Park” Let’s start by asking the question of why the book is divided into two separate and distinct parts. Is it because by doing so the readers get a clean break? Or is it…..
Welcome. My name is Nick Doms, author of From Millionaires to Commoners: The History of Jekyll Island State Park. I’m so happy to have you as a visitor to my blog about my new book. This project is very special to me, and I hope to share some of that excitement with you here. I’ll be using this blog to interact with you about From Millionaires to Commoners, expanding on some of the topics in it and blogging on…..