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Jekyll Island enjoys 10 miles of public beaches along the east side of the island .
A Most Unusual Park
Jekyll Island State Park
words & photography by David & Kay Scott
According to the National Association of State Park Directors , the United States is home to 9,817 state parks . Many are primarily recreational areas while others were established for preservation efforts or to offer visitors a history lesson . In latefall we devoted three days to exploring a most unusual state park that tells the story of a unique era in American history featuring some of the country ’ s best-known captains of industry who made the island a world of their own .
Jekyll Island , one of 15 Georgia barrier islands that protect the state ’ s 110 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline , enjoys a rich history . Native Americans hunted and fished here for centuries prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 1500 ’ s . Georgia was claimed for Great Britain in 1733 by General Oglethorpe who named this barrier island for his financial and political supporter , Sir Joseph Jekyll . The island cycled through several owners prior to being purchased in 1792 by a family that raised cotton here for nearly a century . In 1886 they sold the island for $ 125,000 to a group of wealthy northerners for use as a hunting club . The exclusive Jekyll Island Club ’ s membership included William Rockefeller ( co-founder of Standard Oil ), J . P . Morgan , William K . Vanderbilt , Marshall Field and Joseph Pulitzer , along with other high-flying businessmen and eventually some women . The club officially opened upon completion of the clubhouse in January of 1888 . During the club ’ s years of operation 18 members constructed elegant homes referred to as “ cottages .”
50 January 2024 | Thomasville Scene