Land and Legacies Tour: Day 16

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Land and Legacies Tour

Description: The National Park Service on Cumberland Island gives a tour of the northern part of the island as well as Plum Orchard. At the north end of the island is the First African Baptist Church and the Settlement. The Settlement is where the newly freed slaves and the generations after them lived while working for the Carnegie family until 1972. Plum Orchard is one of the Carnegie mansions on Cumberland Island. Lucy Carnegie built Plum Orchard as a wedding present for her son, George Lauder Carnegie. The tour also takes the passengers through the wilderness area on Cumberland Island. While on the tour, our tour guide gave us bits and pieces of information about every spot we visited. The tour really gave the group a perfect outlook on what life on Cumberland Island was like not only for the Carnegie’s on the island but the newly freed slaves and their descendants.

Reflection: While listening to our tour guide tell us facts that I can no longer remember, I thought to myself ‘Why didn't the newly freed slaves leave the island?’ Well, I discovered that Cumberland Island was all that the former slaves knew. They had never been anywhere but Cumberland Island and they only knew a certain skill or two focusing mainly on agriculture. When I realized this, I began to appreciate the opportunities I have been given in life to explore and try new things. The former slaves on Cumberland Island only knew Cumberland Island, nothing else. Me on the other hand, I have opportunities to my left and right every second of the day. Now, I can either choose to take advantage of those opportunities, which I usually do, or just let them pass me by. I realized that people should take every opportunity he or she is presented with if given the chance, myself included.

Analysis: The Land and Legacies Tour is crucial to Cumberland Island because the tour allows visitors to see and learn about the people and culture of the island from roughly 1865 to 1920. The passengers of the tour get to see how the former slaves lived and made a living on the island. The passengers also get to see how the Carnegie’s used and built Cumberland Island to their liking. The tour also gives visitors of Cumberland Island a perfect view of the wilderness area. While on the tour, passengers see and learn about the people, their culture, and the environment of Cumberland Island. Without the tour, visitors may not have the chance to experience the north end of the island, which is vital to explaining the role of the black community on Cumberland Island. Overall, the tour is a perfect way to display Cumberland Island’s environment, people, and the culture those people developed on the island.

Kayaking the Altamaha River: Day 13

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Kayaking the Altamaha River

Description: On the group’s eighth full day on St. Simons Island, we drove to Darien, Georgia to kayak sixteen miles on the Altamaha River. Kayaking sixteen miles on the Altamaha in six hours in one day was a greater distance than the group’s first kayaking trip on Little Tybee Island where we kayaked fourteen miles in three days. Kayaking the Altamaha River was a calm and peaceful trip excluding the last half mile or so. For the first fifteen and a half miles, the group flowed with the river and the outgoing tide but for the last half mile, the group faced a strong headwind. The headwind forced the group to use their strength and kayak the final stretch. We saw many different stretches of the river. We saw the tight and narrow swampy area, the wide large open area, and a narrow, man-made channel called Rifles Cut. Rifles Cut got that name because of how straight the channel is.

Reflection: What I learned while kayaking on the Altamaha River was that my first kayaking experience during the May semester prepared for my second kayaking experience. While the Altamaha kayaking trip was a greater distance in a shorter amount of time, the trip was easier because I had great practice days before when kayaking in the Atlantic Ocean. Kayaking uses a person’s arms, upper and lower back, and abdominal muscles to paddle and get the kayak to move. While kayaking, one needs a lot of endurance, stamina, and strength and I discovered that I had more of all three after kayaking the Altamaha River. Just before we departed, I felt like I was not going to be able to stick with the group and push myself all the way through, but I did and I am extremely proud of myself for doing so.

Analysis: While kayaking the Altamaha River, the group got to see many of the features the river provides for the locals and natives surrounding the Altamaha. The group saw how the Altamaha provides recreation, food, and water for its residents. Recreation was seen by all the boats on the river either fishing or just relaxing or kayaking like we were. Food was seen because the river is full of fish for the locals to catch and eat. Water was seen because the Altamaha River provides water for the locals to drink after it has been purified. The Altamaha River is key to its surrounding inhabitants because the river is a gateway to the Ocean as well as a place where businesses can thrive for the community. Overall, the Altamaha River is key for the locals and natives surrounding and depending on the resources and features it provides them.

Jekyll Island Club: Day 12

Jekyll Island Club Hotel
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Jekyll Island Club

Description: The Jekyll Island Club began in 1886 and ended in 1942.  The club was for exclusive and rich members only. If you had the money to afford a membership, you were one of the wealthiest people in America at the time. The club consisted of members like William Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller's brother, JP Morgan, and “The Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt. The club was used as a vacation home during the winter months for most of its members. The members could either have a cottage on the island or stay at the club hotel. When I say cottage, I don’t mean a two bedroom one bath house like people in the mountains. I mean a multi-million dollar home that has numerous rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and sometimes multiple kitchens. Also, each member had at least two hundred servants at his or her beck and call during anytime of the day.

Reflection: I found Millionaire’s Village to be a prideful and stupid way to spend one’s money. Being rich is not a sin but using your wealth to elevate yourself is a sin. I do not want to be remembered for how much money and earthly possessions I had or didn’t have in life, I want to be remembered as a man after God’s own heart just like King David. Now, I know those men and women earned their money and I will as well but being prideful with my money is no way I want to live my life. I do want to be wealthy and financially stable for the rest of my life one day but I want to achieve this goal in a humble manor. Humility is a lost art in American society today but humility is a great attribute to your character if you possess it and one day I hope I do possess humility.

Analysis: The Jekyll Island Club was key to helping America in numerous ways. The members supported presidential candidates financially and some candidates like President McKinley were elected. The members also supported both World Wars financially. Without the Jekyll Island Club members, which contained about 1/6 of the world’s money, support, President McKinley might never have been elected President of the United States and America might not exist today because we could have lost either world war without their support. However, with all the good that the club members did, the club ended in 1942. The reasons being is that many supported the war effort and couldn’t afford the club fees, the stock market crash hurt most if not all of the members and the Georgia governor in 1942 promised to make Jekyll Island a state park if he was elected. Well, that governor did just that and Jekyll Island Club was no more. Overall, Jekyll Island Club was and still is a perfect example of the division of wealth in America because only the rich could afford luxury while the poor were scavenging and struggling to find food to survive.

The Georgia DNR: Department of Natural Resources: Day 11

R/V Anna: the shrimp boat we went on.
Image provided by trawlerdriftaway.blogspot.com

The Georgia DNR: Department of Natural Resources

Description: The Georgia Department of Natural Resources protects and studies the ecology and resources of the Georgia Barrier Islands as well as the mainland. The group got to take a boat ride from the Brunswick, GA port out to the sea to do a testing drag. A drag is a technique fishermen or fisherwomen use to catch shrimp by disrupting the dirt on the bottom of the ocean and dragging a net to catch the shrimp that come out of the dirt due to the disruption. When the net came up, the group got to see multiple shrimp as well as fish, crabs, a squid, a shark, and a couple of stingrays. While throwing the fish back into the water, two bottlenose dolphins followed the boat as well as a humongous group of scavenging seagulls.

Reflection: Being the captain of a shrimp boat or any boat takes a lot of practice hours as well as a lot of knowledge about the parts of a boat and how the water and boat work together. If I was a captain of a shrimp boat, I would not be a captain for very long because I know very little about boats and very little about the water and where to fish. However, I do have a tremendous amount of respect for shrimp boat captains because they practice and study for years about boats, shrimp, fishing, the waters, and proper technique. Now, no boat would run smoothly without good deckhands. Deckhands do all the dirty work while the captain sits nice and pretty. The deckhands are the true sailors when it comes to fishing. They cast the nets, sort the catch, clean the boat, and do whatever other dirty work needs to be done to keep the boat running efficiently and effectively. I do know that I would much rather be a shrimp boat captain than a shrimp boat deckhand.

Analysis: The importance of the trip was the catch that the group got was a sample test that tested for the shrimp in the coastal waters. The DNR agent that got us the shrimp boat trip was Paul. Paul gave us a plethora of knowledge about the importance of shrimping to the coast of Georgia as well as the importance of the salt water marshes in Georgia. Paul informed the group what types of fish and other sea creatures we caught besides shrimp. People like Paul are essential to helping sustain and preserve the shrimping industry. The agency that Paul works for enforces laws, provides guidelines for fishers to follow, and keep shrimping a possible job opportunity for future generations. The DNR really does want to keep the coastal waters of Georgia a place where people can make a living by what they catch. Overall, the DNR is a terrific agency when it comes to sustain and preserving Georgia’s coast as well as the shrimping industry in Georgia.

Biking St. Simons Part 2: Day 10

Major William Page's Headstone

Major William Page's Grave site

Monument remembering Major Page's service

Another monument remembering Major Page's service

Biking St. Simons Part 2

Description: On the groups fifth full day on St. Simons Island, the group took their second biking tour of the island; however, this biking tour was of the northern part of the island. We saw sites such as Fort Frederica, Christ Church, and a park on the island that use to be the home of a Native American tribe hundreds of years ago. Now, the group had seen Fort Frederica and Christ Church before but the group only got to see the sites from the bus. This time, we got to tour and explore both Christ Church and Fort Frederica. What captivated my eye the most was a flag and tombstone in the cemetery at Christ Church. The grave I saw had an American Flag, revolutionary era flag, so I went over and explored the grave and discovered the man’s name is William Page. Page became a Major after the Revolutionary War.

Reflection: William Page entered the Revolutionary War in 1780 when he was only sixteen years old (oatland.org.) I am eighteen now and will be nineteen in July, but even being older than Page, I do not believe I would have had the courage to enter a war and definitely not at the age of sixteen. Page showed a lot of courage and bravery by stepping into the Continental Army and stepping up to the British. If the British would have won, Page could have been enslaved, imprisoned, or worse, killed. Page was rebelling against his government but luckily for him and many others, George Washington and the Continental Army defeated the British Redcoats and gained their freedom. I am so thankful for men like Major William Page because he sacrificed everything and he even went against his father, a British loyalist, to fight for a cause he believed in wholeheartedly.  I wish I could have had the courage that Major William Page had during the Revolutionary War.

Analysis: Major William Page is important to American history because he helped win our freedom from the British. Even though Major Page had a minor role during the war, fighting for a great cause, in his mind at least, was a big enough role for him. Not only did Major Page fight in the Revolutionary War, he also owned the Retreat Plantation on St. Simons Island. The plantation became one of the largest in Georgia exceeding 2,000 acres and having over 300 slaves. Major Page is one of the unsung heroes in early American history and I am glad that I have had the pleasure and ability to research him and his life. If men today had courage like Major Page did, this world would be a lot better place. Overall, we as Americans should thank Major William Page for what he sacrificed and did for this country and its people.

Works Cited

http://www.oatland.org/American_Revolution/Patriots_Project/Coastal_Georgia_Patriots.htm

R.J. Reynolds Mansion on Sapelo Island: Day 9

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R.J. Reynolds Mansion on Sapelo Island

Description: Sapelo Island is one of the many barrier islands on the coast of Georgia. However, Sapelo Island is different than every other island because of the Gullah-Geechee community present on the island at Hog Hammock and the island was owned by three rich figures in history. The island was first owned by Thomas Spalding, the man who started a plantation on the island and got the ancestors of the current Gullah-Geechee community on Sapelo. The second owner was Howard Coffin, who developed the rich and wealthy Sea Island. The last owner was R.J. Reynolds, the heir to the tobacco industry in Winston-Salem. There is a gorgeous mansion on the south end of the island built by Thomas Spalding. "Spalding built a palatial home to withstand hurricanes and the test of time" (Darien brochure.) The outside of the mansion is beautiful but unfortunately, we couldn't see the inside.

Reflection: Besides the gorgeous mansion, most of the houses on Sapelo Island belong to either low or lower middle class families. The population of Hog Hammock is only seventy people and seeing their tiny community was bittersweet to me. The reason being is because I love the laid back and relaxed feel of Hog Hammock but I also do not want to live a life where I am struggling everyday financially to provide for my family. Seeing Hog Hammock proved to myself that I do not want my family or myself to ever have to worry about money but I also want to live in a community that is relaxed and laid back such as Hog Hammock. And even though I do not want to live in a place like Hog Hammock, I respect the citizens because they are trying to preserve their heritage and history by living in the same place and living a simple lifestyle based off of religion just like previous generations before them. I do not want to be prideful and use my wealth that God has blessed me on material things such as the Mansion. Even if that Mansion is gorgeous, I do not want to be remembered for my materialistic things but my faith in God.

Analysis: The Mansion is important to the history of Sapelo Island because the Mansion was the centerpiece of the island after the plantations on the island went away. Throughout the islands history, three separate United States Presidents have visited the Mansion and they are: Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover, and Jimmy Carter. R.J. Reynolds used the Mansion as a vacation spot and he later decided to give Georgia University some land and buildings near the Mansion where students could live and study marine biology. The University of Georgia still uses those same buildings to allow undergraduate and graduate students to study marine biology. The Mansion is the focal point of the island outside Hog Hammock and without the Mansion, Sapelo Island may not be as much of a tourist destination as it is today. Overall, the Mansion is a gorgeous structure that has had famous people walk it is halls but the Mansion has also brought Sapelo Island tourist and money to help the island financially.

Military use of St. Simons Island during WWII: Day 8

The King and Prince Hotel and Resort
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Image provided by flygcairports.com 

     

                                                

Military use of St. Simons Island during WWII

Description: The airport is used for bush planes and private airplanes and could never be used for commercial planes used by United Airlines and such. The King and Prince Resort is a beautiful public hotel that any civilian can stay at if they want to pay the money. The King and Prince was built to rival the wealthy Sea Island that was just off of St. Simons. The King and Prince got its name because the two men that funded and owned the hotel were nicknamed the king and prince. Both facilities returned to recreational use after the war.

Reflection: I have biked past both the airport and the King and Prince Hotel and resort. The airport is on the south end of the island in between the east and west sides of the island. The King and Prince Hotel is also on the south side of the island but is on the beach on the east side of the island. One day, I would love to have a plane stationed at the airport on St. Simons Island as well as a house on the island; however, that day is all but a dream. I learned that even though you may own something privately, such as the King and Prince Hotel and resort, the government can use your facilities and property when needed during a time of war. The citizens of St. Simons Island are lucky that the government used these two facilities to protect them but I explain why a little further down.

Analysis: World War Two or WWII for short began in 1941 and ended in 1945. The United States did not get involved until after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 by the Japanese. Two main structures on St. Simons Island were used for the United States Military during WWII. The first structure was the airport on the island. The airport was used for small planes in the U.S. Air Force as a landing strip, a fueling station, and an air base. The second structure used during the war was the King and Prince Resort. The King and Prince Resort was a fairly new hotel (less than ten years old) used as a radar base for the United States military. As well as a radar base, the resort was used to house and feed soldiers stationed on St. Simons Island. The radar base and airport were used mainly to locate and destroy German submarines off the east coast of the United States. The usage of these two facilities worked because there was at least one documented sinking of a German submarine that Ms. Edith Smoak told our group during the bus tour she gave us. These two facilities protected the Georgia coastline effectively and efficiently. Overall, these two sites have both civilian and military history in their records.