Image courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society
World War II brought Christos Vrionides, an authority on Byzantine music, to the J.A. Jones Shipyard in Brunswick to form an orchestra of musicians employed in jobs at the shipyard. This "Music in Industry" government program was to boost morale
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Image courtesy of Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Several alumni from the Golden Isles have achieved fame, especially in the field of sports. One remarkable Glynn Academy graduate from the 1930s is Fred Missildine. His international fame in the field of skeet and trap shooting was remarkable! Read more
Courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Though the cooling breezes and beaches of the Golden Isles had attracted regional visitors for decades, the building of the Atlantic Coastal Highway from Calais, Maine, to Miami, Florida, transformed local tourism. The Georgia section opened in 1927. Read more
Image courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society
This month we learn more about Alfred S. Eichberg, a leading Victorian era architect that was active in Brunswick. He designed Old City Hall, among other buildings downtown. Read more
Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Lt. William DeVoe Coney was the first person to successfully complete a solo transcontinental flight in under 24 hours. In February 1921, Coney made the 2,070-mile flight from San Diego to today’s Jacksonville Beach in 22h 27m, breaking records! Read more
Image courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society archives
An impressive monument erected in 1926 in downtown Brunswick recalls one of the most prosperous periods in city history and serves as a memorial to Columbia Downing, Jr. Downing’s company put Brunswick on the map at the turn of the 20th century. Read more
Image Courtesy of Coastal Georgia Historical Society
This month's entry of SSI Archives features a Christmas card from 1975 that makes a connection to James Edward Oglethorpe's church in Surrey, England. The founder of the colony of Georgia spent most of his life in England. Read more
Photo courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Many who lived in the South in the 1950s and 60s remember encountering Charles “Ches” McCartney, more commonly known as the “Goat Man.” McCartney became a folk legend as he travelled the country with a small herd of goats and all his belongings. Read more
Image Courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society
During World War II, many American artists contributed to the war effort by creating artwork for posters that would help galvanize public support for Federal programs, such as rationing and civilian defense. Read more
Image courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society
There’s a long legacy of shipbuilding in Brunswick. The Brunswick Marine Construction Corporation was a local shipbuilding and repair facility that supplied ships for both World Wars, operating through the mid-twentieth century. Read more
Photo courtesy of the Beaches Museum in Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Historians sometimes hear about treasure troves long forgotten which, once discovered, reveal information about the past. The Coastal Georgia Historical Society recently found a hidden treasure in another museum’s collection. Read more
Image courtesy of Tyler Bagwell.
If you want to travel the streets of downtown Brunswick quickly these days, you’ll most likely hop in a car and drive to your destination. But there was a time, before cars, when you would hop onto a streetcar instead. Read more
Photo courtesy of Coastal Georgia Historical Society
The first Sunshine Festival on St. Simons Island was held in 1955, and was sponsored by the St. Simons Jaycees as a fundraising event. Unlike recent years, the Festival took place in June rather than over the 4th of July holiday. Read more
Image courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society.
While the lighthouse tower is the shining star of what used to be the St. Simons Island Light Station, there is a small building on the property that, though easily missed, served an important purpose in keeping its light shining: the Oil House. Read more
Photo courtesy of the City of Brunswick/Emil Kratt Family/J.A. Jones Construction Co.
When the Allies desperately needed cargo ships, women did their part to supply them by working at shipyards across the country, including at the J.A. Jones Shipyard in Brunswick. Nanelle, Carobeth, and Lauree Surrency were just three of those women. Read more
Courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society
In celebration of Women’s History Month, a watercolor donated to the Coastal Georgia Historical Society recalls a woman’s contribution to the arts when, at the turn of the 20th century, women were making significant progress in art as a profession. Read more
Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Learn more about Academy-Award nominated actress and singer Ethel Waters and her visit to St. Simons Island in the 1970s. How a Billy Graham connection led to a friendship and autobiography. Read more
