In December 1892, St. Simons Island shopkeeper Robert Colin Smith was in love. He had met the object of his affection, Kate Milikin, that summer, when she visited her family’s island cottage. Kate was an annual visitor, but Robert was a resident; he and his brother, Fleming, operated Fair’s General Store near the St. Simons Pier. When the summer ended, Kate’s family returned home to Wayne County, and Kate began work as a schoolteacher in Atkinson, a town around forty miles from the island and from Robert.
The letters that Robert wrote to Kate before their marriage in April 1893 showcase just how much he missed her. He addressed this December letter to “my dear sweet little Katrina.” While he enjoyed her letters, he wrote that he would “rather see [her, even] if it was only for five minutes” than receive a hundred-page message. These letters also reveal how deeply Robert loved St. Simons and the community around Ocean Pier. In his dispatches to Kate, he recalls walks along the beach, preparations for an island Christmas parade, and voyages on his sailboat (named, with obvious inspiration, Kate).
Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Travelers arriving at the St. Simons Island Pier in the early 1900s.
In his December letter, Robert recounted a visit to the Keeper’s Dwelling at the St. Simons Lighthouse, where he dined with the keepers, Mr. and Mrs. Peckham. The Peckhams also hosted another young guest, Barney Postell, whose presence at the table provided much entertainment. Striving to be polite, Barney put down his utensils and gave Mr. Peckham his full attention while the keeper told a story. Then, as Robert wrote it, “I would reach over and take his biscuit. Mrs. Peckham would offer him another. Mr. Peckham would tell another story, I would steal the biscuit, and Mrs. Peckham would give [Barney] another one.” Robert piled eight stolen biscuits onto Barney’s plate and teasingly asked if he liked biscuits. Barney, still not in on the joke, responded that he preferred cornbread.
Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Robert Colin Smith's December 5, 1892 letter
This month’s featured images from the Coastal Georgia Historical Society’s collections include the first page of Robert Colin Smith’s December 5, 1892 letter, addressed from Ocean Pier and that photo shows travelers arriving on the pier with the St. Simons Lighthouse and nearby cottages in the background, about a decade after the letter was written.
The Coastal Georgia Historical Society presents this article and images from our archives as part of our mission “to connect people to Coastal Georgia’s dynamic history.” The Society operates the iconic St. Simons Lighthouse Museum and the World War II Home Front Museum, housed in the Historic Coast Guard Station at East Beach. To learn more about the Society, its museums, diverse programs, and membership, please visit coastalgeorgiahistory.org.
