Jekyll Island, just off the Georgia coast from Brunswick, is one of the state's Golden Isles. Its modern history dates back to 1733 when General James Oglethorpe established an English settlement, naming the island after his friend, Sir Joseph Jekyll. Originally, the island was primarily used for agriculture.
The du Bignon family, ousted by the French Revolution, arrived in America and purchased the island in 1792. Ownership remained in the family for almost 100 years.
In 1885, Jekyll Island Club was formed. The plantation days came to a close as the island was transformed into a resort for those elite of the Guilded Age. Soon after the Depression Era and during World War II the club suffered financially and the state purchased the land in 1947.
Today, 65 percent of the island remains in an undeveloped state. The remainder of the island features golf courses, biking paths, public beaches, a convention center and its landmark historic district, dating back to the late 1800s.
The Sidney Lanier Bridge, an architectural wonder, looms in the distance, with its two huge 486 foot support towers. This modernistic suspension bridge was completed in 2003.