Jekyll Island Timeline

2500 B.C. - Native Americans first begin using Jekyll Island as a seasonal retreat.

Mid-1500's - French and Spanish explorers arrive on Jekyll Island and find it already occupied by Native Americans, first by the Timucua and later by the Guale.

1735 - Major William Horton receives a grant of 500 acres from the trustees of the State of Georgia on the island, named by the trustees in honor of Sir Joseph Jekyll, a supporter of General James Oglethorpe's efforts to establish the colony of Georgia.

1792 - Jekyll Island is purchased by the Sapelo Company, which included four French landowners, among them Christophe Poulain DuBignon. DuBignon eventually purchases the island from the other investors.

1879-1885 - John Eugene DuBignon and Newton Finney form the Jekyll Island Club as a hunting club for wealthy northerners. The island is sold to fifty-three individuals willing to become members of the club; among them are Marshall Field, Henry Hyde, J. P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, and William K. Vanderbilt.

1910 - Meeting of the First Name Club which led to the creation of the Federal Reserve System.

1915 - AT&T president Theodore Vail places the first transcontinental telephone call from the island.

1947 - Melvin Thompson becomes governor of Georgia and acquires the entirety of Jekyll Island for $675,000 through a condemnation act. Creates Jekyll Island State Park, a place to be enjoyed by all Georgians.

1948-1949 - Jekyll Island operates within the state park system.

1950 - Jekyll Island Authority established and given the authority to manage the island on behalf of the state for a term of 99 years.

1971 - Enacted legislation states that amount of land open to development cannot exceed 35 percent of the island.

1976 - Jekyll Island Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1978 - Jekyll Island Historic District is upgraded to Historic Landmark status.

1996 - Jekyll Island Authority adopts a master plan that defines the boundaries of the protected land and land available for future development.

2000 - Visitation to the island begins to decline. Over the next six years, visitation falls by more than 13 percent.

March 20, 2007 - House Bill 214 is passed, extending the Jekyll Island Authority's management for an additional forty years until 2089. The statute "provide(d) for a renewal of the property lease to the authority; to extend the existence of the authority consistent with such lease renewal; to provide for legislative oversight of the authority; to provide for legislative intent; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes."

April 21, 2007 - In amendment to House Bill 214, the Georgia Legislature votes to further limit development to the south end of Jekyll Island.

May 30, 2007 - Governor Sonny Perdue signs HB 214 into law.

June 1, 2007 - Jekyll Island Authority issues RFP #244 (http://www.jekyllislandauthority.org/rfp244.htm) seeking a developer to become the Authority's long-term partner in the future revitalization of this unique,4,226-acre barrier island, known as "Georgia's Jewel".

September 24, 2007 - Jekyll Island Authority names Linger Longer Development as the partner for the revitalization of Jekyll Island.

September 2007-April 2008 - Linger Longer and the Jekyll Island Authority gathered public input on the proposed plan and refined the plan to respond to input.

* Historical information compiled from the New Georgia Encyclopedia.