The Most Controversial State Park - by C Brenden Martin (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Most Controversial State Park offers a unique study of Jekyll Island State Park from the 1940s to the present. Relying on more than sixty oral histories, governors' records, and a variety of archival materials, C. Brenden Martin illuminates the compelling stories of how Jekyll evolved from one of the most prestigious private clubs in the world to a state park that was originally intended to be a beach park 'for the plain people of Georgia.' The richly illustrated study illuminates numerous issues the state-owned island has faced during its seventy-five-year history, including the political upheaval of the Three Governors Controversy, the State's acquisition of the island, the use of convict labor on the island for nearly fifteen years, governors' attempts to sell the island, the political corruption concerning leases and lots on the island, the separate-but-unequal access for African Americans in the late Jim Crow era, and the push for Black equality in the 1960s. Beyond the 1960s, numerous activists and organizations have fought to conserve the natural beauty of the island, along with two generations of historic preservationists who have advocated the saving of Jekyll's Historic District"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

The Most Controversial State Park offers a unique study of Jekyll Island State Park from the 1940s to the present. Relying on more than sixty oral histories, governors' records, and a variety of archival materials, C. Brenden Martin illuminates the compelling stories of how Jekyll evolved from one of the most prestigious private clubs in the world to a state park that was originally intended to be a beach park "for the plain people of Georgia." The richly illustrated study illuminates numerous issues the state-owned island has faced during its seventy-five-year history, including the political upheaval of the Three Governors Controversy, the State's acquisition of the island, the use of convict labor on the island for nearly fifteen years, governors' attempts to sell the island, the political corruption concerning leases and lots on the island, the separate-but-unequal access for African Americans in the late Jim Crow era, and the push for Black equality in the 1960s. Beyond the 1960s, numerous activists and organizations have fought to conserve the natural beauty of the island, along with two generations of historic preservationists who have advocated the saving of Jekyll's Historic District.

Review Quotes

Brenden Martin's revelations throughout the Jekyll story from 1945 to the present will no doubt raise some eyebrows, but that's the beauty of this book...There is much here that has not been told before, and Brendan's research and use of primary sources from state documents, private papers, memoirs, and newspaper accounts combine to thoroughly support his findings.--Buddy Sullivan "author of Sapelo: People and Place on a Georgia Sea Island and former manager of the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve"

About the Author

C. BRENDEN MARTIN is professor of history at Middle Tennessee State University. He is the author of Tourism in the Mountain South: A Double-Edged Sword and coauthor, with June Hall McCash, of The Jekyll Island Club Hotel. Prior to coming to MTSU, he served as historian and curator at the Museum of the New South in Charlotte, North Carolina. When he is not at Jekyll Island, he lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with his wife, Leah.