Georgia Natural Wonder #29 - Queens/Blackbeard/Harris Neck - McIntosh Co. (3). 1,452

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Georgia Natural Wonder #29 The Islands of McIntosh County (Part 3) - Queens & Blackbeard Islands - Harris Neck

Here we are part three of our visit to McIntosh County. To be fair we may have to break out separate Georgia Natural Wonders for some of these places explored today. I did not count yesterday's post as a separate wonder because it was more a history tangent. Today's post will count as a separate wonder because we cover so many islands plus Harris Neck and Shellman Bluff. Before we leave Darien we must mention that in the spring  every year, thousands of visitors flock to the "Blessing of the Fleet", a festival to honor the fishermen of the shrimping industry that dominates Darien's economy.



Queens Island

This is as close as you can get to camping on the beach! Queens Island is wonderfully situated between Sapleo Island and the undeveloped Wolf Island – facing the ocean.



A private shell / sand island – Queens Island has championship beachcombing and breathtaking views.


Looking out to Sapelo Lighthouse. Giant natural shell mounds.



Creighton Island is a privately owned, barrier island in McIntosh County, Georgia. The island received its name from Alexander Creighton, a businessman from Savannah, Georgia, who owned the island in 1778. In 1756, Daniel Demetre had acquired the island that was then known as John Smith's Island. During the 1770s, William DeBrahm, a Surveyor General to King George III, noted the existence of entrenchments and ruins on the Island that could not be explained. The mysteries have lingered to this day.



The island in its earliest days of Colonial America was used for timbering and farming such as cotton, sugar cane and corn. In the 1800s Thomas Spaulding worked with William Cooke, who owned the island around 1838. They built Tabby buildings on the northern part of the island, which remains to this day. There were timber-loading facilities for large ships at what was known as "Sapelo port" on the north-end from 1880–98, there was even a post office and telegraph lines that connected the island to Darien.



When a hurricane hit in 1898 most of the facilities were destroyed, but were rebuilt by 1910, but at this time the timber boom era in McIntosh County came to an end. The current owners bought the island in 1947. Today visitors can reserve a visit to hike, hunt, or go fishing. There is even a small grass airstrip located on the southern part of the island for aircraft to land.



It is roughly 2 ½ miles long and a mile wide. Over time, wind, waves, tides, and storms have helped form the roughly 1,100 acres of high ground on Creighton. The Island’s long, diverse history combines with great natural beauty to represent a unique microcosm of Georgia’s coast. Groups of 8 to 12 can reserve a week on the island from October thru April.



Bow hunters, plain air artists, naturalists, or other groups interested in hiking and studying the intercoastal marshlands are welcome. Day trips for artists can be arranged as well.





Hird Island is a private island located in McIntosh County, Georgia. It was used historically used for the harvesting of lumber during the lumber boom of Georgia in the 1800s. Today it hosts private houses along with a grass airstrip on the north end.


Homes for sale Hird Island.



While maybe not an island, it still warrants a mention as Shellman Bluff is a peaceful, picturesque fish camp village that retains the distinctive charm that once was common on the Georgia coast but has become harder to find. This is the real thing. Quaint, screened fishing cottages sit back among oaks festooned with Spanish moss. All the dirt roads of the quiet village seem to lead inevitably to the high bluff that overlooks the Broro and Julienton rivers. Winding along the edge of the high bluff is another sandy road that offers one of the best coastal views in Georgia. In the morning, the sun rises from behind Harris Neck, lighting the green marsh and dappling the tidal rivers.



Birds roost in distant hammock islands, oblivious to the friendly conversation of anglers preparing to head out for another day of sport-fishing. Speed's Kitchen, a local restaurant, describes the area for out-of-towners on its menu: "SHELLMAN BLUFF. Not a place for Fast lane folks. Ain't got no red lights. No 4-lanes. We move slow here. Try it—good for your health."



Shellman Bluff and Sutherland Bluff, located on Broro Neck, were the locations of several large plantations. Shellman Bluff was the location of Shellman Plantation, operated by William Cooke until his death in 1861. South of Shellman Bluff is Sutherland Bluff, the scene of Revolutionary War shipbuilding activity and the antebellum Brailsford Plantation.



Today, it is Sutherland Bluff Plantation, a community of homes that overlook the river and Sapelo Hammock Golf Club.



Today, Shellman and Sutherland Bluff have several excellent low-country seafood restaurants and is a great place to charter a boat for fishing, a nature outing, or a trip to Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge.


Sapelo Hammock Golf Club.

Blackbeard Island is a true barrier island, separated from neighboring Sapelo Island by Blackbeard Creek and an expanse of salt marsh. Geologically, the island is made up of a series of parallel dunes, each of which was once the Atlantic shoreline of a younger island. The 5,618-acre refuge includes a 3,000-acre National Wilderness composed of salt marsh and pine forest on the south end of the island. The north end of Blackbeard is thickly vegetated with palmettos beneath a canopy of live oaks and other hardwoods.


North point.

Two freshwater impoundments on the north end concentrate ducks in the winter months and wading birds, including the federally endangered wood stork, in the summer. These ponds are populated year-round by great numbers of American alligators. The 5,600 acres of woodlands, lakes, and marsh on Blackbeard Island also remain as an unspoiled natural haven, and Blackbeard is one of the seven coastal refuges administered by the U.S. Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service.



Yellow fever epidemics were prevalent along the coast from New York to St. Augustine during the late 1700’s until 1900, when Walter C. Reed confirmed that the disease was transmitted by a certain mosquito species. Application of mosquito control measures dramatically reduced the spread of the disease. Prior to the time, the fever was feared by coastal residents. Savannah experienced major epidemics in 1820, 1854, and 1876. It was in this climate of looming epidemics that the quarantine station was activated. From 1880 to 1912, the U.S. Marine Hospital Service used the island as a quarantine station for yellow fever victims and for disinfecting incoming sea vessels with sulphur gas. The quarantine station had jurisdiction from St. Augustine to Savannah. All incoming ships had to first stop at Blackbeard before continuing on to their destinations.



The facility included a hospital and general offices placed on the southern end of the island because of the absence of standing water. Dockage and storage facilities were on the north end, some eight miles from the hospital. A steam-powered boat, the Gypsy, cruising at 10 mph, provided the communication link between the north and south-end stations. Ships suspected of harboring the disease were anchored off the north end of the island while passengers and crew disembarked. The ill were transported to the hospital, and the healthy were quartered separately and examined daily for symptoms. Sulfur gas was used to disinfect the quarantine station crew and the ships after all the cargo was removed. Fumigation extended to the entire vessel and its furnishings. The only structure remaining from the quarantine facility is a crematorium located at the former north station site. Despite extensive research, historians have failed to determine if the crematorium was ever used.

       

Other colorful notes relating to the history of Blackbeard deal with the island’s namesake, Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard the Pirate. Legends tell of his murderous and plunderous activities along the coast and his periodic retreats to the island for “banking” purposes. Rumors of Blackbeard’s buried treasure still flourish, however, not a single doubloon has ever been discovered as evidence of the pirate’s presence. The last serious hunt for the Blackbeard trove was launched in the 1880’s by a party equipped with a map pinpointing the treasure at a burial site on the north end of the island (unfortunately, much of this area was lost to erosion). The hunters were unsuccessful despite the use of maps and a divining rod, and no future attempts-authorized-have been made to find Blackbeard’s treasure. Refuge visitors are reminded that artifact hunting is a federal violation.



The island’s history as a refuge began in 1924 when Blackbeard was placed under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Biological Survey (forerunner to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) to be maintained as a preserve and breeding ground for native wildlife and migratory birds. In 1941, by Presidential Proclamation, Blackbeard Island was designated a National Wildlife Refuge.



The Blackbeard bow hunt is the oldest annually managed archery hunt of any within the refuge system. The first hunt was held in 1947, when 15 hunters failed to remove a single deer. The hunts are vital for management of the island’s deer herd and wildlife habitat.



Viewing Information: Blackbeard Island is open to the public daily during daylight hours. Most visitation occurs along the island's 7 miles of beach. The beach is always alluring, having a wide variety of beach and marine wildlife throughout the year.



During winter months, bald eagles and peregrine falcons are often seen from the beach. In the summer, flocks of black skimmers, terns, and brown pelicans congregate along the beach front. A network of roads and trails throughout the interior of the island provides hikers with scenic paths ideal for nature study. Warblers and other songbirds abound in the woodlands. The colorful painted bunting is a regularly-seen summer resident.



Directions: Blackbeard Island NWR is accessible only by boat. Arrangements for trips to the refuge can be made in the town of Shellman's Bluff. From Savannah, travel south on US Hwy. 17 for apx. 51 miles to Shellman's Bluff on the Julienton River. A public boat ramp on Harris Neck NWR (Barbour River Landing) may also be used as a launching site for trips to the island.



Rock Island

Rock Island is another marsh island and is nearby to Doboy Island and Commodore Island. LOL that’s all we could find on the Internet.

Tolomato Island

Another private marsh island and community.





Located along the banks of Crum Creek, William Carnochan’s sugar mill was an important component of his nearby rum distillery.



Like the distillery, the ruins of the sugar mill have survived for over 200 years and are evidence of some of Georgia’s first industrial efforts. Residents of Tolomato Island have worked hard to expose and stabilize these ruins.



Though vegetation has grown inside the ruins, the durability of tabby as a building material is evident in this and the following images. These structures were built when President John Adams was in office.





Commodore Island



Both these photos come up on Commodore or Doboy searches.



Doboy Island

Doboy Island, one of McIntosh County's barrier islands, was a Crown Grant to Jonathan Bryan in 1759. During the timber era the Island was a main ship loading facility with a ship chandlery, dwellings and a steam sawmill.

Buzzard Roost Island


Not much web info these islands.

Barbour Island

Have you ever dreamed of getting away from the noise and stresses of everyday living? Then escaping to a private barrier island off the coast of Georgia may be your answer! This vacation get-away is not your average vacation rental. It is an unparalleled island paradise! Located off the Atlantic Coast on the Barbour Island River, the island is approximately half way between historic Savannah, Georgia, and the islands of St. Simons and Jeykll, -offering fantastic day trips for site-seeing. This 3500-acre private island has only 10 to 12 homes nestled in a maritime forest of large oaks and palms. There are only a couple of full-time residents on the island, as the others are private retreats, making this the ultimate escape….you may not see a soul unless you choose.



For the writer, artist, naturalist, or fisherman, this is the perfect retreat. This is a “no vehicle” island with only dirt roads and trails meandering throughout the forests, tidal creeks, and ponds. An electric golf cart and bicycles are provided with the house, so you may ride or if you prefer, walk the island for wildlife viewing and birdwatching and absorb the serenity of this beautiful island. While there is no beach…there is a large community swimming pool with a large open air covered cabana and bathrooms. A deep water dock can be used to secure your boat if you choose, and it is an ideal place to fish, crab, or clean your “catch of the day,” with water, electricity, lights, and a fish cleaning station on the dock. Ample seating is provided if you wish to languish away your time as you enjoy the breezes, sunsets, or watch as dolphins frolic up and down the river.



Wahoo Island is a tidal island located on the South Newport River in McIntosh County, Georgia.

The area of the island had been known as the Wawhooo Islands by the local Native population. In 1760 John Barber petitioned General Oglethorpe, who was governor of the colony of Georgia, to grant hammocks on the south side of the South Newport River, in what is now McIntosh County. He was requesting confirmation of his rights to the land. He had already settled there years earlier.



In August 2010 the United States Coast Guard rescued two men on the island. The two men were aboard a 20-foot air boat and were stranded on Wahoo Island after their boat became disabled. Search and rescue coordinators at Coast Guard Sector Charleston were notified of the overdue boaters at approximately 9 p.m., by a friend of the two men. A Coast Guard Air Station Savannah MH-65 rescue helicopter crew observed a flickering light in the marsh of Wahoo Island. Upon over flight, the crew observed two men waving their arms near the overturned boat. The flickering light was determined to be a camp fire.



Oh great google Look at this!



The Georgia Coast Saltwater Paddle Trail was published by the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia in 2010. The Paddle Trail is designed to start in St. Mary’s GA, and be paddled north to Tybee Island, following rivers through the salt marshes of Georgia. It stays out of the Intracoastal Waterway as much as possible, and as a result the main trail winds through salt marsh for nearly 200 miles. There are alternate routes that can add or subtract miles to the trip and it can easily be broken into shorter, stand-alone segments. Here is the blog about the paddle through McIntosh County.

Christmas Tree Island to Darien (14 miles)

On our way (14 mi) from Christmas Tree Island to Darien, which is the second oldest city in Georgia and located only 1 mile from I-95, we paddled along the Altamaha River and saw our first alligators, including a really large one that made us move a little away from shore to give them room to jump in as we passed.



In Darien we met Dan who owns Altamaha Outfitter and got a shower, an indoor sleeping spot and a delicious dinner at Skippers Fish Camp. Dan was very informative, giving us locations of possible camping spots and knowledge of the rivers in the area from his 15 years of running a guide service. It’s amazing what good hospitality, a shower and a wonderful dinner can do for you even though this definitely took energy and time away from paddling. Fuck, did I miss an island? Christmas Tree?


Camp at Christmas Tree Island.

Darien to Creighton Island (18 miles)

The major failing of this trail is the lack of campsites. Looking back at what was published, we were able to spend only one night at a campsite on the published Paddle Trail (Little Wahoo Island). There are 10 identified camping sites for the 200 mile trail, but several of them are miles from the main trail, making them less appealing and practical; others were spaced so that we would have had really short or really long days. We relied on local knowledge from outfitters and fishermen to tell us where there was high ground. You literally can paddle for 10-15 miles and find nowhere dry to step out of your boat. If you arrive at a site at low tide, you have mud and oyster shells as your welcome mat.



Developing more camping opportunities through agreements with private landowners or building platforms as is frequently done on other paddling trails would greatly enhance this trail. Throughout this trip we were dependent on the good will of private marina and land owners. A few times we were told we could not stop and camp. In the end, Dawn and I were fortunate to run into the right people at the right time who helped us out.



Day five from Darien gave us the opportunity to stop after 9 miles or to continue another 9 miles to Creighton Island. Conditions that day were the best we had during the trip, so we happily paddled another 18 mile day and put ourselves ahead of schedule.



Creighton Island to Little Wahoo Island (14 miles)

When we had time to sit and think about it, it really was an amazing environment we were in. On the surface it seemed very barren, with endless salt marsh that started to look the same. However, we saw incredible oyster beds and shrimp boats and enjoyed both the oysters and wild GA shrimp from these waters at Skipper’s restaurant in Darien; on the way to Little Wahoo Island we had a large pod of dolphins playing and feeding very near our boats; other days we saw wood storks, gulls, pelicans, fiddler crabs, raccoons and evidence of wild pigs and cattle in a few high spots.


Skippers Fish Camp.

Salt marsh plays a huge role in the aquatic food web, delivering nutrients to coastal waters. It’s one of the most biologically diverse habitats on earth – you just have to remember and recognize where the life is and what it is – mostly macroinvertebrates and other organisms that humans don’t see, providing the base of the food to support the marine world.



I found this one last spot to mention for this great county. During World War II, P-39 and P-40 fighter planes were common in the skies over Harris Neck when the refuge served as an U.S. Army Air Force base. Today, the airfield is a small but important national wildlife refuge where hawks, egrets, herons, and ducks cruise above abandoned runways.



Despite its modest size, the refuge's diversity of habitat and network of roads providing easy access make it popular with birders, and the refuge is a stop on the Colonial Coast Birding Trail. The freshwater pools, open fields, mixed hardwoods, and salt marsh support many species of wildlife. Besides the birdlife, a variety of flowering plants are found on the refuge. Prickly pear are abundant and can be seen blooming in the fields during May and June.



Daniel Demetre acquired land on the north end of Dickinson’s Neck, later known as Harris Neck, and established Bethany Plantation. Ann Harris, widow of William Harris, married Demetre in 1752. William Thomas Harris, stepson of Demetre, inherited Bethany Plantation in 1759. Livestock production and lumbering were the primary agricultural activities. The refuge is the northern end or "head" on top of the long, narrow isthmus that was named for Harris Plantation. Sea Island cotton cultivation began in the 1780s. The Thomas family acquired much of the land owned by the Demetre-Harris family, and established the Peru Plantation. This site produced sizeable Sea Island cotton crops. The Civil War ended the plantation era on Harris Neck. After the Civil War, much of Harris Neck was sold in small plots to former slaves, who practiced subsistence farming and raised cattle and chickens.



Pierre Lorillard, Lily Livingston, and Eleanor Van Brunt Clapp purchased tracts of land from the Thomas family. The most famous was Lorillard, whose family founded the oldest operating tobacco company in the U.S. He first spied the area from the deck of his yacht and decided to build a winter retreat here.



In 1890 on Harris Neck near the South Newport River, he constructed a large mansion, formal gardens, and a deep-water dock. It also included outdoor fountains and pools. He did not use the estate much because he died within a decade of building the home, which later became federal, then county, property.


Surviving Fountain from Lorillard Estate.

A Civil Aeronautics Authority Landing Field was built near Gould’s Landing to serve the Jacksonville-Richmond Airway as an emergency strip. Captain Augustus Oemler established an oyster cannery on the Barbour River in 1926. L.P. Maggioni & Company, a well-known oyster cannery throughout the southeast, acquired it after Oemler’s death in 1928.



After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the government moved to prepare for World War II in earnest. By July 6, 1942, the Federal authorities condemned 1,200 acres, most of it owned by black farmers, and built Harris Neck Air Base, which consisted of 11 prefabricated buildings and several concrete runways. The army installation was used as an integral part of submarine air reconnaissance. Planes watched for German U-boats that patrolled Georgia's shoreline during World War II. Fighter-bomber training operations were also conducted at Harris Neck. Abandoned in 1944, the air base became property of McIntosh County. Controversy erupted when the airfield and nearby Lorillard estate were looted and stripped of anything of value while under the management of county authorities. Two county commissioners were charged with stealing, but a local judge dropped charges. The Federal government then took action, reclaiming the property and making it a national wildlife refuge in 1962.


Aircraft hangers.

More than 15 miles of paved roads cross the old airfield, which make the refuge easily accessible to families, photographers, and the physically handicapped. Visitors will enjoy their experience more if they bring binoculars, a bird book, and bug spray. Most popular is the 4-mile wildlife drive, which meanders through the refuge. Near the GA 131 entrance are two fishing piers that are popular with crabbers and shrimpers and an adjacent ramp provides access for boaters into the nearby tidal rivers. Another public boat ramp is found at the southeastern end of the refuge at Barbour River Landing, which is used by boaters and fishermen.



In the summer, freshwater ponds and flooded woodlands south of the airfield support large rookeries of tricolored, green-backed, and little blue herons; anhingas; white ibis; and wood storks. In spring and summer, many ducks use the ponds, including common moorhens, purple gallinules, and wood ducks. Large concentrations of ducks such as teal, mallards, and gadwalls gather in the freshwater pools and marshlands in the winter.



During spring and fall migrations, the woodlands attract many songbird species. Warblers, vireos, sparrows, and thrushes flit from branch to branch in the live and water oaks and pines as they sing their signature songs. Pileated woodpeckers make use of hardwoods for food and shelter. Year-round residents are deer, feral hogs, raccoons, rabbits, opossums, armadillos, snakes, and fox squirrels. Lucky visitors may see flocks of wild turkeys feasting on acorns or dusting themselves on the refuge's sandy fields. The open fields are hunting grounds for a variety of raptors, including red shouldered hawks, northern harriers, and American kestrels. Occasionally, the birder is treated to a southern bald eagle or peregrine falcon. Stalking fish in the tidal marsh are wading birds such as great blue herons and egrets.



A checklist of bird species identified at the refuge is available by contacting the Savannah Coastal Refuges office.



The wildlife drive winds around the property, going past Bluebill and Woody ponds south of the runways. Then the route turns north before turning east right down the middle of a runway, traveling past Snipe, Goose, Teal, and Greenhead ponds. After passing Greenhead Pond, a spur on the left goes north to the South Newport River. Heading right, or south, the visitor passes Wigeon Pond and approaches Barbour River Landing and historic Gould's Cemetery, used by the Gould family, who were coastal settlers, and later black families from Harris Neck.



Hunting: Managed hunts for deer and feral hogs are offered each year. Those wishing to hunt in the refuge must apply for a permit for the particular period when a hunt is scheduled. Bow hunting for deer and hogs is permitted during a period in in September and gun hunting for deer is permitted in a period in November. Contact the Savannah Coastal Refuges office for regulations and an application form.



Pretty sure I missed several Islands. I will come back to St. Simons, Little St. Simons, and Sea Island later in football season as I get geared to the Cocktail party. You locals shoot me a reply if I missed any islands and if you have more information about any of the islands of McIntosh County. Tomorrow we return to the mountains one of my favorite hikes of the Cohutta Wilderness. On return to the sea Thursday we move north of the South Newport River. Miss Blessing of the Fleet Queen is our GNW of the day.