Golden Isles History

This article first appeared in Discover Downtown Brunswick, a publication of The Brunswick News, published in Brunswick, Georgia.  Story and photo restorations by Josh Dukes A new year is upon us again and there’s a vibrant pulse of redevelopment coursing through the veins of Brunswick's historic downtown core along Newcastle and Gloucester Streets.  The city is practically crackling with energy these days, and I'm soaking in every electrifying moment. As a historian it's impossible not to acknowledge that this dance of business development has played out many times before—a thrilling symphony of highs and lows in a place we all know is perpetually full of promise. As we leaf through the chapters of history, there's one standout character who leaps off the pages—a visionary who poured his heart and soul into a fledgling Brunswick. Urbanus Dart. Portrait restored and colorzied by Josh Dukes Urbanus Dart, Sr. was one of Brunswick’s pioneer citizens from its earliest days ...

This story originally appeared in the December 2023 issue of Discover Downtown Brunswick, a publication of The Brunswick News and has been edited slightly. Article by Josh Dukes. The holiday season is finally here and lights are going up all over town.  Our current City Hall on Gloucester and Old City Hall on Newcastle both have beautiful lighting that was added in the last few years - we keep hoping this look will expand to the Ritz Theater and other city holdings in the coming years.  In Hanover Square, sparkling lights trace the brick plaza at the center where the multi-tiered fountain creates a serine oasis for parkgoers.  This public space once served a different purpose, housing Glynn County’s original courthouse.  Many of us know about Glynn County’s Historic Courthouse just north of Gloucester on Union Street, but the full history of Brunswick’s courthouses goes much further back than that single structure.  The journey to realize this building was a lon...

This story originally appeared in Discover Downtown Brunswick, a publication of The Brunswick News, in the September 2023 edition. In the first part of our local names series, we started at the beginning of European occupation in the Golden Isles and found some of the icons of history who gave their names to our local places. Grab last month’s copy of Discover Downtown Brunswick if you missed it!   This month, we’re tackling the streets of Old Town Brunwick.  The city plan was originally laid out by General James Edward Oglethorpe in 1771.  By 1789, Brunswick was recognized by President George Washington as one of the 5 original ports of entry for the American colonies. Let’s first journey from North to South through Old Town and touch on each of the named streets along the way. William Henry Duke of Gloucester by Sir William Beechey Gloucester Street was named for Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1743-1805).   The Duke was a brother of King ...

This story originally appeared in Discover Downtown Brunswick, a publication of The Brunswick News, in the August 2023 edition. King George II, circa 1750 by John Shackleton I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the names of places in the Golden Isles.   Part is just pure curiosity on my part, but as I learn more about some of the names we pass between each other for directions or location each day, the more I see the interconnections between them.   I give to you here part of what I think will be a multi-part series.   Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Fort Frederica – 1736. Named for King George II's eldest son, Fort Frederica (1736) takes its name from Prince Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne.  Frederick's wife Princess Augusta was also honored when General James Oglethorpe named the outpost of Augusta, Georgia for her.  Frederick died at 44 years old and never became king, but his son became King George III in 1760, the last kin...

This story originally appeared in Discover Downtown Brunswick, a publication of The Brunswick News, in the May 2023 edition.  Josh Dukes is the author of  Brunswick Past & Present , available now from Arcadia Publishing. Brunswick locals and visitors alike are familiar with The Lover’s Oak, our famously romantic Albany Street treasure. It’s the subject of legend and has been photographed countlessly over the decades.  Just a few blocks up the same street sits the Henry C. Day House, where Day’s brother-in-law Sidney Lanier frequently visited.  These visits gave rise to another legendary tree – one that you’ll miss if you blink while driving along US 17 today.  Read on for a reason to stop and visit the inspirational spot yourself. Sidney Lanier. Portrait colorized by Josh Dukes Sidney Lanier was not from Brunswick, but he fell in love with the place.   He married Mary Day in Macon, his hometown, in 1867.   Mary and her father Charles had fled the...

This article was originally posted in March 2023 and has since been expanded and re-edited. It was featured in the November 2023 issue of Discover Downtown Brunswick, a publication of The Brunswick News.  Josh Dukes is the author of Brunswick Past & Present , available now from Arcadia Publishing.  The Dunwody Building, early 1900s and now Photo from private collection I’m one of those “ghost stories are good all year” kind of people, so I’m always on the lookout for something haunted or creepy. One story I stumbled on early in my Brunswick days was the story of the notorious 1915 Dunwody Massacre.  One website I visited insisted that the Dunwody building at the NW intersection of Newcastle and Gloucester was haunted. Upon further digging, it turns out the current building at that location wasn’t even in place at the time of the 1915 tragedy.  This led me on a journey to find out more about Dunwody himself and the others involved that day and – finally – to track...

This story was first published in the March 2023 issue of Discover Downtown Brunswick, a publication of the Brunswick News printed in Brunswick, Georgia.  Written by Josh Dukes This weekend, Jason and I took our niece and nephew (and their parents and grandparents) to Disney World.   Yes, I’ve talked about Disney World in this column before. I probably will again.   Sorry!   One of the kids’ favorite rides of the day happened to be mine as well – Pirates of the Caribbean.   While there were plenty of historic pirates wreaking havoc along Georgia’s coast, there was one Old Pirate who wasn’t really the plundering type – though he did get up to a bit of local mischief. Captain F. D. M. Strachan Image provided by Jan Galloway Frank Duncan Macpherson Strachan (pronounced STRAWN) was born in Scotland in 1871. He arrived in Savannah in 1885 with his father, Frank G. Strachan.   Frank Sr. had established the Strachan Shipping Company in 1883.   As the turn o...