It is that time of year to report on the accomplishments
of your historical society in Darien and McIntosh County and to remind you.. if
you have not already done so, to renew your membership. Let me begin by saying
that it has been my distinct pleasure to serve as the president of the society
for the last three years and I feel very good in leaving the leadership to Dinah
Jackson who will provide continued excellent stewardship. I want to thank the
Board of Directors and all committee leaders for their spirit of volunteerism
that makes the society work. Over the last year our membership has continued to
grow and achieve LAHS goals of providing contributions to the local community as
well as preserving the historical heritage of the area.
Habitat for Humanity For the second year in a row,
a group of society volunteers gave their time and energy to this very worthy
community improvement program by painting and installing siding on the latest
habitat house in McIntosh County.
Scholarship LAHS has awarded its second $ 1,000
scholarship to a graduating senior from our local high school.
Library The society has made a $2,000 contribution
to the Ida Hilton Public Library to purchase a state of the art microfilm viewer
and printer This will aid the entire community doing research at the library.
Historical Markers The society installed two
(that’s 4 markers within 3 years) markers this past year. A marker identifying
the historical significance of Sapelo Island was installed at the visitors
center at Meridian. The second marker was installed behind the Darien Welcome
Center and describes the history of the Port of Darien over the last 2 centuries
Publications Two publications were released by LAHS
over the last year. With the assistance of the Darien News, They Called Their
Town Darien, originally written by Bessie Lewis, was reissued with a new
introductory biography of Miss Bessie by Buddy Sullivan. The second publication
was the research material for the above-mentioned historical marker: Cotton
Port on the Altamaha. Both of these publications are currently available in
local bookstores and directly from the society.
Georgia Heritage Days For the first time, LAHS was
a co-sponsor and provided support for this significant statewide celebration of
Georgia history. In the morning, more than 1,000 local school children witnessed
a re-enactment of James Oglethorpe’s February 22nd, 1736, visit to the Scottish
Highlanders at Fort King George. in the evening, Fort King George was the site
of an Evening Dinner with General Oglethorpe. More than 90 local residents
joined the officers and leadership of the Georgia Historical Society from
Savannah for a candlelight dinner featuring authentic Scottish cuisine served up
in the recently constructed enlisted and officers’ barracks at the fort.
In addition to working on the society’s stated goals of
historic preservation and community involvement, we continued with our regular
schedule of ten monthly meetings with presentations of historical significance
followed by a fellowship hour. We also had two social programs: a summer picnic
at Fort King George where LAHS had exclusive use of the facility to tour the
many enhancements made each year and a Christmas holiday party at Belvedere
Island Plantation where everyone enjoyed the local delicacies - shrimp and
Moriarty eggnog. Our field trips were of particular note. After an exclusive
dinner at one of the best eateries in Savannah, we went on a Halloween Ghost
Tour of Laurel trove Cemetery where we were entertained and enlightened by
several re-enactors. Our spring field trip, a weekend in Charleston, is
scheduled for early June and will include a visit to the Hunley submarine, Fort
Sumter, and a guided walking tour of the historic district. Saturday night
dinner and Sunday brunch Will also be served
Once again, I want to thank ever one who has made the
above possible and want to encourage you to renew your membership and invite a
friend or relative to join as well so they can keep up with our historical
heritage through this regular newsletter.
Thank
you
Ed Meyer