Tybee Island

Tybee Island, Georgia: Nestled between the historic city of Savannah and the Atlantic Ocean is the quiet seaside town of Tybee Island. It is here where residents and tourist flock to the coast to enjoy a day at the beach.

The history of the island can be traced back to it’s earliest inhabitants, the Euchee tribe. They hunted and fished on the island and the rest of coastal Georgia prior to European settlement in 1520.

The Spanish were the first to settle on Tybee Island and settled it as part of the Guale missionary of Spanish Florida. They and the Euchee tribe lived in harmony on the island until English invasion.

Under Spanish rule, the island became a save haven for pirates. As the English settled in South Carolina, they aligned themselves with the pirates and together they invaded Tybee Island and Spanish Florida. After two separate invasions, the Spanish retreated to St Augustine, leaving Tybee Island under English rule and allowing them to settle the Georgia colony.

The British under the leadership of General James Oglethrope began to develop the island into what we know today. He directed the construction of the lighthouse and a fort to protect the mouth of the river. 

Tybee Island’s location at the mouth of the Savannah River proved it a vital key in military history. It was a vital link in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and later the Civil War. During the Revolutionary War, it was the starting ground for the Battle of Savannah, one of the bloodiest battles in the war. During the War of 1812, it served as a lookout to warn Savannah of a attack from the sea. Then the island was seized by Union troops during the Civil War and provided an encampment for troops as they laid fire on nearby confederate Fort Pulaski. It military heritage would continue as Fort Screven was built to provide a coastal defense system through World War II.

After the threat of war went away, Tybee Island transformed from a military outpost to a vacation mecca. Vacationers would arrive on the island via steamship or railroad until the island was connected to the mainland via highway. The resulting boast in tourism would eventually lead Cecil Day to open the first Days Inn hotel on the island.

Today the 2.6 square mile island is home to almost 3,000 residents. That number swells during the summers as vacationer flock to the island oasis. Visitors enjoy the Atlantic Ocean and its beaches as well as numerous historical attractions such as Fort Pulaski, Tybee Island Lighthouse, the Tybee Island Museum and the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. It is also a popular spot for fishing and boating.

So whether you are heading to the beach for the weekend or just getting away for the day, a short drive east from Savannah opens a whole new world of exploration.

Click on the photo above to view my Tybee Island photo gallery.

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