Last Day of Caching in the Brunswick Area and on Jekyll Island 1/28/2008

We headed out early this morning to head for Jekyll Island and the last few caches we didn't get on a rainy Saturday. We had to go out to the North end of the island for our first cache which was located at GA's first Brewery on land owned by the William Horton family who was an aide to General Oglethorpe. The brewery supplied ale to the troops and settlers at Fort Frederica on St Simons Island. All that is left are the "tabby" ruins which is the building material used for walls, floors and roofs that was widely used throughout coastal GA. during the Military and Plantation Eras. It was composed of equal parts of sand, lime, oyster shell and water mixed into a mortar and poured into a form. The lime used in the tabby was made by burning oyster shell taken from Indian Shell Mounds, the trash piles of the Indians. The word tabby is African in origin, with an Arabic background, and means "a wall made of earth or masonary".
Then it was on down the road to The Horton House which was constructed around 1740 and represents on the the most significant tabby ruins remaining on the GA coast. Horton was one of General Oglethorpe's top aides and was in charge of troops garrisoned at Fort Frederica on nearby St Simons Island. Horton farmed the island, producing crops to aid with supplying the troops in the fort. Horton had a wife Rebecca and 2 children. The tabby home featured chimneys on either end, two rooms on the first floor, and two bedrooms on the second floor. There was also a lovely balcony off the back of the house. Also located on this site across the street is the burial grounds of Poulain du Bignon who bought the house and land after Horton's death in 1748. Bignon was an officer in the French Army in India and later served for years fighting against the domination of Great Britain. Later he commanded a vessel of was sailing under the flag of France. He died in 1814 and was buried near the house along with several of his relatives.
Then on to 2 cache located overlooking the marsh off the bike path, which by the way goes all around the island, then a a cache off another trail leading to an outdoor amphitheater which is used for three plays performed by professional actors and students from Valdosta State Univ. and rotate through the season which begins in late May through July. The last cache was located down close to the historic district along the water in a circle of 8 oak trees.
Then it was on back to the RV to do logs and the blog and we went to Steak & Sundae to eat dinner. We leave for tomorrow for Albany, GA. We love you all.


Picture List: 1-4 Horton House, 5-7 Poulain du Bignon Burial Grounds, 8-10 Georgia's First Brewery