The history of St. Simons Island is complex and fascinating. The flags of five nations have fluttered in it's salt breezes, marking a diverse heritage that is still evident today. The Spanish flag was first raised over Georgia by Hernando De Soto around 1540. These first settlers called the island San Simeon. From 1562 to 1564, the flag of France flew here as Jean Ribault sought to establish a haven for French Huguenots as he explored the Georgia coast and built fortifications. In 1565, Spanish troops expelled the French and ruled until the early 1700s. In 1736, General James Edward Oglethorpe of England, the founder and first Governor of Georgia, led 116 settlers to the island, just three years after founding Savannah. In defiance of Spain, he established a military outpost, the first for Georgia, at Fort Frederica on the north end of the island. The site is now a national monument and park. In 1742, a Spanish fleet hailing from Havana defeated the English in naval battle and came to occupy the fortifications on the south end of St. Simons. The Spanish, pressing north toward Frederica, were ambushed and defeated by an outnumbered force of British troops, fortified by the efforts of the ferocious Scottish Highlanders, at the Battle of Bloody Marsh on July 7, 1742. A monument on Demere Road marks the site of the battle, where the Spanish lost 100 men, compared with only one casualty for the British colonial troops - a Scottish Highlander who succumbed to a heart attack during the excitement of it all. This victory for Oglethorpe shaped the course of colonial American history as it proved to be the turning point in the Spanish invasion of Georgia. From 1776 to 1861, the American flag, with its thirteen stars symbolizing the thirteen original colonies, flew here. Then, in 1861, Georgia joined its southern sister states and seceded from the Union, flying the "Stars and Bars" of the Confederate States of America. The conclusion of the War Between the States in 1865 once again saw the American flag, now with thirty-six stars, flying over Brunswick and The Golden Isles.     Historic remnants of bygone eras, including 19th century antebellum plantations also dot the island. From 1760 until the outbreak of The War Between the States, cotton and rice plantations flourished in the area. Retreat Plantation, located on the current site of the Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island, was an antebellum plantation known for superior quality sea island cotton and extensive flower gardens. Anna Page King, who had inherited the land for the Retreat Plantation in 1826, planted the famous "Avenue of Oaks" that highlights the entrance to the golf club. Inside the golf club, the tabby ruins of the plantation's two and a half story hospital are still visible. The ruins of one of eight slave cabins on the plantation have been incorporated into the building that currently functions as a boutique, known as the Tabby House, next to the airport.     Christ Church, located on the north end of the island, traces its origins to 1776, and to the earliest days of St. Simons Island. However, the first religious services were held on the site of the church some forty years earlier. It was here that John and Charles Wesley, two brothers from England considered the fathers of Methodism in America, first preached to natives beneath the limbs of an enormous oak tree. The first church structure was built in 1820, but was partially destroyed by occupying Union troops during the War Between the States. In 1884, Anson Phelps Dodge, Jr., built the present structure in memory of his wife, Ellen, who died during their 'round-the-world honeymoon. The church was constructed of wood in the cruciform design with a trussed Gothic roof and steeple. Today, the beautiful church, with its magnificent stained glass windows and heavily wooded grounds that include a cemetery with graves of early settlers, is one of St. Simons' most treasured landmarks.     The St. Simons Island Lighthouse, almost 200-years old, is the oldest brick structure in the area and is still in operation. Maintained by the United States Coast Guard and visible up to eighteen miles out to sea, the lighthouse sits on the site of Fort St. Simons, a British stronghold captured by the Spanish in 1742 prior to their defeat at the Battle of Bloody marsh. The first lighthouse was built on the site in 1810, but was destroyed in 1861 as retreating Confederate troops sought to prevent its use by Union troops. The current lighthouse began operation in 1872. Its 104-foot lighthouse tower is open to visitors who dare to tackle its 129 steps to the top for a breathtaking view of the area. The lightkeeper's dwelling now houses the St. Simons Lighthouse Museum, operated by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society.     In exploring St. Simons Island, it is possible, when looking closely at the island's majestic live oaks, to find one actually looking back at you. There peering out from the trunk or from the stub of a long-vanished limb, you may see the unmistakable image of a weathered face. These are the tree-spirits of St. Simons - lovingly carved faces emerging from the tree. The images, created by skilled hands, immortalize the countless sailors who lost their lives at sea aboard the mighty sailing ships that were once made from St. Simons Island oak. Their sad, sorrowful expressions seem to reflect the grieving appearance of the tree itself with its drooping branches and moss. (Locations: Demere Road at Skylane Drive, Demere Road at the Island Arts Center, and in Redfern Village at the Wine and Cheese Cellar.)     In the early days, St. Simons Island was home to a thriving lumber industry, famed throughout the world. In fact, rock-hard oak timbers, cut from the island's north end, were used in 1794 to build the frigate U.S.S. Constitution, nicknamed "Old Ironsides." In 1874, timbers from the island were also cut for use in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. While many trees in this area are much older, the average life span of an oak is 300 years - 100 years of growth, 100 years of mature existence, and 100 years of decline.     A sight not to be missed in Brunswick is that of the Lover's Oak, a 900-year-old oak tree where, legend has it, Native American Braves would meet and fall in love with their maidens. Wherever you go on St. Simons Island, there is history to be explored and sights to behold literally at every turn. ssilife.com is a division of emsee designs, inc.      Copyright © 2004. All Rights Reserved.        Site designed, hosted, and maintained by emsee designs, inc.