Oatland Island Wildlife Center

Last updated
Entrance to Oatland Island Wildlife Center Outland Wildlife Center, Whitemarsh Island.jpg
Entrance to Oatland Island Wildlife Center

The Oatland Island Wildlife Center is a 100-acre wildlife preserve and environmental education complex located on Oatland Island in Chatham County, Georgia, near Savannah. [1] The island itself is one of the Sea Islands, which are barrier islands along the southeastern coast of the United States. Bounded by St. Augustine Creek to the north, the Wilmington River to the west, and Richardson Creek to the south, Oatland lies just north of Whitemarsh Island. [2] It is home to over 150 animals and some 40 species native to the Georgia coast. Originally part of a cotton plantation, the island once held a retirement center for railroad workers and a hospital and laboratory for the U.S. Public Health Service. It was later transferred to the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) for use as an educational resource and learning facility. The wildlife center remains under the control and management of SCCPSS.

Contents

History of the Island

Oatland Island was originally owned by Revolutionary War soldier and land speculator, John McQueen. Memorialized in Eugenia Price's book Don Juan McQueen, Oatland Island was the only property which was not reclaimed when McQueen fled to Florida to avoid debtors' prison. [3] John's wife, Anne Smith, [4] and their respective families continued to live on and visit the island, and cotton and sugar cane were both planted with varying degrees of success. John and Anne's daughter, Eliza Mackay, [5] received several letters from her husband Robert Mackay regarding the conditions of the crops on Oatland Island which are compiled in the book Letters of Robert MacKay to His Wife: Written from Ports in America and England, 1795–1816. [6]

Railway conductors home

A 1927 postcard depicting the Railway Conductors Home, Oatland Island, Savannah, Georgia Railway Conductors Home Postcard, Savannah, Ga.tif
A 1927 postcard depicting the Railway Conductors Home, Oatland Island, Savannah, Georgia

In March 1926, Oatland Island was selected by the Order of Railway Conductors to be the site for the construction of a new $1M retirement home for indigent [7] and "aged conductors and their wives" and widows of conductors. [8] That December, it was announced that in addition to the construction of the home, a bridge would be built to connect the island in a more efficient way to Savannah. [9] The contract was granted to the James Stewart Company, based in New York City, with construction to begin in March 1927. [10] Otis Elevator Company received the elevator contract. The finished brick building was two stories high, containing 62 bedrooms, 36 bathrooms, communal living and dining spaces, and a medical department with surgical capabilities. [11] The home opened in November 1927, with the first group of 25 conductors and their wives arriving in Savannah by train. [12]

With decreased utility because of the Social Security Act and railroad retirement acts, the home was permanently closed in 1940. [13]

Medical facilities

In October 1942, the Georgia State board was considering how to mitigate a national venereal disease epidemic. [14] February 1943, an application was approved by Mayor Thomas Gamble to convert the home to a federal venereal disease detention facility run by the U.S. Public Health Service. In June of the same year, Federal Judge A.B. Lovett formalized the possession transfer of the conductors' home and 100 acres to the government. [15] The building underwent construction to retrofit and increase the size to accommodate 200 patients, many of them prostitutes, [14] [16] from Georgia and the bordering states of Florida and South Carolina. [13] The Federal Works Agency approved Federal funding under the Lanham Act, allocated to curb the growing infection rate [17] with plans to treat over 2,000 patients in one year's time. [18]

Patients were continuously treated until 1944, when the facility began treating patients for syphilis and gonorrhea using penicillin, which had been used successfully as a treatment option the year prior by Dr. John Mahoney. [19] With the rapid adoption of penicillin as a treatment course, the U.S. Public Health Service no longer needed to maintain the hospital as a detention center.

Research laboratory

Control of the medical facilities was transferred to the Malaria Control in War Areas (MCWA) division, which converted the hospital into a laboratory for the purpose of studying malaria to promote safer U.S. military camp conditions overseas. [20] The island's low-elevation marshes and salt water provided ample grounds for vector control tests and there was an interest in developing methods of mosquito control through the usage of DDT as a pesticide. DDT showed promise as a mosquito-elimination product, and initial treatments were applied in 1944 to a small sampling of homes and dairies. By 1945, this treatment had expanded to include other properties across the Savannah area. [21]

Additionally, in 1945 the MCWA formally restructured and the following year became the Communicable Disease Center, later the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With this reorganization, the Savannah laboratory became a field office of the CDC known as the Technical Development Laboratories, and expanded to study "insect-borne and related diseases, including malaria, typhus, dengue and yellow fever". [22] By 1949, some mosquito and housefly populations were showing a resistance to DDT. [23] In 1955, chemists working at the lab developed dichlorvos, or DDVP, that was effective against DDT-resistant pests. [24] Dichlorvos became the active ingredient in Shell "no pest strips" and household flea collars. The CDC closed its Savannah field office in 1973, and the laboratory was relocated to the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, leaving the island unutilized. [25]

Oatland Island Education Center

A local teacher and administrator, Tony Cope, along with Savannah school board members lobbied for the surplus property to be turned into an environmental education center, winning the bid with an agreement that the government would maintain interest in the property cooperatively with the public school system for a period of 30 years to pilot the proposed education program. [26] In August 1974, Oatland Island Education Center opened to the public.

Several programs were launched, including an alternative education program for pupils assigned long term suspensions, and both students and the Youth Conservation Corps played integral roles in building out the animal habitats, trails, docks, and marine monitoring station on the island. [27] In 1975, Savannah Area Tech relocated its marine technology program to Oatland Island from Skidaway Island. [28] By 1977, the alternative education program had expanded to accommodate 30 pupils, additional animals were being housed there, and the island was seeing 30,000 visitors annually. [29] As interest in the island increased, Cope introduced a donation of canned dog food for admission. [30] [31]

Two 1800's homestead cabins were donated and reconstructed on the property, as Cope's vision included the recreation of a period correct Georgia heritage farm. [32]

Per the original agreement, the property was fully transferred to the control of Savannah Chatham County Public Schools in 2004 and in 2007, the property was formally renamed the Oatland Island Wildlife Center. [33] In 2023, a ceremony was held to name the main building, now an official visitor center, the Tony Cope Education and Visitor Center. [34]

The Oatland Island Wildlife Center has a two-mile trail loop [35] which takes 20,000 visitors [36] and an additional 20,000 field trip students annually by the animal exhibitions, heritage home site, maritime forest, and wetlands. An important environmental science component of the Savannah Chatham County Public Schools, students and visitors are exposed to local ecology and indigenous animals.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savannah, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Savannah is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. A strategic port city in the American Revolution and during the American Civil War, Savannah is today an industrial center and an important Atlantic seaport. It is Georgia's fifth most populous city, with a 2020 U.S. census population of 147,780. The Savannah metropolitan area, Georgia's third-largest, had a 2020 population of 404,798.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Aquarium</span> Public aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Georgia Aquarium is a public aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The aquarium exhibits hundreds of species and thousands of animals across its seven major galleries, all of which reside in more than 11 million US gallons (42,000 m3) of water. It was the largest aquarium in the world from its opening in 2005 until 2012 when it was surpassed by the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore and the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China; the Georgia Aquarium remains the largest aquarium in the United States and the fourth largest in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Busbee</span> American politician (1927-2004)

George Dekle Busbee Sr., was an American politician who served as the 77th governor of Georgia from 1975 to 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercer University</span> Private university in Macon, Georgia, US

Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 students in 12 colleges and schools. Mercer is a member of the Georgia Research Alliance. It is classified as a "R2: Doctoral Universities — High research activity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savannah Arts Academy</span> Magnet, public high school in Savannah, Georgia, United States

Savannah Arts Academy (SAA) is the first dedicated performing and visual arts school in Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools. Savannah Arts Academy was granted charter school status and the former Savannah High School building in July 1998, and opened in August of the same year with 397 students enrolled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Arthur Williams</span> American preservationist

James Arthur Williams was an American antiques dealer and a historic preservationist based in Savannah, Georgia. He played an active role in the preservation of the Savannah Historic District for over 35 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marietta High School (Georgia)</span> Public high school in Marietta, Georgia, United States

Marietta High School is a public high school in Marietta, Georgia, United States, part of the Marietta City School District as the only high school inside the city limits. The school's mascot is the Blue Devil.

The 1899 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia during the 1899 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The team competed as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) and completed the season with a disappointing 2–3–1 record. However, a season highlight was the third-straight victory over Georgia Tech. 1899 also saw the first meeting between the Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee. This was the team's first and only season under the guidance of head coach Gordon Saussy.

The 1906 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia during the 1906 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The Bulldogs completed the season with a 2–4–1 record. Georgia’'s only victories came against Mercer and Auburn. The season included Georgia's third straight loss to Georgia Tech and the seventh straight loss to Clemson. During the 1906 season, the forward pass was legalized and the team tried to use this new play, however, an errant pass contributed to the loss to Davidson. This was the Georgia Bulldogs' first season under the guidance of head coach George S. Whitney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools</span> School district in Georgia (U.S. state)

The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) is a public school district in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. SCCPSS is run by an elected Board of Public Education and operates most all of the public schools in Chatham County, including those in the city of Savannah. It is the sole public school district in the county. The current superintendent is S. Denise Watts, Ed.D.

In the United States, the National Malaria Eradication Program (NMEP) was launched in July 1947. By 1951 this federal program—with state and local participation—had reduced the incidence of malaria in the United States to the point that the program was officially ended.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary</span> Animal rescue centre

Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit American domestic, wildlife, and exotic animal rescue and rehabilitation center. It is located on 250 acres in Locust Grove, Georgia and houses over 1,500 animals. Many of the center's animals were rescued from unlicensed owners, donated by circuses and zoos, or surrendered by individuals who were either unable to provide the proper care or did not want them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islands High School</span> Public school in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, United States

Islands High School is a public high school located on Whitemarsh Island in unincorporated Chatham County, Georgia, United States, east of Savannah. The school is part of the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, and its basic attendance zone covers the urbanized Georgia barrier islands of Whitemarsh, Wilmington, Talahi, and Tybee. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Georgia Accrediting Commission. It is also home to the Savannah-Chatham school district's Scientific Research and Veterinary Science Specialty programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1906 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team</span> American college football season

The 1906 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology during the 1906 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. In the third season under coach John Heisman, Georgia Tech posted a 6–3–1 record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Georgia (U.S. state)</span> Legality, use and culture of cannabis in the U.S. state of Georgia

Cannabis in Georgia is illegal for recreational use, but decriminalized in the cities of Atlanta, Savannah, Macon, Athens, and others. Limited medical use is allowed in the form of cannabis oil containing less than 5% THC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emanuel K. Love</span>

Emanuel K. Love was a minister and leader in the Baptist church from Savannah, Georgia. He was pastor of one of the largest churches in the country and was a prominent activist for black civil rights and anti-lynching laws. He played an important role in establishing separate black Baptist national organizations and advocating for black leadership of Baptist institutions, especially schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jefferson Street (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Prominent street in Savannah, Georgia

Jefferson Street is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located between Montgomery Street to the west and Barnard Street to the east, it runs for about 2 miles (3.2 km) from West Bay Street in the north to West 42nd Street in the south. Its course was interrupted by around 0.14 miles (0.23 km) by the construction of the Savannah Civic Center in 1974. The street is named for Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States. Its northern section passes through the Savannah Historic District, a National Historic Landmark District.

Peter Roe Nugent was an American politician who served as mayor of Savannah, Georgia and as vice-chairman and pioneer member of the Georgia Ports Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massie School</span> Massie School and Heritage Education Center

The Massie School, also referred to as the Massie Common School, opened in 1856 as the first public school in Savannah, Georgia, in the first chartered public school system of the American South. Located on Savannah's Taylor Square at 201–213 East Gordon Street, the original schoolhouse began construction in 1855 with invested funds from Peter Massie, an immigrant from Scotland. Massie intended his investment to be used for the creation of a free school for Savannah's poor children. The Massie School remained in use as a public elementary school until its closing in 1974; two notable exceptions include its utilization by Union troops as a hospital during the American Civil War and then briefly as a Freedmen's school. Today, the Massie Heritage Center occupies the original schoolhouse and serves as a museum. However, the building remains the longest continuously operating public schoolhouse in the state of Georgia.

Jean Rawlings Sumner is an American internist and academic administrator specialized in rural health. She has served as the dean of the Mercer University School of Medicine since 2016. Sumner is a past president of the Georgia Board of Medicine.

References

  1. ↑ "Oatland Island". The Atlanta Constitution. 1979-07-22. p. 192. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  2. ↑ "The Columbus Ledger 27 Mar 1913, page 2". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  3. ↑ LANE, MARCIA. "Marker dedicated for Don Juan McQueen". St. Augustine Record. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  4. ↑ "Anne Smith McQueen (1756-1809) - Find a Grave..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  5. ↑ "Eliza Anne McQueen Mackay (1778-1862) - Find a..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  6. ↑ Mackay, Robert (1949). Letters of Robert MacKay to His Wife: Written from Ports in America and England, 1795-1816. University of Georgia Press. pp. 267–268. ISBN   978-0820335384.
  7. ↑ "The Atlanta Constitution 13 May 1928, page 9". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  8. ↑ "The Atlanta Constitution 05 Mar 1926, page 8". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  9. ↑ "The Valdosta Daily Times 31 Dec 1926, page 2". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  10. ↑ "James Stewart Company Gets Contract". News and Record. 1927-02-17. p. 12. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  11. ↑ Railway Conductors' Monthly. 1927.
  12. ↑ "The Macon News 03 Nov 1927, page 2". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  13. 1 2 "The Atlanta Constitution 22 Feb 1943, page 12". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  14. 1 2 "The Atlanta Journal 16 Jun 1943, page 7". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  15. ↑ "The Atlanta Journal 16 Jun 1943, page 7". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  16. ↑ "The Macon News 18 Jun 1943, page 4". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  17. ↑ Ness, Eliott (December 2003). "Federal Government's Program in Attacking the Problem of Prostitution" (PDF). Federal Probation. 67 (3): 10–12 – via US Courts.
  18. ↑ "Ledger-Enquirer 04 Aug 1943, page 3". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  19. ↑ "The Atlanta Journal 27 Aug 1944, page 60". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  20. ↑ "Scientists Pursue Fight On Georgia Mosquitoes". The Atlanta Journal. 1955-04-24. p. 77. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  21. ↑ Quarterman, Kenneth D. (November 1950). "The Status of fly resistance to insecticides in the Savannah area and its implications in the general problem of fly control". CDC Bulletin. IX (11): 3–7 – via CDC Stacks.
  22. ↑ "The Atlanta Journal 21 Jul 1946, page 7". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  23. ↑ "The Greensboro Record 15 Dec 1949, page 34". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  24. ↑ "Bristol Virginia-Tennessean 02 Feb 1955, page 2". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  25. ↑ "The Macon News 12 May 1973, page 5". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  26. ↑ "The History of Oatland Island". www.sccpss.com. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  27. ↑ "The Atlanta Constitution 26 Sep 1976, page 48". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  28. ↑ "Savannah Area Tech has moved its marine technology program from Skidaway Island to Oatland Island". Anderson Independent. 1975-09-28. p. 20. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  29. ↑ "Savannah Program Sends Students to Animals". Anderson Independent. 1977-01-10. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  30. ↑ "Article clipped from The Atlanta Constitution". The Atlanta Constitution. 1979-07-22. p. 194. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  31. ↑ "Admission: Dog Food". The Columbus Ledger. 1978-12-27. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  32. ↑ "Educational Animal Preserve Observes its 10th Anniversary". The Macon Telegraph. 1984-10-14. p. 15. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  33. ↑ "WWW Oatland Island Education & Visitor Center Dedicated in Honor of Tony Cope". www.sccpss.com. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  34. ↑ Staff, WTOC (2023-05-16). "Oatland Island Visitor Center named the Tony Cope Education and Visitor Center". www.wtoc.com. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  35. ↑ "Friends of Oatland Island Wildlife Center Savannah, GA". Friends of Oatland. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  36. ↑ Byron, Clark. "Oatland Island Wildlife Center draws families". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2024-03-08.

32°02′57″N81°01′28″W / 32.049159°N 81.0244997°W / 32.049159; -81.0244997

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.