complete. Just little bits and pieces are still being upgraded.’’ The first residents included, J.P. Morgan, William Rockefeller, Vincent Astor, Joseph Pulitzer, William Vanderbilt and Marshall Field, when the Jekyll Club opened in 1888. It was considered “the richest, most exclusive and most inaccessible club in the world.’’ The island could only be accessed by boat, but electricity was available on the island before it became available to the rest of the country. Residents could design and build their own homes, or cottages. The variety of tastes and architectural looks added to the island’s beauty and mystique. There were originally 12 cottages and three of those were addressed in the most recent renovation. The biggest, the Crane Cottage, built in 1917, had 20 guest rooms and 17 baths. In the renovation it is a favorite for wedding parties, family reunions and corporate retreats. The San Souci Cottage, built in 1896 by J.P. Morgan, became the first condominium in the country and the first transcontinental phone call was made from Jekyll in 1915. More importantly, The Federal Reserve System was conceived in a secret meeting, among Jekyll’s rich and powerful, in 1907. The Great Depression signaled the club’s downfall and World War II sped up the process. Afraid that German submarines would invade the local waters, members sold their cottages, bringing an end to Jekyll’s “Club Era.’’ In 1948, Jekyll was declared a Georgia State Park. Old buildings were used by visitors, but the flavor of the good old days was missing until recently, when 200 guest room at the Jekyll Island Club were upgraded. Ohio Golf Journal
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