An Uncrowded And Peaceful Island – St. George Island, Florida
St. George Island, Florida, is located about 75 miles from Tallahassee. You can get here by driving on the bridge and the causeway from U.S. 98. U.S. 98 is considered the scenic route to get there. This route runs along the panhandle coast. The island is only 29 miles long and at any point, the width is no greater than a mile. The island is well known for fishing, swimming and it has some of the most serene and uncrowded beaches for miles. The waters of the Gulf of Mexico surround it on the south and Apalachicola Bay surrounds it on the north. Apalachicola Bay is known for having a thriving oyster industry, along with commercial and sport fisheries.
Between the 10th and 15th centuries, the Creek Indians were the first inhabitants to settle on St. George Island. In the late 1700s, the European colonists came trying to get control of the island from the Creek Indians. The Creek Indians surrender a large piece of land that included St. George Island, to a trader, John Forbes in 1803. This area that was given to him was called “Forbes Grant”. During World War II, St. George Island was used for military training exercises.
Little St. George Island, which neighbors St. George Island to the west, is known for its history of lighthouses. In 1833, the first lighthouse was built on Cape St. George. Thirteen years later in 1846, the light, which was 65 feet tall, was destroyed due to numerous storms in the area. Two years after that, in 1848, another light was built and it was ten feet taller than the previous one. Three years later, in 1851, a hurricane destroyed and flattened the second one. The hurricane also got rid of two other lighthouses, the Cape San Bias and the Dog Island.
The next year, in 1852, a third lighthouse was built. This lasted the longest of all of them, 153 years. In October 2005, a mixture of hurricanes, wars and erosion caused this lighthouse to fall apart. Devastated about what happened, the St. George Lighthouse Association was formed in 2004. The group, along with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, was able to find the pieces of the destroyed light. They also refurbished over 20,000 of the original bricks to use in rebuilding the lighthouse. In 2007, the association received state funds in the form of a grant to use for the tower reconstruction. This project is scheduled to be completed in 2008. The county park was renamed St. George Lighthouse Park. This landmark will continue to be a part of St. George Island’s maritime history of the Florida Panhandle.
Since St. George Island is known as being environmentally friendly, the State of Florida purchased the bayside of the island and the entire Little St. George Island. In addition to that, you will not see a bunch of subdivisions or homes popping up everywhere. The beauty of the land is protected by low density zoning regulations. There are also building codes in place that have certain square footages you can use and there is a height restriction for building. No high rises are allowed to be built here. These rules and restrictions are put in place to preserve the island’s natural beauty and integrity.
St. George only has about 1,000 permanent residents and never has to concern itself about crowding. Even when the summer months are at their peak, you don’t find people jammed up together. There is something to do for everyone, whether it’s swimming, sunbathing, seashell hunting, bird watching, fishing, or just watching the sunrise and sunset. If you’re looking for tranquil vacation you can enjoy, St. George Island is the place to be.