Cumberland Island: Strong Women, Wild Horses

by Charles Seabrook

In September 1996, Cumberland Island blasted onto the national news scene when it was revealed that John Kennedy, Jr., and Carolyn Bessette were married on the island in the First African Baptist Church―a simple one-room frame structure with eight handmade pews. When the flotilla of writers and photographers arrived on the island a few days later only to find themselves itching, sweating, and swatting at pestiferous gnats and bloodthirsty mosquitoes, they wondered why such a worldly and sophisticated couple had chosen such a tick-infested spot. In  Cumberland Island , Charles Seabrook uses his talent as an award-winning environmental writer to describe the island’s natural bounty and to tell its long and intriguing history. You’ll meet Catherine “Caty” Greene Miller, the widow of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene and the woman who inspired Eli Whitney to invent the cotton gin. There’s Miss Lucy Ferguson, considered by many to be the toughest and orneriest of all the strong women who inhabited the island, reigning over it during the 1960s and ’70s. The present-day generation is represented by Janet “GoGo” Ferguson, Miss Lucy’s granddaughter, who made the arrangements for the Kennedy and Bessette wedding and crafted their wedding rings as well. Today, the island serves as a lightning rod for controversy. Although the island is currently under the purview of the National Park Service, some descendants still reside on the island. The dispute over the sale of land by cash-strapped landowners to commercial developers creates as much heated debate as the discussion of how the Park Service should balance the management of a wilderness area with the privileges accorded the residents. Included in these two debates are the questions of whether the island’s signature wild-horse herd should be dispersed because of the environmental damage it wreaks and whether the historic mansions that still pepper the island be allowed to crumble to ruin for the sake of wilderness preservation. Charles Seabrook has been a long-time environmental writer for the  Atlanta Journal-Constitution . His popular weekly column called "Wild Georgia" was the victim of cutbacks. However, in 2008, the paper reinstituted the column due to reader demand. In 1981, Seabrook was one of the first reporters in the world to write about a mysterious and burgeoning disease that would soon be known as AIDS. In addition, he has written extensively on global warming, air and water pollution, and songbird decline. He has won awards from the National Wildlife Federation, the Southern Environmental Law Center, and various press organizations. His newspaper series about Georgia’s mining industry won the Investigative Reporters and Editors “Best Story of the Year” award in 1994. In 2001, the state of Georgia gave him the R. L. "Rock" Howard Award, its highest conservation award. He lives in Decatur, Georgia.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Southern, American History, Book Club

373 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Josh Liller · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I mentioned I would be visiting Cumberland Island, a colleague handed me a book he recommended I read on the subject.

The titular barrier island is located in southeast Georgia. Its history connects to American Revolution heroes and the grand Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Candler families. Most of all, it's renowned for its natural beauty, which lead to its designation as a National Seashore operated by the National Park Service. The author, a Atlanta journalist, weaves a tale of the wild (in multiple senses of the word) history of the island and the battle over its preservation.

Many of the characters are somewhere between frustrating and infuriating. Rabid environmentalists so determined to preserve the island that they fail to recognize the importance of letting others experience the island so as to understand and appreciate it why it should be preserved. A developer with a plan to responsibly develop the island who couldn't seem to fathom the idea that sometimes the most responsible development is none. The family of Thomas Carnegie who got fabulously wealthy in the Gilded Age then squandered most of it that wealth through idleness and alcoholism, and who can't seem to stop thinking of the island as their island.

Photos are scattered through the book, some a bit small. The author writes with the deft style you'd expect of an experienced journalist. He clearly researched the subject fairly well, including a lot of interviews and oral history. However, he also seems inclined to relate every good story with little to no skepticism. It doesn't help that more knowledgeable and/or serious readers will be vexed by not only the absence of citations but that the sources for the book are given in a mere 1.5-page bibliographic essay.

There are few other options for a complete history of the Cumberland Island, especially one written by someone without a dog in the fight. Cumberland Island: A History by Mary Bullard is a slightly more recent book of comparable length published by a university press instead of a small independent press (like this book), although the author is a Carnegie descendant. I have not read that book, but I suspect it is more factual while being less readable.

Recommended primarily for those who visit the island, but consider the aforementioned Bullard book as an alternative depending on your reading tastes. Falls into the category of "interesting people doing interesting things in interesting places" that should have broad appeal.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly fascinating! Cumberland Island is just a few miles from my home, and while I was vaguely aware of it I had no idea of its rich, colorful history. It is such an eclectic combination of wilderness and its settlers and inhabitants -- the descendants of the Carnegie and Candler (Coca-Cola) families, the Timucuan natives, and former slaves. Most people have only heard of Cumberland due to the very private wedding of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette which took place there in 1996. I highly recommend this one to history buffs, nature lovers, and especially to residents of Northeast Florida/Southast Georgia.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

After visiting Cumberland Island, I wanted to know more about its history. This book does a terrific job of describing the history in an accessible manner. It presents the history through the story of two women of the island who played instrumental roles in its conservation. The book certainly presents a feminist history, which, depending upon your lens as a reader, may interest you!

[John Findlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living on Amelia Island, just across the sound from Cumberland Island, we have heard much about the National Park. We have recently taken a river cruise towards Cumberland, not landing but hearing much about the rich history. This book provides the complete history of the island, highlighting Nathanial Greene's widow Caty who built the first Dungeoness and then the Thomas Carnegie family (brother to the more famous Andrew) who built the second. The Carnegies were led first by Lucy Carnegie, widow of Thomas, and then later by Lucy Ferguson, her grandaughter. Both were very strong women who ruled with an iron will. The book was published about 20 years ago, so is not thoroughly up to date, but it details how Lucy Carnegie built several other mansions for her children, how her will prevented any sale of houses while any of her children were alive, and how the land was divided amongst the five family groups after the last child died. The family, and the National Park Service fought off a potential developer, and eventually the land transferred to the NPS with the family and others retaining rights. But there was still a controversy over the creation of a National Wilderness that prohibited bikes and automobiles on the main north south road on the island. That controversy was still going on when the book was published. I see that there are now some limited tours to the north end of the island, so rules must have been relaxed a bit. But there are also controversies over wild horses and pigs. In short, this book provided me with the background I need to take one of the tours to the north end of the island. Cumberland Island is a fascinating place, and I am glad that I learned more about it.

[Elizabeth Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating information about a fascinating place. The history of Cumberland Island is low-hanging fruit for a good book, because it's so rich and weird, and I mean both of those words in several different ways. The Carnegies built giant mansions. Most of them burned. JFK got married there. Most of the island is national wilderness. There are wild horses and some pretty wild people too.

What I'm saying is that Charles Seabrook definitely did his legwork and I was riveted by the interesting subject matter. However. The book has a certain...perspective that was ultimately pretty darn distracting from the amazingly cool subject matter. God grant me the confidence of a mediocre white man. Not saying that about Charles Seabrook, but I'm glad I'm not part of the family he refers to as "the family." There's a kind of misogynistic longing for the good old days of yore and a layer of racism just by the sheer lack of real examination of the roles of many of the thousands of people who worked and lived on this island in primitive conditions up a sandy road from Gatsby-level opulence and revelry.

Maybe my expectations would have been higher if the title hadn't included "strong women"? I'd definitely recommend this thorough history to someone interested in any of the diverse topics it covers, but I would do so with a caveat re the overwhelmingly white male tone of the narrator. Either way, the portrayals of most of the women are pretty flat and often stereotyped in modestly insulting ways. It's subtle, but by the end of the book I felt like I had a peanut-gallery seat to a middle-aged man's midlife crisis.

[Cece · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been intrigued with Cumberland Island for several years after first reading about this barrier island off of Georgia. The pictures alone if this beautiful and serene looking island made me want to visit one day. I bought this book a couple of years and set it aside until this year when me and my husband planned a trip to Cumberland. I started reading it before our trip in hopes to finish before traveling but did not. Back to the book- I really do wish I had finished before as I would have paid more attention to the area especially around the Dungeness Ruins. This author has really done his research and has given the reader a nice history of the island. The book does read like non- fiction as to have correct expectations before reading. If you are interested in Cumberland and or history , you will probably enjoy it as I did. Now I have tk go back to Cumberland so I can look for places I didn’t pay attention to before.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a long time to pick up this book, because I thought it would be a dry history. Seabrook tells the history of Cumberland Island in a wonderfully factual story. The tone of the book seemed unbiased and it confirmed details I have read in other nonfiction about Cumberland Island. My favorite part was about the Carnegies living on the island, because it was such an escape to read about the wealth and leisure of the robber barons in the 1890s. Although you can't help but dislike the Carnegies and Rockefellers just a bit, because - robber barons.

[Barbara Finazzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Supberb

What a literary accomplishment this book is. Expertly researched and written in a concise and straight forward way. It tells the story of Cumberland Island and how it has changed through the years as well as the many people who brought about those changes. It tells how one of this countries wealthiest families loved and protected the area after the reduction of their fortunes made it necessary to give up the life they once knew there. This truly a wonderful book.
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[Andrea Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is informative and written more as a story teller than historian. While engaging the book does jump around some chronically. I would love to see an updated version to reflect more current information on the island. If you’re interested in the history of Cumberland Island then this is a good book for you.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book! So rich with the history of a place close to home, and one that I have cherished memories of. I highly recommend the book to anyone.

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have read several books about Cumberland and this seems to present both sides of several points of contention. Writers description of his walk on beach is excellent.

[Marsha Fort-Herren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading the incredible history of the island.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed with this island.

[Tehila · Rating 5 out of 5]

well-explained history of Cumberland island but it gets to the point where I just dont give a shit about all of these Carnegie descendants anymore AND they all have the same names

[Helen Hollis · Rating 3 out of 5]

So-so. Typical history book. Lots of names and dates. Some attempt to make the people seem real and connected. History is like that. Hard to remember every person involved.

[Sonja Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cumberland Island National Seashore, the best kept secret of our National Parks.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy books about Georgia history, and this one filled me in on a part of the state that I've not read much about.

This was not what I was expecting. It wasn't filled with stories of noble women or men. I'm now even more disgusted by politics and the compromises that really benefit no one than I was before. I suppose that such feelings as this book aroused in me should net it more than two stars. Truth is, I'd rather read a better-developed account of the life of a single person than this consolidation of centuries of life on the island.

There was so much detail jammed into these 350+ pages that I can't keep track of the many, many people who have influenced the history of the place. Perhaps a better title would be "Selfish women (and men) who did what it took to get what they wanted and the mess they made of paradise" with a possible subtitle of "Who wants to live with all those ticks and sand gnats anyway?"

[Sally Kilpatrick]

Research

I noped out at these sentence about Zabette, an enslaved woman: "She also fulfilled another need. In 1839, at age nineteen, she quietly submitted to him in his spacious bed." The him is Robert Stafford, a 49-year-old slave owner and recent widower. This book was written in 2002. Surely, in the year of our Lord 2002 we knew that this was rape.

I was already giving Mr. Seabrook some serious side-eye because he described Catherine Greene Miller as having an outstanding bosom or some such and then implicated that she was stringing men along to get her way. The passage about Zabette pushed me over the edge.

Easy to read with many nice pictures, but I don't care for the conclusions that have been jumped to.

[Tara Tutcher · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't waste your time unless you want tabloid instead of history. Ridiculously inaccurate and sensationalist. Fiction using the names of real people. Read instead Mary R. Bullard's "Cumberland Island: A History". Mrs. Bullard owns property on the Island, is a Carnegie family member, a trained archaeologist, and is an accomplished historian with many well-researched papers and books to her name. I am also a local historian. Save your money.

[Will White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent read to accompany Untamed by Will Harlan which is a must read. Our family recently spent 4 nights backpacking the island. The place is a mysterious paradise. Untamed and this book will only enhance you experience, but I recommend Will Harlan's book even if you never intend to visit the island.
One thing I did not like about this book is the cover and first page of each chapter. Looked like something from a middle school art project

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has it all....from Native American history to the first colonial settlements in Georgia to slavery and island plantations the Civil War to the Gilded Age to WWII to current conservation and historical efforts and the battles therein.... ALL underlying this is the aspect of the many women who have historically ruled Cumberland Island, GA with an iron fist. Seabrook does a marvelous job piecing it all together. (Pre-read for teaching Georgia history; required reading for HH)

[Debbi Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. After visiting a small part of Cumberland Island, I wanted to learn more. Fascinating to read about the past and present and some of the very, very interesting people involved. My only criticism is the first page of each chapter is printed on a page with an image and I found it hard to read. As as result of reading this book, I plan to go back to Cumberland Island and do the whole tour.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gossipy approach to the families and individuals who have struggled and still struggle to make their vision for this unique Sea Island prevail. I wished for more history while I was reading this, but now I'm reading a history and wish for more gossip. I had pictured Cumberland as a wilderness, but this book showed me how the hands of men and women (and their money) have shaped it for centuries.

[Merry Rassman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It got bogged down in uninteresting detail of the lives of people one did not care about. Too many undeveloped characters. Not enough "strong women" . The beginning had some good information about the island which I found interesting, but as the book went on it, it read like a gossip rag. I closed the cover on this one 30 pages from the end.

[Scalacpa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good history book. We are going to Cumberland Island in December, so I picked up this book. It will make me appreciate the island so much more. I found this history book interesting like the book I read about Scotland before going. I felt so much more in toned to the place and appreciative. I can't wait to see the island since so many people were so in love with it.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on my lunch breaks as a bookseller at Chapter 11 Books in 2005! I appreciated an even take on these complicated island stories.
Seabrook always delivers worthy writing, and, lately, photography. His column still appears Saturdays in the print AJC and online.
Recommended.

[Liz Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

True story of an island off the coast of Georgia--the one where JFK, Jr. got married. Fascinating history about wealthy men who settled the island and their wives and other women who ended up cleaning up their messes. Horses still roam the island today--fabulous place to visits!!

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a GA native I had no idea the significant role Cumberland Island played not only for my home state but for the US as well. I was very surprised and entertained by the fun and interesting facts learned from reading this. I highly recommend if you like American history.

[Heather Hamel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the historical aspect of the book. I had a difficult time following the leaps from past to present and had a hard time keeping all the people straight. Growing up in the area around Cumberland, I loved seeing familiar names and places.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a bookclub I found the history of the Carnegies interesting I love the chapter that told about the kennedy wedding. I believe the book would have been far more interesting had I fisted Cumberland or known about it previous to reading the book.