Brunswick, Georgia

The Mocama, a Timucua-speaking people, lived in and cultivated the lands in what is now Brunswick. The Spanish established missions in Timucuan villages beginning in 1568. During this time, much of the Native American population was depleted through enslavement and disease. but little colonization occurred south of the Altamaha River as the Spanish also claimed this land. Three years after the Province of Georgia was founded at Savannah in 1733, James Oglethorpe had the town of Frederica built on St. Simons Island, challenging Spaniards who laid claim to the island. The Spanish were driven out of the province after British victories in the battles of Bloody Marsh and Gully Hole Creek in 1742; Carr, a Scotsman, was a captain in Oglethorpe's Marine Boat Company. Upon landing, he established his tobacco plantation, which he called "Plug Point", along the East and Brunswick rivers. Brunswick was a rectangular tract of land consisting of . From 1783 to 1788 a number of these lots were regranted and there collected in Brunswick a few families who desired proper education for their children. In 1797 the General Assembly transferred the seat of Glynn County from Frederica to Brunswick. At the end of the eighteenth century, a large tract of land surrounding Brunswick on three sides had been laid off and designated as Commons. It was at this time that state representative Jacob Moore in conjunction with others conspired to control the Commons, and any proceeds that might be had from sales. Moore managed to persuade the Georgia General Assembly to pass legislation giving him control over significant amounts of local real estate. This precipitated a period of strife, pitting the powerful interests, headed by Rep. Moore, against the common citizenry. It was into this turmoil that Carey Wentworth Styles appeared, in 1857, when he moved his family to Brunswick from Edgefield, South Carolina. Styles, an attorney, was attracted to the area by news of the civil strife. As one observer later wrote, the citizens of Brunswick were in "need of a defender". On March 1, 1858, Styles was elected mayor of Brunswick. Some years later, Styles moved to Atlanta, where he founded The Atlanta Constitution. In November 1879, nineteen years after he left, Styles returned to Brunswick, where he established the local weekly Seaport Appeal. Brunswick was abandoned during the American Civil War when citizens were ordered to evacuate. The city, like many others in the South, suffered from post-war depression. After one of the nation's largest lumber mills began operation on nearby St. Simons Island, economic prosperity returned. Rail lines were constructed from Brunswick to inland Georgia, which stimulated a sawmill boom, said to average one mill every two miles, along with the new industrial corridor. In his book The New South Comes to Wiregrass Georgia, 1860–1910 author Mark V. Wetherington states that from Eastman, former Quartermaster General Ira R. Foster "shipped lumber to Brunswick, where it was loaded onto timber schooners and transported to international markets like Liverpool, Rio de Janeiro, and Havana." A Category 4 hurricane hit Cumberland Island just south of Brunswick in October 1898, which caused a storm surge in the city. Construction of an electric streetcar line began in 1909 and was completed in 1911. Tracks were located in the center of several city streets. In July 1924, the F.J. Torras Causeway, the roadway between Brunswick and St. Simons Island, was completed, and passenger boat service from Brunswick to St. Simons Island was terminated. In World War II, Brunswick boomed as over 16,000 workers of the J.A. Jones Construction Company produced ninety-nine Liberty ships and "Knot" ships (type C1-M ships) which were designed for short coastal runs, and most often named for knots for the U.S. Maritime Commission to transport materiel to the European and Pacific theatres. The first ship was the SS James M. Wayne (named after James Moore Wayne), whose keel was laid on July 6, 1942, and which was launched on March 13, 1943. The last ship was the SS Coastal Ranger, whose keel was laid on June 7, 1945, and which was launched on August 25, 1945. 1915 mass shooting On March 16, 1915, a mass shooting occurred in downtown Brunswick at the Dunwoody Building at Gloucester and Newcastle Streets when 58-year-old timber and real-estate dealer Monroe Phillips opened fire with a shotgun at his creditor, Harry Dunwoody's office and on the streets of Brunswick, over a failed business deal. In the rampage he killed seven people, including a police officer, and injured over 30 others before being killed by police. ==Geography==

The city of Brunswick is located in southeastern Georgia, approximately halfway between Jacksonville, Florida and Savannah. The city is located at the apex of the Georgia Bight, the westernmost point on the Atlantic seaboard, and is naturally sheltered by two barrier islands, Jekyll and St. Simons. The city is situated on a peninsula with the East River and the Turtle River to the west, the Brunswick River to the south, and the Mackay River with the Intracoastal Waterway to the east. An abundance of salt marshes separates the city from the Intracoastal Waterway, which passes between Brunswick and the barrier islands. The East River separates Brunswick from Andrews Island, a dredge spoil site. The city is the lowest in the U.S. state of Georgia, with an elevation of only above sea level. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Brunswick's land area is . Its total area is ; of this is water. Climate Brunswick's climate is classified as humid subtropical (Cfa in the Köppen climate classification system). During the summer months, it is common for the temperature to reach over . However, the humidity results in a heat index higher than the actual temperature. Summer mornings average nearly 90 percent humidity and nearly 60 percent in the afternoon. Scattered afternoon thunderstorms are common in the summer. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Brunswick was in 1986. Winters in Brunswick are fairly temperate. The average high in January, the coldest month, is , while the average low is . The coldest temperature ever recorded in Brunswick was on January 21, 1985, and January 30, 1966. and the only hurricane that has hit the coast since then was Hurricane David in 1979. the Hercules 009 Landfill, and the Terry Creek Dredge Spoil Areas/Hercules Outfall. Research published in 2011 revealed that bottlenose dolphins that fed in the estuaries near these Superfund sites had the highest concentration of PCBs of any mammal in the world. ==Demographics==

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Brunswick had a population of 15,210. The median age was 39.4 years. 25.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 79.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 73.8 males age 18 and over. 99.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.1% lived in rural areas. There were 5,523 households in Brunswick, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 24.2% were married-couple households, 20.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 47.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Approximately 54.1% of the population reported another ancestry. Among families, the median income was $29,953 with a mean of $53,434; married-couple families had a median income of $63,301; and non-family households had a median income of $22,163 with a mean of $59,980. The median monthly costs for occupied-housing units and renter-owned units was $718 in 2020; for homeowners with a mortgage, the median value of their single-family detached homes was $117,400 and the monthly costs were $1,068. The median real estate taxes paid among homeowners in the city was $951. Among the growing metropolitan statistical areas of Georgia, Brunswick has one of the lowest costs of living in contrast with Atlanta and its metropolitan region. Religion According to Sperling's BestPlaces, approximately 56.3% of the city's population identify with a religion as of 2020. Typical of those traditionally placed within the Bible Belt and conservative American South, the majority of the religiously affiliated population identified as Christians. The single largest Christian tradition within the city and metropolitan area are Baptists (15.7%). Among its Baptist constituency, the National Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Convention were some of the largest Baptist denominations in the area. The largest single Christian denomination has been the Roman Catholic Church and its Diocese of Savannah (6.8%). Following, Methodism was the second largest tradition (12.3%) and Pentecostalism was the third largest Christian tradition in the area (8.2%), notably served through the Assemblies of God and Church of God. Other prominent Christian communities operating with a substantial presence in the city and area have also been Presbyterians, Episcopalians or Anglicans of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, Lutherans, etc. Among non-mainstream Christianity, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints made up 1.5% of the faithful according to this study. The second-largest religion practiced or adhered to in the area was Judaism, and collectively, Eastern religions such as Buddhism or Hinduism made up 0.3% of the population. The largest Jewish movement within the city has been Reform Judaism, spread throughout the historic Temple Beth Tefilloh, founded in 1886. ==Economy==

The Port of Brunswick forms a vital part of the city's economy. It is recognized as one of the most productive ports on the East Coast and is the sixth-busiest automobile port in the United States; it is the primary export facility for two of the three United States traditional automotive manufacturers: Ford and General Motors. The port is also the primary export facility for Mercedes-Benz. The port serves as the central import facility for Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Porsche, and Volvo. Audi, BMW, and Volkswagen utilize the port as a facility for imports as well. International Auto Processing is one of the town's largest employers. Mayor's Point is the only terminal located within the city. The Colonel's Island and Marine Port terminals are located southwest of the city. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), a large agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, is headquartered in Glynco, north of the city. A study conducted by Georgia Tech identified FLETC as the largest employer in Glynn County; it was further determined that FLETC's annual localized economic impact is in excess of $600 million. Other major employers in Brunswick include King & Prince Seafood, GSI Commerce, Pinova and Gulfstream Aerospace. The mill, which has been in operation since 1937, has the capability to produce over 800,000 metric tons of cellulose each year. Additionally, it is the largest single-site fluff production facility in the world. Jet aircraft manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace has a presence at the city's airport. Tourism is the single largest industry in the city and the county. The islands' beaches, resorts, shops, and historic sites annually attract visitors from around the world. ==Culture==

Arts and theatre Brunswick is home to a variety of arts and cultural events. The most significant professional performing-arts group is the Coastal Symphony of Georgia, in existence since 1982, which stages productions each year at Glynn Academy's Memorial Auditorium. This group of professional musicians also has a Youth Symphony division and a fundraising auxiliary. Old Town Brunswick's historic and ornate Ritz Theatre hosts a range of performances. Renovated in the early 1980s and again in 2000 through 2001, the Ritz is home to the Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association, the coordinating arts council for Brunswick and Glynn County. The association hosts an annual performing arts series and rents space to individual producers and organizations. The city is home to various art galleries. Art Downtown is a cultural arts center featuring a fine art gallery, studio, and production company. It is home to the Brunswick Actors' Theatre. The Gallery on Newcastle is home to a display of scenes from coastal Georgia's marshes. Along Union Street is a collection of 19th and early 20th-century Victorian mansions. Each December the Magnolia Garden Club tours select Union Street homes in addition to other areas in historic Brunswick as part of its Christmas Tour of Homes. Cuisine . The city lays claim to Brunswick stew, a tomato-based stew containing various types of lima beans, corn, okra, and other vegetables, and one or more types of meat. Most recipes claiming authenticity call for squirrel or rabbit meat, but chicken, pork, and beef are also common ingredients. A twenty-five-gallon (95 L) iron pot outside the city bears a plaque declaring the stew was first cooked there in 1898. The Brunswick Rockin' Stewbilee, held annually in October, features a stew-tasting contest where visitors sample over 50 teams' stews. The Stewbilee became famous when the city invited Brunswick County, Virginia, to the festival for a stew cookoff in the 1980s, which led the Brunswick "Stew Wars" to be featured in Southern Living. Brunswick is the center of Georgia's shrimping industry. The city was once called "The Shrimp Capital of the World", but in recent times, production has been far below average. Nevertheless, nearby Jekyll Island hosts the Wild Georgia Shrimp & Grits Festival in September. Apart from shrimping, the area is also the center of Georgia's crab and oyster industries. ==Sports==

The College of Coastal Georgia has an active collegiate sports program. The local high schools compete in the Georgia High School Association's quad-A Region 2 sporting events. From 1950 to 2007, Brunswick served host to the Golden Isles Bowl Classic, one of the most prestigious junior college football bowl games in the country. Scholastic and intramural sports are held at school and park facilities around the city. Glynn County Stadium and Lanier Field are two sports stadiums available in the city. Golden Isles Speedway, a race track, is located in western Glynn County, approximately west of the city. The PGA Tour holds the RSM Classic every year at the Seaside Course on Sea Island. The area is famous for its golf resorts. In 2008 Sea Island was ranked the number-one destination for business meetings and golf by Golf Digest and USA Today. Sea Island was also ranked number-one among the best golf resorts in North America by Golf Digest. and combined with Jekyll, St. Simons, and Sea islands, there are 252 holes of golf in the Brunswick area. Brunswick is the gateway city to Jekyll and St. Simons islands; both are accessible via automobile only by causeways from the city. The islands, known colloquially as the Golden Isles, feature white-sand public beaches and are popular destinations for tourists and local citizens. In 1906 the city was home to a Class D-level minor league baseball team, the River Snipes, a team shared with Columbus as part of the inaugural season of the Georgia State League. In 1957 the Pirates became affiliates of the Philadelphia Phillies, respectively adopting the name Brunswick Phillies. ==Parks and recreation==

in Old Town The Brunswick Parks and Recreation Department operates city parks and squares. Six city squares were part of Brunswick's original 1771 Town Plan. The two largest central squares were Wright and Hanover. Though half of Wright Square was built on by a middle school in the 1950s, the square was recently returned to its original size with George Street removed through the middle. Five of the six still exist today, with Hillsboro Square converted into the campus of Glynn Academy High School. There are also two additional squares located within the city, Orange, and Palmetto. As of 2005, it is approximately 900 years old. According to the State of Georgia and American Indian folklore, Native American braves and their maidens would meet under the oak. Blythe Island Regional Park is located on Blythe Island within the city. ==Government==

Brunswick uses the council-manager model of municipal government. The city commission consists of five individuals, including the mayor, elected on a plurality-at-large basis. Commissioners constitute the legislative body of the city and, as a group, are responsible for taxation, appropriations, ordinances, and other general functions. The mayor of Brunswick is Cosby Johnson, who was elected in 2021 and is the second African-American mayor of Brunswick. Johnson is also the first Millennial Mayor of Brunswick. The city is divided into two wards with each ward electing two city commission representatives. The mayor serves as an at-large commissioner and chairperson. The commission meets twice each month at Old City Hall in Old Town. In November 2008, Mayor Thompson and the city commission of Brunswick traveled to Ganzhou to strengthen ties between the two cities. Ganzhou, a city with a population of 8.5 million, reciprocated, sending a delegation to Brunswick where an official sister city agreement was signed at Old Brunswick City Hall on April 3, 2009. ==Education==

Higher education Brunswick is home to the College of Coastal Georgia, which has more than 3,000 enrolled students. Since 1961, the college had been a two-year institution, but in 2008, the college began its transition to a four-year institution. The college is currently a state college within the University System of Georgia, with bachelor's degree programs in education, business, and nursing sciences, and other associate degree programs designed to prepare students to transfer to senior colleges and universities. Primary and secondary schools The Glynn County School System is the governing authority of public schools in the city. More than 12,000 students attend schools in the school system. There are ten elementary schools, four middle schools, and two high schools: Brunswick High School and Glynn Academy. was founded in 1788 by an act of the Georgia General Assembly. Brunswick High School opened in 1967. Specialized institutions include a career-technical academy. There are several private schools operating in the area. In the city, there is one Catholic school and one Seventh-day Adventist school. There are also Baptist, Pentecostal, and non-denominational Christian schools north of the city, such as Heritage Christian Academy. On St. Simons Island, there is a Presbyterian school. Several smaller Christian schools in Brunswick offer high school education. ==Media==

The Brunswick News is one of two major daily newspapers serving Brunswick; the other is The Georgia Times-Union, a subsidiary of the Jacksonville-based Florida Times-Union. Brunswick has one free weekly newspaper delivered to most homes in Glynn County, The Harbor Sound (a free publication). The Islander is a weekly paper, member of the Georgia Press Association, and available at newsstands or by subscription. The major AM radio stations in Brunswick are WSFN 790, an ESPN affiliate and primarily a sports station; WGIG 1440; and WBGA 1490, which are all news and talk stations. The city's FM stations include NPR affiliate WWIO-FM 88.9, public radio WWEZ at 94.7 (St. Simons Island) and 97.5 (Brunswick), and commercial stations WAYR-FM 90.7, WSSI 92.7, WMUV 100.7, WSOL 101.5, WYNR 102.5, WQGA 103.3, WRJY 104.1, WXMK 105.9, and WHFX 107.7. but in 2001, Allbritton Communications sold the station and, therefore, the station lost its affiliation. All major U.S. television networks are represented in Brunswick from Jacksonville and Savannah-based television stations. ==In popular culture==

Brunswick has been featured in scenes from the films ''The View from Pompey's Head (1955), Conrack (1974), and the documentary Criminalizing Dissent'' (2006). The city is also the setting for the novel Ravens by author George Dawes Green. ==Infrastructure==

Transportation Brunswick Golden Isles Airport (BQK, KBQK) is served by Delta Air Lines, with several daily round trips to the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The city was formerly served by DayJet, with service to cities in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia; the company suspended its operations in September 2008. Two railway companies serve the city: CSX and Norfolk Southern. The Golden Isles Terminal Railroad is a short line operating of mainline trackage between Anguilla Junction and the Colonel's Island and Marine Port terminals of the Port of Brunswick. This line connects with a line that originates in Old Town Brunswick at Anguilla Junction. Brunswick last had direct passenger service in 1966 or 1967 with the unnamed successor to the Southern Railway's Kansas City-Florida Special. Amtrak passenger service is available in Jesup, northwest of the city. The original Sidney Lanier Bridge was a vertical-lift bridge on U.S. 17 crossing the Brunswick River and was opened on June 22, 1956. On November 7, 1972, the ship African Neptune struck the bridge, causing parts of the bridge to collapse, taking cars with it. The accident resulted in ten deaths. On May 3, 1987, the bridge was again struck by a ship, the Polish freighter Ziemia Bialostocka. A new cable-stayed bridge with the same name opened in 2003 to allow larger ships to enter the port and to eliminate the need for the drawbridge on U.S. 17. It is the longest-spanning bridge in Georgia. In 2006, Glynn County applied for approximately $930,000 for first-year funding for a transit service. The county and city match was for over $100,000 combined. The first-year project would fund the purchase of up to four buses, two vans, signage, equipment, and facility improvements. As of 2007 the first-year application was pending with the Georgia DOT and the Federal Transit Administration. Healthcare With over 1,321 employees and over 201 physicians, Southeast Georgia Health System is the main provider of health care in Brunswick and the surrounding area and is also the largest private employer in Brunswick. ==Sister cities==

• Ganzhou, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China • Ilan, Yilan County, Taiwan Brunswick has an active sister cities program designed to encourage cultural and economic exchanges. ==Notable people==

• Anthony Alaimo, United States federal judge • Spencer Atkinson, orthodontist • Sam Bowen, baseball player • Morgan Brian, Women's World Cup soccer champion with Team USA 2016; plays professional soccer for Houston Dash • Kwame Brown, NBA player, top pick of 2001 NBA draft • Barret Browning, baseball player • Francis Buzzacott, frontiersman and writer, buried at Palmetto Cemetery. • Justin Coleman, NFL cornerback for the Detroit Lions • DeeJay Dallas, NFL running back for the Arizona Cardinals • Ed Dudley, professional golfer, first club professional at Augusta National • Amos Easton, also known as Bumble Bee Slim, musician • Steven C. Frucci, judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia • Freeman Hankins, Pennsylvania State Representative from 1961 to 1968, Pennsylvania State Senator from 1967 to 1988 • Mary Hood, writer • Anna Jay, professional wrestler in AEW • Eleanor La Mance, opera singer • ReShard Lee, football player • Davis Love III, professional golfer and Ryder Cup captain • Jack McDevitt, science-fiction writer, Nebula Award for Best Novel winner • Kristen Morgin, sculptor • Jack Peerson, baseball player • Harry Pickens, jazz pianist • Tony Pierce, baseball player • Antonio Santiago, one-year-old victim of a highly publicized murder • Darius Slay, NFL cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles • Doris Buchanan Smith, author of A Taste of Blackberries • Raymond M. Lloyd, Professional Wrestler of WCW • Aaron Swinson, Cincinnati Bearcats assistant coach (college basketball), and former player • Albert Tresvant, first African-American mayor of Opa-locka, Florida • Adam Wainwright, baseball pitcher for St. Louis Cardinals (birthplace) • Tracy Walker, NFL safety for the Detroit Lions • Ike Williams, professional boxer, former lightweight champion • Madaline A. Williams, first African American woman elected to the New Jersey Legislature • Marion Wilson, murderer ==See also==