FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Brandy Mai, Director of Communications
912.651.2125, or Email

Did Blackbeard the Pirate Really Seek Refuge on Ossabaw Island? And How Did Lucky the Ossabaw Pig Get There?

Download PDF

Savannah, GA – November 10, 2009.  The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is pleased to announce the much-anticipated opening of the Ossabaw Island and Torrey Family Papers archival collection for public research.  From the hunting grounds of Native American peoples, to its role as one of the ancestral homes of the Lowcountry's Gullah-Geechee community, to a modern-era ecological and heritage preserve, Ossabaw Island’s diverse and gripping history has spurred legendary tales and its role in the Atlantic World has garnered the attention of researchers from a wide range of academic disciplines and backgrounds.  Research demand for access to the materials has steadily increased over the past several years and now, thanks to a generous grant from The Frances and Beverly DuBose Foundation, the collection has been processed and is accessible to anyone interested in exploring the documented history of the island.   

Records in the collection date from 1699 to 2007, providing insights into the people, events, and use of the island and its history for over four centuries.  Some materials in the collection include the original grant from King Georgia II in 1760, slave inventories from 1812 to 1817, historical maps from the 18th through the 20th century, photographs, and extensive records and research compiled during the Ossabaw Island Foundation’s era when the island was used as an artist colony and interdisciplinary studies residential think-tank.  

To learn more about the Ossabaw Island and Torrey Family Papers archival collection, please visit us online at www.georgiahistory.com or join us in GHS’s Reading Room during public research hours.