Tybee Island is an island and a present-day city located in Chatham County, Georgia near the city of Savannah. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,392.

Tybee Island may be best known outside of Georgia as the home of the Tybee Bomb, a nuclear weapon that was lost offshore on February 5, 1958. Officially renamed "Savannah Beach" in a publicity move at the end of the 1950s, the city of Tybee Island has since reverted to its original name. The small island, which has long been a quiet getaway for the residents of Savannah, has become a popular vacation spot with tourists from outside the Savannah metropolitan area.

Tybee Island is also the site of the first of what became the Days Inn chain of hotels.

History

Tybee Island was originally inhabited by the Euchee Native American tribe and gave the island its name: tybee is a Euchee word for salt.

Later, in the 1500s the Spanish laid claim to the island and named it Los Bajos. During that time the island was frequented by pirates who used the island to hide from those who pursued them. Pirates later used the island’s inland waterways for a fresh water source. As the Spanish gave up its claim to the island, and the surrounding areas stretching down to modern day Florida, English and French settlements sprang up around the area.

In 1733 English settlers led by James Oglethorpe settled on Tybee Island before moving on to settle eventually in Savannah. In 1736 John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, arrived on Tybee Island.

Lighthouse

The Tybee Island lighthouse was built in the year 1736. The lighthouse was of brick and wood, standing 90 feet tall; it was the highest structure in America at that time. Five years later the lighthouse was destroyed by a storm.

In 1742 a second lighthouse was finished; this version reached 94 feet into the air. In 1773 a third lighthouse was constructed which was also destroyed, this time in 1862 by Confederate troops from nearby Fort Pulaski . Of the 100 feet of the third lighthouse only 60 feet remained which served as a rebuilding point for a fourth lighthouse.

In 1869 it was decided that the lighthouse must be protected from ever increasing tides and gale force winds so it was moved 164 feet back from the shoreline. In the years from 1871 and 1886 the walls of the lighthouse became cracked by storm forces and later the light lens was broken when an earthquake hit Charleston, South Carolina.

The latest incarnation of the Tybee Island lighthouse stands at 154 feet and in 1933 became an electrically driven lighthouse. Due to the fact that modern marine navigation techniques outgrew the need for such a lighthouse the Tybee Island lighthouse became obsolete. Just three weeks after it became electrically driven it was donated to the Georgia Historical Society by the U.S. government.

Geography

Tybee Island is located at 32°0'24" North, 80°50'58" West (32.006672, -80.849374).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.9 km² (2.7 mi²). 6.6 km² (2.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.49% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 3,392 people, 1,568 households, and 901 families residing in the city. The population density is 511.6/km² (1,326.3/mi²). There are 2,696 housing units at an average density of 406.6/km² (1,054.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 95.93% White, 1.89% African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.06% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 1.27% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 1,568 households out of which 15.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% are married couples living together, 7.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% are non-families. 33.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.07 and the average family size is 2.62.

In the city the population is spread out with 13.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 35.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 47 years. For every 100 females there are 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $49,741, and the median income for a family is $58,462. Males have a median income of $45,833 versus $30,694 for females. The per capita income for the city is $32,406. 10.0% of the population and 5.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 21.2% of those under the age of 18 and 3.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Attractions

• Fort Pulaski National Monument
• Tybee Island Marine Science Center
• Tybee Island Pier & Pavilion

External links

• Tybee Island official website
• Tybee Island Light Station
• Tybee Guide, a commercial website