A secret duck hunt on this Georgia island birthed the Federal Reserve System

Countries & Cities · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Once a private winter sanctuary for America's wealthiest families, Jekyll Island holds a complex history. Beyond its Gilded Age opulence and status as a former plantation site, the island served as the clandestine meeting place where financiers drafted the blueprint for the modern United States central banking system in 1910.

Jekyll Island, a 5,700-acre barrier island off the Georgia coast, has undergone radical transformations over the centuries. Originally inhabited by Native peoples like the Guale and Timucua as early as 2500 bce, the island later became a plantation site where enslaved people were forced to labor. In a grim chapter of its history, the island served as the landing point for the Wanderer in 1858, one of the final ships to illegally transport enslaved Africans to the United States.

By 1886, the island’s character shifted entirely when a group of 53 wealthy businessmen, including William Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan, purchased it to establish the exclusive Jekyll Island Club. This retreat became a winter haven for the era's elite, who constructed sprawling, luxurious homes. It was here, under the guise of a recreational duck hunt in November 1910, that powerful financiers and government officials held a secret meeting. The discussions conducted in private during this trip provided the foundational framework for the Federal Reserve System, fundamentally altering the nation's financial architecture.

Following the economic strain of the Great Depression and the onset of World War II, the club’s influence waned. In 1947, the state of Georgia purchased the island, converting it into a public park. This transition prioritized accessibility and preservation, leading to the creation of the Jekyll Island Authority in 1950. Among its early mandates was the establishment of St. Andrews Beach, which provided the first coastal access in the state specifically designated for Black residents. Today, the island functions as a tourist destination that balances its historic landmarks, such as the tabby-constructed Horton House, with active environmental efforts like the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

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