Tybee Island in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
James Adams Oyster House
Tybee Island Black History Trail
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
1. James Adams Oyster House Marker
James Adams had an oyster house on Chatham Avenue that he rented from Amy and Jeff Dickey. His partner in the oyster business was Jack Munjon from Daufuskie Island, South Carolina. In the fall, James and Jack would go out to harvest oysters. In an interview in 1991, Adams recalled, "We used to stay out for four or five days. You don't see nothing but sky or water. It was pretty rough out there at times." The local women who shucked the oysters instinctively knew when James and Jack would return with their oyster-filled bateau. The oysters were sometimes sold unshucked for oyster roasts. Around Thanksgiving, locals liked to purchase them for their oyster dressing. The ladies who shucked the oysters would save jars throughout the year for the shucked oysters. While the oyster house still stands, it is on private property. However, inside, one can still see traces of Adams' legacy: the oyster bar where the ladies shucked the oysters and the built-in holes in the bar where they dropped the shells.
(caption)
Oyster house, Jack Munson and James Adams looking across things. Photo courtesy of Tybee Island Historical Society
Erected 2024
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce.
Location. 31° 59.625′ N, 80° 51.191′ W. Marker is on Tybee Island, Georgia, in Chatham County. It is at the intersection of Chatham Avenue and Alley 3, on the left when traveling west on Chatham Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1519 Chatham Ave, Tybee Island GA 31328, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Coastal Plain, on the Georgia Coast and the Golden Isles, in Greater Savannah, and on the Sea Islands. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, July 20, 2024
2. James Adams Oyster House Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. The Carbo House (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Additional commentary.
1. The Tybee Island Black History Trail
The Tybee Island Black History Trail documents the arrival of enslaved Africans at Lazaretto Creek Quarantine Station and follows their ancestral journey to present-day Tybee. The trail uncovers parts of Tybee Islands history and geographies that remain unfamiliar to most people and explores the legacies of enslavement, segregation and the Civil Rights Movement, including efforts to desegregate Tybee Islands White beach. The trail also highlights the ongoing efforts of organizations such as Tybee MLK Human Rights Organization , whose volunteers work tirelessly to retain these histories and bring awareness to their importance in the present.
Tybee MLK Human Rights Organization
— Submitted July 22, 2024.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 21, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 283 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 21, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 2. submitted on July 22, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Wide shot of marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?
