Skidaway Island in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

Modena

Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 2008

1. Modena Marker

Inscription. This location first appears (1734) in Georgia's history as a Savannah outpost. An original settler was Thomas Mouse who is remembered for his description of early hardships here. An evangelical visitor in 1736 was John Wesley. By 1740 the settlement was abandoned. The Island revived when the Georgia Trusteeship ended in 1753, and Colonial Government established. An early grantee was John Milledge, whose plantation at this site was called "Modena." He was the orphaned son of one of the "First Hundred," the youthful protégé of Oglethorpe, Captain of Rangers, and member of First Commons House of Assembly. His son and successor, John, Jr., was a leader in the American Revolution. He was appointed State Attorney General at the age of 23 when still in uniform, and later became U.S. Representative, Governor, and U.S. Senator. As Governor he helped found the University of Georgia (Originally Franklin College). Modena was an active plantation until Mid-Nineteenth Century. The name is thought to come from Modena, Italian seat of silk culture; an industry envisioned for early Georgia, but which did not flourish.

Erected 1987

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by Georgia Historic Marker. (Marker Number 025-92.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Notable Places • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1736.

Location. 31° 59.157′ N, 81° 1.369′ W. Marker is on Skidaway Island, Georgia, in Chatham County. It is at the intersection of McWhorter Drive and Ocean Science Circle, in the median on McWhorter Drive. Marker is at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography driveway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Savannah GA 31411, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the 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,

specifically in the Deep South,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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

Photographed by Mike Stroud, 2008

2. Modena Marker

Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Introduction of the Soybean to North America (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Isle of Hope (approx. 2 miles away); Isle of Hope Methodist Church (approx. 2.2 miles away); a different marker also named Isle of Hope (approx. 2.8 miles away); Mercer Auto Camp (approx. 2.9 miles away); Noble Jones’ “Wormslow” (approx. 3 miles away); Sandfly (approx. 3.1 miles away); Savannah State College (approx. 3.2 miles away).

Also see . . . Wikipedia entry for John Milledge. (Submitted on July 21, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on July 21, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,411 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 21, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Christopher Busta-Peck was the editor who published this page.