T.M. Brown Author

Most people note the variety of spellings of the community on Sapelo Island. The name and spelling are points of contention between the residents and the county. Residents call the area Hogg Hummock. The county installed signs that say Hog Hammock, and that’s been a complaint by residents for some time.

First, a hammock derived from a Spanish term and refers to a bed made of canvas or of rope mesh and suspended by cords at the ends, used as garden furniture or on board a ship.

Second, a hummock is the proper term that describes the community and its location on the island. A hummock refers to a hillock, knoll, or mound; a piece of forested ground rising above a marsh.

Somewhere in the past, the government identified the community as Hog’s Hammock, but it originally held the name of Hogg’s Hummock, and for good reason. But also note that prior to R. J. Reynolds owning the island for decades in the 20th Century, Hoggs Hummock (Hammock) was but one of up to a dozen separate Geechee descendant communities on Sapelo Island established by the Spalding family during the antebellum era. Sadly, Reynolds decided it suited him to merge all the Geechee communities to Hoggs Hummock… and their decline on Sapelo dwindled rapidly ever since. In 1976, Reynolds’ widow gave the island to the State of Georgia. Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources maintains control of the island and operates the ferry service.

Since HISTORY MATTERS! We should preserve and protect the Geechee legacy, heritage, and history on Sapelo Island at Hogg’s Hummock (Hammock).

I personally can only hope the State of Georgia will better maintain the buildings and historic ruins on Sapelo so that future visitors to the island can know the story of the Geechee who made Sapelo their home.

The Last Laird of Sapelo offers insight into the origins of the Geechee on Sapelo during the Spalding era on the island beginning in 1800, when Thomas Spalding brought the first enslaved workers onto the island to clear the ancient woodlands on the island to cultivate the land.

If you want to know more, I recommend seeking history books by Buddy Sullivan, the Tidewater’s foremost historian.

Visit my website tmbrownauthor.com to read more or to find quick links to buy your copy of The Last Laird of Sapelo.