Newspaper clipping image courtesy of the Coastal Georgia HIstorical Society
Section of the Brunswick-St Simons causeway 1924
For years before its construction, the idea for a Brunswick-to-St. Simons causeway had been discussed but had never truly taken shape. In 1923, when Brunswick mayor Malcolm McKinnon and Glynn County chairman E. L. Stephens decided once and for all to build the road, they knew just whom to ask to spearhead the project: Brunswick native Fernando J. Torras. An engineer who had distinguished himself through work on projects in Brazil, Torras now took on this endeavor described as likely impossible to complete.
Image courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society
F. J. Torras in his engineering attire
Torras and hundreds of workers labored nearly nonstop for over a year to complete what was then called the Brunswick-St. Simons Highway. Its completion required not only the movement, according to The Brunswick News, of “986,000 cubic yards of solid material . . . from the nearby channels” to smooth the roadway but also the construction of bridges and trestles that would allow cars to pass over the waterways. It was an enormous project, but to the wonder of Glynn County citizens, by late June of 1924, it was complete. Its opening to traffic on June 26, 1924, attracted “a veritable motorcade . . . stretched across the marshes, reaching for fully half a mile.”
The official celebratory opening of the causeway took place on July 11, 1924—one hundred years ago this month. The program for the day included a parade that began in Brunswick and took participants across the causeway to St. Simons. The procession paused on the Frederica River bridge for an official ribbon cutting. Once on St. Simons, there were speeches by local and state officials, including Governor Cliff Walker, Mayor Malcolm McKinnon, and engineer F. J. Torras, himself a guest of honor. Attendees adjourned to a fish fry and, later in the afternoon, watched a historical pageant presented by the Brunswick Women’s Club. Made up of twenty-two different scenes, the pageant depicted Georgia history from its earliest days, ending with a recitation of Sidney Lanier’s “Marshes of Glynn.”
In 1953, the causeway was renamed in memory of F. J. Torras. In the century since its opening, it has remained a vital part of daily life for many in Glynn County. This July, the Coastal Georgia Historical Society is proud to participate in a community-wide partnership led by the Torras Foundation to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the road. This initiative will culminate in the Causeway Celebration on Saturday, July 13, which will pay tribute to many elements of the 1924 opening. For additional information, visit causewaycelebration.com.
This month’s featured images from the Coastal Georgia Historical Society are of F. J. Torras in engineering attire and of a section of the causeway in 1924.
The Coastal Georgia Historical Society presents this article and images from our archives as part of our mission “to connect people to Coastal Georgia’s dynamic history.” The Society operates the iconic St. Simons Lighthouse Museum and the World War II Home Front Museum, housed in the Historic Coast Guard Station at East Beach. To learn more about the Society, its museums, diverse programs, and membership, please visit coastalgeorgiahistory.org.
