Home > Business Insider > Archives > 2008 > August > 04
Monday, August 4, 2008
Leonard Meyer recalls brother’s role in origins of Lake Lanier Islands
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After reading my column about Virgil Williams’ longterm investment in Lake Lanier Islands, Leonard Meyer sent me an email, which he said I could share with you.
By the way, Leonard Meyer also has an interesting history. He just retired as an executive vice president of Empire Distributors Inc., ending a 62-year-career in the wholesale liquor and wine business in Georgia. He started out with State Wholesalers Inc. founded by his father, David N. Meyer, in 1938. Leonard Meyer merged that company with Empire in 1988.
But back to Lake Lanier Islands…..
Here is Leonard Meyer’s email….
I was very interested in your column in this morning’s AJC about he Williams family getting a 50-year-lease on the Lake Lanier Islands on which they will spend a fortune to make another fortune.
It would have been nice if you had mentioned that the island in your story is named SYLVAN Island for my late brother, Sylvan Meyer, who was responsible for all of the islands.
He was editor of the Gainesville Daily Times for 35 years and was instrumental in the concept and construction of Lake Lanier and who saw that seven parcels of land would remain after the lake reached full pool.
He went to see Gov. Lester Maddox, who despised him for his liberal and anti-segregation policies, and convinced him to secure $500,000 from the Georgia Legislature to buy these parcels for the state, which they did and they became the Lake Lanier Islands.
Sylvan was he first chairman of the Lake Lanier Islands Development committee. You could talk to Philip Wilheit in Gainesville who was chairman when the first and largest island was dedicated to Sylvan.
By the way, Gov.Maddox out of spite told Sylvan he could have his islands but the state would not appropriate any funds to build a bridge so the islands could be accessed from the mainland.
Sylvan flew to Washington and went to the home of Sen. Richard Russell to ask him for government money to build a bridge and was told by the senator’s houseman that the senator was too ill too see anyone.
The senator heard Sylvan’s voice and demanded that he have him come into his bedroom. Sylvan spent five minutes with the senator who told him that he was too ill to go to the Congress and doubted he could help.
Three days later, Sylvan’s secretary told him that Senator Russell was on the phone, and when Sylvan answered, Russell said simply: “Sylvan, you’ve got your bridge.”
I sincerely hope that the Williams family will not completely desecrate that beautiful island. At the entrance there is a Marble Pylon with a bronze plaque erected by ten of Sylvan’s friends commemorating his legacy.
He was cremated when he died in 2001 and we scattered his ashes in his beloved lake.
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
