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DEL.ICIO.USLeonard 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.
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Comments
By Dick Hodges
August 5, 2008 4:55 PM | Link to this
This was a most interesting message about a newspaperman I knew well and held in the highest regard throughout his life. I sort of lost track with him after he moved away from Georgia—to Florida as I recall. I especially remember Sylvan for his journalistic leadership and integrity when I was president of the Atlanta chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, the Society of Professional Journalists, in the days when Jack Tarver and Gene Patterson and Ralph McGill were active and involved in promoting journalistic excellence in our area. I did not know of Sylvan’s significant role at Lake Lanier, although his achievements in behalf of the lake, and many other matters, are no surprise to anybody who knew him. Another important personality in the development of Lake Lanier as an important recreational area for Atlanta and the rest of Georgia was Jack Beacham, the owner and founder of Holiday on Lake Lanier marina. It was through Jack, in behalf of our client the Carling Brewing Company, and working with the newly-created Lake Lanier Sailing Club that we helped create the first big sailing regatta held on Lake Lanier. The prize was the Carling trophy (and lots of fellowship, food and beverages), which drew sailing boats of various classes and sailors and their families from throughout the South. The event, with which our Carling client and our agency Liller Neal. were involved for several subsequent years, generated a good deal of publicity for the lake, for sailboat regattas, and for the Lake Lanier Sailing Club. I regret that I have lost track of Jack, but he was another major factor in putting Lake Lanier on the map in those early days of its existence. However, it is especially good to be reminded of Sylvan, truly one of the South’s most able news professionals of those long ago days.
By Brian
August 5, 2008 10:20 PM | Link to this
Wow, great stories about Lake Lanier. A lot more history there than many realize.