Girl Scouts want to rename Savannah’s Talmadge Bridge after this hometown heroine

Girl Scouts across the nation are taking a stand about a move to rename Savannah’s Talmadge Bridge.

The organization has launched a petition drive proposing that the state of Georgia rename the span over the Savannah River the Juliette Gordon Low Bridge in honor of the Girl Scouts founder and Savannah native.

Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia and their leaders say they’ll be lobbying for the bridge name change at the state Capitol on Feb. 6.

“Beginning with the first gathering of 18 girls in Savannah on March 12, 1912, Juliette broke the conventions of the time — reaching across class, cultural and ethnic boundaries to ensure all girls, including those with disabilities, had a place to grow and develop their talents and leadership skills,” the petition says.

The organization numbers 2.6 million members and 59 million alumnae, its website says.

Savannah’s City Council already has requested that Georgia legislators change the bridge’s name to the Savannah Bridge.

A public forum held on Sept. 5 indicated overwhelming support for the name change.

Girl Scout leaders informed the Savannah City Council of their intentions last week, according to a report by The Savannah Morning News.

The city leaders apologetically said they would stick to their previous resolution, the newspaper reported.

The name of the Talmadge Bridge has been a controversial topic in Savannah for several years. The name honors former Georgia Gov. Eugene Talmadge, known for his 1946 campaign that promised to reinstate “white only” primary elections.

This story was originally published January 8, 2018 at 3:42 PM with the headline "Girl Scouts want to rename Savannah’s Talmadge Bridge after this hometown heroine."