Welcome to the Savannah Sideways Podcast - Season One - The Strange Story of Savannah's Ancient Roman Statuary. EPISODE 4 – Ossabaw Coincidences & Connections:In this fourth episode, host Jessica Leigh Lebos follows the Torrey family’s journey from the ashes of their Greenwich mansion to the wild beauty of Ossabaw Island, uncovering how loss, legacy, and a touch of magic intertwined to shape one of Georgia’s most fascinating conservation stories. Meet Eleanor “Sandy” Torrey West, the indomitable woman who turned her family’s Gilded Age retreat into a crucible for art, science, and spiritual exploration. From the ruins of Greenwich Place to the pink stucco mansion on Ossabaw, Sandy’s life bridges eras—where ancient myths meet modern activism and coincidence feels more like cosmic choreography. Through conversations with Elizabeth DuBose of the Ossabaw Island Foundation and a deeply personal story of discovery, Jessica traces how statues, stories, and serendipity connect Savannah’s past to its present. Along the way, we meet a cast of visionaries—artists, philosophers, conservationists—and a woman whose 108 years embodied the spirit of the island she fought to save. This episode is about more than marble and memory. It’s about meaning: how we follow signs, find purpose in patterns, and keep listening for the gods—Hermes included—who travel beside us. SHOW LINKS: Meet Jessica Leigh Lebos Check out Savannah Sideways Substack Check out Jessica's books Meet the Producers: Dee Daniels Media THANKS TO THOSE WHO MADE THIS SHOW POSSIBLE: Dr. Erika Morrow and the team at ForSight Unique Eye Care & Eye Wear Bubba Gumbo's Tybee Island Tybee Island Marina BG’s Seafood Co-Op Bonaventure Don The 5 Spot Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum Shot By Somi SIXBY Lone Wolf Lounge Over Yonder Celebritees FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Introduction: Ossabaw Coincidences and Connections 00:13 The Torrey Family's New Beginning on Ossabaw Island 00:37 The Rich History of Georgia's Barrier Islands 01:26 Ossabaw Island Through the Ages 03:18 The Torrey Family Legacy and the Pink Mansion 05:49 Sandy West: The Woman Who Saved Ossabaw 08:55 The Ossabaw Island Project and Genesis Project 10:02 The Fight to Preserve Ossabaw Island 12:38 Sandy West's Final Years and Legacy 16:15 The Author's Personal Journey and Connection to the Story 22:25 The Auction and the Photograph 28:10 Conclusion: The Strange Story of Savannah's Ancient Roman Statuary