Myrtle Beach Vacation Guide
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A Brief History of Myrtle Beach SC
How the Grand Strand Came to Be
Origins & Early Settlement
The history of South Carolina's Grand Strand is among the most fascinating and colorful in America. Most of the area lies within Horry County (pronounced "oh-ree").
Colonial Era
With the passing of time and the eventual settlement of Charles Town further south in 1670, the population and landscape of the Grand Strand slowly began to change.
Antebellum Period
By 1840, Georgetown District produced nearly one-half of the total rice crop of the United States and became the largest rice-exporting port in the world, rice was king.
Post-Civil War & Isolation
After the Civil War, the rice culture slowly faded and lumber and naval stores became the primary industries. Horry County was often called the "Independent Republic of Horry."
The Birth of a Resort Town
Around 1900, Burroughs and Collins Company began developing the Grand Strand, constructing a railroad to the beach from Conway and building the first hotel, the Seaside Inn.
Mid-Century Growth
Fueled by the optimism and growing prosperity of the 1950s, Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand became one of the most popular destinations in the Southeast for summertime vacationers.
Modern Era
The 1960s ushered in a golf boom along the coast, with courses exceeding 100 today. Since the 1970s, growth has continued at record pace with new accommodations and attractions.
Chronological History of Horry County and Myrtle Beach
1735 – First land grants established in area that became Horry County
1801 – Horry District named for Brigadier General Peter Horry. The village of Kingston was designated the county seat and renamed Conwayborough for Brigadier General Robert Conway
1830s – Commercial production of naval stores becomes important
1861-65 – Civil War. First steamboat on the Waccamaw River was "The Francis Marion." The age of steamboats locally lasts through World War I
1881 – Burroughs and Collins Company of Conway purchases much of the Withers' family land (in an area that later became Myrtle Beach)
1886 – Charleston earthquake felt here on Aug. 31
1887 – Railroad comes to Conway (changed from Conwayborough in 1883). A station along the route is named Loris
1888 – Withers Post Office opened (in area that later becomes Myrtle Beach)
1890s – Commercial tobacco cultivation begins
1893 – Tidal wave occurs on Oct. 13
1899 – Seashore and Conway Railroad begins construction of line from Conway to the beach
1900 – First train runs to Myrtle Beach (known as New Town at the time)
1901 – Burroughs and Collins Co. builds first beach hotel, the Seaside Inn
1907 – Contest held to give beach community its official name. Addie Burroughs, widow of Franklin G. Burroughs, suggests "Myrtle Beach" because of numerous wax myrtle shrubs that grow naturally and in abundance along the coast
1910s – Withers Post Office is replaced by the first Myrtle Beach Post Office
1912 – Chicago businessman Simeon B. Chapin purchases beach property and invests capital in town's development
1914 – Road to Myrtle Beach built. Town of Aynor is incorporated.
1927 – Myrtle Beach's first golf course, the Ocean Forest Club, opens and is later renamed Pine Lakes International Country Club
1930 – Ocean Forest Hotel opens in Myrtle Beach
1936 – Intracoastal Waterway is completed
1938 – Myrtle Beach is incorporated
1940s – Myrtle Beach Air Force Base is established and used for coastal patrols during World War II
1948 – Ocean Drive Beach is incorporated
1953 – Crescent Beach is incorporated
1954 – Hurricane Hazel slams ashore on Oct. 15. Coastal Carolina College is established
1958 – Ocean View Hospital opens in Myrtle Beach
1959 – Cherry Grove Beach is incorporated
1964 – Surfside Beach and Windy Hill Beach are incorporated
1965 – Horry-Georgetown Technical College is established
1966 – Atlantic Beach is incorporated
1968 – Ocean Drive Beach, Crescent Beach, Windy Hill Beach and Cherry Grove Beach consolidated and become North Myrtle Beach
1974 – Ocean Forest Hotel is demolished Sept. 13
1989 – Hurricane Hugo hits Sept. 21-22
1993 – Myrtle Beach Air Force Base is closed
2006 – After 58 years of operation, the Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park holds its "Farewell Season" and closes
