Myrtle Beach Area Retirement and Real Estate

Horry (pronounced O-REE') County, bordered on its eastern side by the Atlantic Ocean, on the western side by Marion County, northern side by Brunswick County, North Carolina and south side by Georgetown County. The Waccamaw River runs through the eastern half of the county. 

Horry County has been inhabited for at least ten thousand years. The area that is today Horry County was once the home of the Waccamaw tribe, a Siouan people.

Kingston Township was the original name for the town we now know as Conway which is located directly west of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  

Fur traders, relatives of English nobility, those seeking religious freedom and adventurous settlers seeking land came to the area known as Craven County, now know as Horry County.

The coastal fishing village of Little River is one of the oldest settlements in the county developed from those wanting to fish the Atlantic ocean and inlet waterways.  The fur trade  flourished.  Eventually the naval stores industry and farming became an important part of the County lifestyle.  In the 1700s and early 1800s, indigo was a major cash crop for the coastal area. The indigo was harvested from plants introduced to the area and from them a dye was made that was very much in demand in Europe.  The seemingly inexhaustible supply of pitch, pine tar, turpentine, and a variety of other naval products supplied many Horry County citizens with the majority of their income until the industry tapped out all of the natural resources needed for the production of naval stores and moved southward in the late 1800s.

General Francis Marion, known as the "Swamp Fox" for his ability to disappear into the swamps, had relatives in the area and passed through on occasions. Many of "Marion's Brigade" came from the Horry County area, which was then a part of Georgetown District. Col. Peter Horry served under General Marion, and the two combined to eventually rid the area of the British.

Peter Horry (O-REE') was a lieutenant colonel in the Revolution and later brigadier general in the SC Militia.  In 1801, Kingston County, which had been formed from Georgetown District in 1785, was renamed Horry District for Peter Horry. He died in 1815.

In December 1860, South Carolina was first to adopt an Ordinance of Secession. Horry County, while not aggressively Secessionist, joined the "Cause" as soon as South Carolina seceded. On April 12, 1861 cadets from the Citadel, the military college in Charleston, South Carolina fired on Federal forces at Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor and War had begun. The thundering sound of the canons in Charleston Harbor could be heard in Horry District but no major battles were fought in Horry County.  Ninety percent of the county’s men went to war and many did not return.

The county seat, which had originally been named Kingston but renamed Conwayborough after another Revolutionary War figure, Robert Conway, was raided early in 1865. Also, early in the year of 1865, Union troops aboard gunboats, fresh from Maine, sailed up from Georgetown to Conwayborough and occupied the county seat.

After the War Between the States economic progress gradually returned to the area. The first train pulled into Conway in mid-December of 1887. This era also saw an end to the naval stores industry that the area's economy had depended on since the arrival of the first settlers. With the profits of cotton falling, the farmers of Horry started turning to tobacco as a cash crop in the late 1890s. In 1898, Conwayborough shortened its name to Conway. 

In 1900, the Conway & Seashore Railroad was established from Conway to the seashore at Long Bay and the new town at the end of the tracks was named Myrtle Beach, named after the native Wax Myrtle shrub which grew behind the dunes. Burroughs & Collins Co. built the first hotel at the beach and named it the Seaside Inn. The new resort was first used by Conway residents.

The second courthouse which was located on Main Street in Conway was completed in 1825. It was designed by Robert Mills, the designer of the Washington Monument, and is currently used by Conway city government as the Conway City Hall.

In 1919 the United States Congress ordered the construction of the Intracoastal Waterway in response to German submarines that had patrolled off the coast of the eastern United States during World War I.  Finished in 1936, the Waterway stretched across the coastal section of the county, connecting Little River to Socastee Swamp and the Waccamaw River. 

Myrtle Beach kept growing and was eventually incorporated in 1938. When war once again came to the U.S. on December 7, 1941, Germans once again patrolled off of the South Carolina coast. It was not uncommon to hear explosions or see oil slicks and debris along area beaches. The Intracoastal Waterway became an important means of marine transportation as it provided a safe route for boats. It was common to see German soldiers on the streets of Myrtle Beach and Conway. These soldiers were German prisoners of war being held at a camp in Myrtle Beach. The soldiers were often allowed much freedom and many worked in the local communities. In the name of national defense, the United States Army took over 100,000 acres between the Intracoastal Waterway and present day Highway 90, forcing over 300 families to relocate. The land was used to establish a bombing range and flight school.

During the 1950s, the Grand Strand continued to grow into a family vacation destination. Growth was stunted temporarily by Hurricane Hazel which came ashore north of Myrtle Beach in October of 1954. The devastation was compounded by its arrival during high tide. The category 4 hurricane left much of the Grand Strand in ruins. The rebuilt Grand Strand was little like its southern, ocean side resort predecessor. Investors with large capital discovered the investment potential and took the opportunity Mother Nature offered to replace the single family cottages and small oceanfront hotels with large hotels and golf courses.

During 2005 and 2006 the Myrtle Beach area was the fourth fastest growing area in the nation.
 

The area continues to grow with full time residents as Baby Boomers tire of ice and snow and make the move to the semi-tropical climate.  During 2008 and 2009 there was a small decline in vacationers due to the economy but they will be back.