Georgetown | SC Counties

Although a number of Native American tribes already lived in the area and the Spanish had visited, English planters and their African slaves were the first to settle what is now known as Georgetown County.

Although a number of Native American tribes already lived in the area and the Spanish had visited, English planters and their African slaves were the first to settle what is now known as Georgetown County. In 1769 Prince Frederick, All Saints, and Prince George parishes were combined, resulting in Georgetown District. In 1785 the district split into four counties including Winyah County. Winyah County would later be renamed Georgetown County in honor of King George II. Despite the approval of the British that this name suggests, Francis Marion regularly engaged in guerilla warfare from the county’s marshes during the Revolutionary War.

A coastal location has always served as a large source of wealth for Georgetown County. The location favored the growth of plantation crops, especially cotton and Indigo. In fact, Indigo planters became so affluent that they became their own level of high society known formally as the “Winyah Indigo Society.” Later, rice took over and became the crop of choice for Georgetown County plantation owners, but Indigo plants still grow wild in the area. Furthermore, the Georgetown Port, in the county seat of Georgetown, became such a source of income that pirates plagued the county’s coast.

Today one can easily observe a connection between Georgetown County’s past and its future. The African slaves brought over by British planters to farm cotton, Indigo, and rice have preserved the Gullah culture throughout the generations. This culture is especially evident on Sandy Island. Georgetown’s port still anchors the county’s economy. The county’s historical significance, coastal location, beach towns, and nature preserves make it a popular tourism destination.

Georgetown County, A Brief History. Accessed June 03, 2016.
http://www.georgetowncountysc.org/about/history.html

 

Brookgreen Gardens | From the Sky
Brookgreen Gardens | From the Sky

Video

Near the northern coastline of South Carolina, just south of Murrells Inlet is an outdoor sanctuary that is like no place else in the world. Brookgreen Gardens is affectionately called the Floral...
Brookgreen Gardens | South Carolina Public Radio
Brookgreen Gardens | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

"B" is for Brookgreen Gardens. The Archer M. and Anna Hyatt Huntington Sculpture Gardens at Brookgreen rests on thirty acres of display gardens in the middle of some 9,100 acres of the South Carolina...
Sandy Island (S.C.) Stop 4 - The Ecotone
Sandy Island (S.C.) Stop 4 - The Ecotone

Video

Rudy and Jim visit an ecotone, which is a line between two different habitats: one more dry, and one moister. Here we see a fetterbush, the inkberry or gallberry, which is another species of holly...
Sandy Island (S.C.) Stop 8 - Cypress Tupelo Swamp
Sandy Island (S.C.) Stop 8 - Cypress Tupelo Swamp

Video

Cypress Tupelo Swamp: The ground here close to Indian Lake is perfect for tree species such as old cypress, red maples, and tupelos. Water pennywort resides in the water itself, and mistletoe is both...