Beaufort History....continued.In 1878, a large portion of Beaufort County was removed to form Hampton County. By 1890, Northerners again came, this time to hunt and fish the abundant game. Thousands of acres were sold to private hunt clubs for the wealthy. Hunt lands continued to expand. In 1931, remaining lands owned by the federal government were acquired as well. Access to the islands was by water only. In 1891 a small detachment of Marines were sent to the area. The United States Marine Corps began training recruits at Parris Island in 1915. Nearly 20,000 Marines now graduate here each year. During WW2, the Leamington Lighthouse on Hilton Head was the site of Camp McDougal. Gun emplacements along the Atlantic are still visible south as the sands shift with the tides. Like many of the South's coastal regions, Beaufort's non-military economy in the first half of the 20th century depended upon agriculture, lumbering, and commercial fishing. Electricity and telephones were late coming to the remote regions, many small communites were not supplied until 1960. However, 1950 marks the beginning of modern development of Hilton Head, and the gradual transition of the coastal areas to resort, golf, and residential communities. In the early '50s, Georgia investors purchased of 19,000 of Hilton Head Island's 25,000 acres. While lumbering occurred over much of the island, the southern tip became Sea Pines Plantation. Begun in 1956, Sea Pines is the site of Harbour Town and its landmark hexagonal lighthouse, world-class harbor and chic boutiques. Dirt roads gave way to paved ones. Beautiful bridges replaced ferry boats accessing the sea islands. Residential communities were developed, often around original plantation boundaries. Rapid growth of Hilton Head Island began in 1970. In 1983, the Town of Hilton Head was incorporated. .........END |
