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The first inhabitants to Horry and Georgetown Counties were the Waccamaw and Winyah Native Americans who named the region Chicora, meaning the land. The area's rich natural resources provided abundant food and shelter.

Early European explorers were also attracted to the area, but the first attempt at settlement in 1526 by Spaniards ended in disease and its inhabitants perished. In 1730 English colonists laid out plans for George Towne. A native son of Georgetown County, General Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox created havoc on the British during the American Revolution in the late 1760s. His exploits were dramatized in the film, The Patriot.

Great dining and great views on the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk are serviced by Coast RTA Route 16. Photo courtesy of the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce.

Surrounded by rivers and marshlands, Georgetown became the center of America's colonial rice empire producing up to 25-percent of the world's rice. Much of the area's fascinating history from this era is portrayed today at the Georgetown Rice Museum, Hopsewee Plantation and Brookgreen Gardens. Before the onset of the Civil War, Plantation owners turned Pawleys Island into one of the first summer resorts on the Atlantic coast.

Until the 1900s, the beaches of Horry and Georgetown Counties were virtually uninhabited due to geographical inaccessibility and poor economy. In 1901 Burroughs & Collins Company, a timber-turpentine firm built the area's first beach hotel, the Seaside Inn. At that time oceanfront lots sold for $25 and buyers received an extra lot if they built a house valued at $500 or more.

From malls to specialty shops, the Myrtle Beach Area is a shoppers dream and Coast RTA will get you there. Photo courtesy of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

From that humble beginning the Grand Strand, stretching from Little River south to Pawleys Island and on to Georgetown, has experienced remarkable growth. A favorite destination of over 14 million visitors, tourists come to enjoy the beaches, golf, theatres, attractions, amusements, dining and wide variety of accommodations.

Begin your vacation planning online by visiting these Destination Marketing Organizations:

Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau:
www.VisitMyrtleBeach.com

Georgetown County Tourism
www.VisitGeorgetownCountysc.com

North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce
www.northmyrtlebeachchamber.com

City of Conway Chamber of Commerce
www.conwayscchamber.com/visitors

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