Hilton Head History Facts and Timeline

(Hilton Head, South Carolina - SC, USA)

Hilton Head, an island off the coast of South Carolina, was founded in 1663 by Captain William Hilton, an English explorer who named the island after himself. It had previously been discovered by Spanish explorers in 1521, who initiated first contact with the native Indian tribes.

These tribes are believed to have occupied Hilton Head for around 15,000 years, as evidenced by the presence of a rare shell ring to the east of Sea Pines Forest. It is believed that the natives lived inside the ring and used it to dump refuse. The shell ring is now protected as a National Historical Site.

English Occupation

For much of the 18th century, Hilton Head was passed between various rich British landowners, who used the land for plantations. In 1788, an Episcopal church was established for use by plantation owners. The church no longer stands today, although the remains of some characters from the island's earliest days are buried in its cemetery. The Coastal Discovery Museum is one of the best places to learn about these early times in Hilton Head history.

The American Civil War and Hilton Head in the 1800s

The oldest remaining structure on the island is the Baynard Mausoleum, which was constructed in 1846, within the cemetery of the Episcopal church. During the American Civil War, the Confederates established a major base at Fort Walker, with the intention of protecting the strategic entrance to the Port Royal Sound. In November 1861, the fort fell to a Navy fleet of unprecedented size and an assault by more than 12,000 Union soldiers. Navy Secretary Gideon Welles then named the fort after himself, and Fort Welles later became a key Union base.

The Early 20th Century

Hilton Head history in the early part of the 20th century was fairly unremarkable, but there were a couple of notable events. In 1931, Alfred Lee Loomis purchased more than 60 percent of Hilton Head to set up a private game reserve with his brother-in-law. Loomis was a famous scientist and a big player on Wall Street. Additionally, the US Coast Guard established the Mounted Beach Patrol and Dog Training Center here. Otherwise, the population continued doing the work that people had performed before the American Civil War, namely logging, fishing and cotton manufacture.

The Arrival of a Tourist Destination

One of the most important events in the recent history of Hilton Head occurred in 1956, when a two-lane swing bridge opened and connected the island to the mainland by road.

In the same year, Hilton Head opened its first hotel, the Sea Pines Resort, which is still open to this day. Sea Pines has its own golf course, a regular on the US PGA tour circuit, and is now one of many resorts and gated communities on the island. The Hilton Head Island Airport has been serving commercial aircraft for many years and opened a new passenger terminal in 1995.