History of Hilton Head
While Hilton Head was incorporated as a town in 1983, the truth is that the island itself was inhabited for centuries before that. Now it’s home to more than 40,000 residents, all of which live in a variety of residential and resort communities. One thing to note is that the island still remains the way it was roughly 350 years ago. The natural beauty, seascapes, and ecology continues to impress a lot of people, and that’s one of the things that really makes Hilton Head such a standout place to visit.
The Sea Pines shell ring within Hilton Head Island is one of the fifty known to exist and it’s said to be at least 4,000 years old. It’s one of the things that make the Sea Pines Plantation so unique and different in the first place. Ever since the beginning of New World history, the Hilton Head waters have been known and then occupied by the French, Scots, Spanish and English. The area was first explored back in 1521 by Francisco Cordillo’s expedition. It was the first time Europeans were interacting with the tribes here. Then in 1663, another expedition towards Barbados got close to Hilton Head.
That expedition was led by Captain William Hilton and he identified a headland near the Port Royal Sound entrance, so he named it Hilton’s Head. He stayed here for multiple days, studying trees and crops, among many others.
In 1698, the island became a barony to John Bayley of Ballingclough, then his son appointed Alexander Trench as the first retail agent for the island. It was known as Trench’s Island for quite some time. Trench sold some land to John Gascoigne in 1729, and then the island Became John’s island.
Years after that, the Sea Pines Plantation owners created an Episcopal Church named the Zion Chapel of Ease. This managed to grow quite a bit, although, during the Civil War, Fort Walker on Hilton Head became a Confederate fort. The island itself was very important during the Civil war because it had points of operation that would help block the Southern ports for the Union. There was also a military hospital on the island. Hilton Head is widely known for being a Gullah, a place of refuge. The reason behind that is a lot of ex-slaves flocked to the island. It was great for them because they could purchase land, go to school and live in Governmental housing. During the 20th century, an experimental steam cannon was created that would provide long-range shots and assistance in case of any attacks. As the century progressed, multiple industries were established, including lumber mills and resorts.
Nowadays, Hilton Head is widely known for being an incredible place where you can relax and unwind. Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort was opened in 1996, and then the Cross Island Parkway was opened a year after that. While now there are a lot of tourists coming to Hilton Head for its great spas and vacation facilities, there’s no denying that you can also explore a variety of great places on the island like Sea Pines, Skull Creek, the Daufuskie Island Historic District, Fort Howell or Fort Mitchell. All of these offer a great insight into the island’s history, and there are well worth a visit!
