Myrtle Beach is a city in the state of South Carolina. It is located in Horry County and is part of the Grand Strand of beaches. The Grand Strand, also known as Long Bay, is an essentially uninterrupted 60 mile stretch of beach from Calabash, North Carolina to Georgetown, South Carolina. The primary city along this stretch of beachfront is Myrtle Beach.
Before the Europeans started arriving, Long Bay was inhabited by the Waccamaw Indians. These Indians settled mainly around the Little River area just slightly northeast of what is now Myrtle Beach. The river was used for travel and fishing.
Settlers first arrived in the Long Bay area in the 17th century. These new arrivals tried to extend the plantation system towards the ocean. The soil in the area was too sandy and produced poor crops so this was abandoned and the area returned to it’s uninhabited state.
Just around the time of the American Revolution, land grants were given to several families. The most notable of these was the Withers family and their granted land was called the Withers Swash. The Withers remained as one of the few settlers for the next 50 years until a strong hurricane took the house of R.F Withers into the ocean drowning 18 members of the family simultaneously. As a result, the Withers family abandoned their plot. The land was now uninhabited again and returned to it’s natural forested state.
After the Civil War, this abandoned land was purchased by the Conway Lumber Company. The company built the Conway & Seashore railroad to move cut timber inland. At the end of the railroad, a “Withers” post office was established. This was the area of the old Swash settled by the Withers years before.
This was called “New Town” and employees would take a rain flatcar to the beach on their weekends off.
The Seaside Inn was built in 1900 for visitors to the railroad. A contest was held to rename New Town. A resident, F.G. Burroughs suggested honoring a local shrub and the name “Myrtle Beach” was born.
Myrtle Beach continued to grow for the next couple of decades. In 1938, the city incorporated and in 1940, Myrtle Beach Municipal Airport was built and the King’s Highway was paved which gave the city it’s first primary roadway.
Presently, Myrtle Beach is a huge tourist attraction bringing over 13 million visitors a year to the pristine beaches. This tourism drives the local economy directly, but golf is another major attraction in Myrtle Beach. A staggering 4.2 million rounds of golf are played annually here.
As of the 2006 census, Myrtle Beach holds the following statistics:
• Myrtle Beach Has 24,856 residents
• Myrtle Beach Has 10,415 households
• Myrtle Beach Has 5,450 families
• Myrtle Beach Population density of 1350 per square mile
• Myrtle Beach Median income of $51,000 a year
• Average cost of a new home in Myrtle Beach is $252,000
• Average gasoline cost per gallon of $2.04 per gallon
• 16.8 square miles with all but .04 square miles being land
• Of all Myrtle Beach residents, 81% are Caucasian, 13% African American and the remainder being Native American Indian, Pacific Islander and other ethnicity.
Development is always on the slate for Myrtle Beach and new projects, attractions and tourist draws are constantly under construction. This city will grow continually as people visit the area.
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