Horry County - South Carolina Encyclopedia (2024)

By the 1840s Horry’s political and social isolation gave rise to its nickname, the Independent Republic of Horry.

(1,134 sq. miles; 2020 pop. 365,449). Horry is the largest and easternmost of South Carolina’s forty-six counties, forming a wedge between North Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean. In 1785 the Georgetown Judicial District was subdivided into four counties, one of which, Kingston County, became Horry District in 1801. In its modern form, the Little Pee Dee River separates Horry County from Dillon, Marion, and Georgetown Counties on the west and south. The county was named for Peter Horry, an officer in the Revolutionary War.

It is likely that Spaniards probed Horry’s coastline as early as the 1530s, but more than two centuries passed before European and African newcomers gained a foothold in what became Horry County. In the 1670s English settlers began to cluster around South Carolina’s harbors and adjacent rivers. In 1735, as part of Governor Robert Johnson’s plan to settle the interior, Kingston Township was laid out in the northeastern part of the colony, along the north bank of the Waccamaw River. Slowly pioneer families began entering Horry. Most of them drifted down from North Carolina and Virginia, while a few came up the Waccamaw River from Georgetown. While some brought slaves with them, most were “poor white Protestants” who expected to earn their daily bread by the sweat of their own brows.

Several factors impelled Horry’s development in a different direction from other South Carolina counties. In the first place, geography isolated Horry. The Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Pee Dee Swamp on the west and south made communication with other South Carolinians difficult. Ironically, Horry’s northern border was mostly dry, level ground, facilitating contact with North Carolina. Tar Heel influences were subtle but persistent, and in many ways Horry came to resemble neighboring North Carolina counties. By the 1840s Horry’s political and social isolation gave rise to its nickname, the Independent Republic of Horry.

Horry’s economic development was also distinctive. Except for a few miles along the lower Waccamaw River, Horry was too far inland for the tidewater rice culture that dominated the lowcountry. Likewise, the Horry landscape was unsuited to large-scale cotton production. Thus the plantation economy common to other counties never evolved. For example, in 1860 two-thirds of Horry’s farms were valued at less than $600 while small farms in neighboring Georgetown County comprised only one-quarter of the total. Horry became a refuge of yeomen farmers subsisting on their modest holdings and bartering with neighbors. The census of 1860 reckoned Horry the poorest county in South Carolina.

Demographics reflected the economy. Few Horry farmers owned slaves, and only the mountain district of Pickens had a greater white majority. Lack of commitment to slavery influenced Horry’s politics as well. In 1860 many Horryites opposed secession but closed ranks with their state and region after Fort Sumter. Horry men mustered into the Tenth South Carolina Volunteers and saw service in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia. Defeat and emancipation had less impact on Horry than other counties. Accustomed to doing their own work, most Horry folk simply resumed their lives of toil.

In 1887 a branch of the Wilmington, Columbia, and Augusta Railroad (and its attendant telegraph line) linked Horry County to the outside world. Better transportation and communication opened markets for Horry’s forest products, and timber, tar, and turpentine became important exports for several years. Horry farmers felled, tapped, and scraped pine trees for a few extra dollars per year.

In the 1890s Horry embraced bright leaf tobacco as a cash crop. By 1903 thousands of acres of leaf were growing and tobacco markets were thriving in Conway and Loris. Tobacco put Horry’s subsistence/barter economy on a cash basis, and Horry farmers marched into the twentieth century in step with world markets. By the 1920s Horry was South Carolina’s top tobacco-producing county. Predictably Horry’s fortunes rose and fell with tobacco’s, booming with high leaf prices and languishing with low ones. The Great Depression of the 1930s caused fewer hardships in Horry than many other places. Horry folk typically lived on their own land and raised their own food, and thus felt less change in their living standard. The federal production control/price support system established for bright leaf in the 1930s protected the income of tobacco growers and stabilized Horry’s economy.

Horry County prospered after World War II. A profitable cash crop coupled with the developing resort economy along the coast ushered in an era of sustained growth. In the 1950s Horry’s beaches began attracting increasing numbers of tourists, and Myrtle Beach became the centerpiece of Horry’s thirty-mile-long Grand Strand. In the 1970s and 1980s capital investment and population flowed into Horry as resort hotels and condominiums rose along the coast and forests were felled for golf courses. Horry’s good climate and abundant land helped to transform the county into a world-class golf destination.

By the 1980s Horry had evolved into two distinct cultures: a cosmopolitan, sun-belt economy along the coast and a traditional, agrarian society inland. As tobacco farming declined in the 1980s, many rural folk found service jobs, transforming Horry towns such as Loris and Aynor into bedroom communities. Along with Horry’s population growth came greater diversity as significant numbers of Hispanics and Asians joined the workforce in the 1990s. In the late twentieth century, Horry became one of South Carolina’s most prosperous counties. But rapid growth strained local infrastructure, and Horry County entered the twenty-first century struggling to meet the demand for expanding services.

Gragg, Rod. The Illustrated History of Horry County. Myrtle Beach, S.C.: Southern Communications, 1994.

Lewis, Catherine H. Horry County, South Carolina, 1730–1993. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1998.

Prince, Eldred E., and Robert R. Simpson. Long Green: The Rise and Fall of Tobacco in South Carolina. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2000.

  • Written by Eldred E. Prince, Jr.
Horry County - South Carolina Encyclopedia (2024)

FAQs

Horry County - South Carolina Encyclopedia? ›

Horry is the largest and easternmost of South Carolina's forty-six counties, forming a wedge between North Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean. In 1785 the Georgetown Judicial District was subdivided into four counties, one of which, Kingston County, became Horry District in 1801.

What is Horry County famous for? ›

The county's primarily agrarian land coexists with Myrtle Beach, an internationally famous vacation destination in the midst of the coastal Grand Strand beaches. Horry County is currently involved in a historic property survey and is the only county in South Carolina recognized as a Certified Local Government.

What is the largest city in Horry County SC? ›

Conway is the county seat, and Myrtle Beach is the largest city.

What is the ethnicity of Horry County? ›

2020 census
RaceNum.Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)265,72975.7%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)39,36711.21%
Native American1,1740.33%
Asian4,5781.3%
3 more rows

Is Horry County a good place to live? ›

Five Horry County areas have been named among the 10 best places to retire in South Carolina in 2024, according to Niche, a national ranking and review web site. Garden City ranked No. 2 on the list, beaten by neighboring Murrells Inlet in Georgetown County.

What is the most visited city in South Carolina? ›

The famous bridge in Charleston. The most visited city in South Carolina, and some say America is right here, in the Palmetto State. Every year, almost 8 million people come to Charleston, South Carolina for the history, the beauty, and, of course, the food!

What is the holy city in South Carolina? ›

Historic Charleston, South Carolina is often called 'The Holy City'. This is due to the large number of beautiful Churches which are historic and built with fantastic Architecture.

What is the highest elevation in Horry County SC? ›

Elevation: 120+ feet, 37+ meters.

What is the smallest city in South Carolina? ›

There are 271 cities and towns in South Carolina ranging in population from 45 to 129,272. With populations of 45, Smyrna and Tatum are the state's smallest cities, followed by Jenkinsville with a population of 46. 46 percent of the state's municipalities have a population of less than 1,000 residents.

What is the biggest city near Myrtle Beach? ›

The Myrtle Beach MSA's principal cities, ordered by population, are Myrtle Beach, Conway, and North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.

What is the blackest county in South Carolina? ›

South Carolina Black Population Percentage by County
CountyValue
Calhoun40.7
Charleston26.8
Cherokee20.7
Chester37.0
42 more rows

What is the black tribe in South Carolina? ›

The Gullah Geechee people are the descendants of West and Central Africans who were enslaved and bought to the lower Atlantic states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia to work on the coastal rice, Sea Island cotton and indigo plantations.

What are the whitest counties in South Carolina? ›

South Carolina White Population Percentage by County
CountyValue
Oconee89.2
Orangeburg34.7
Pickens88.9
Richland45.9
42 more rows

Why is the crime rate so high in Myrtle Beach? ›

Tourist-related Crimes: There are several tourist-related crimes that occur in Myrtle Beach, including scams, pickpocketings, and theft of personal belongings. In places with high tourist traffic, such as beaches, hotels, and entertainment districts, there is a higher rate of such crimes.

What is the poverty rate in Horry County SC? ›

The percent of the population living below the poverty level in the United States is 15.5%. South Carolina (17.9%) and Horry County (18.1%) both have higher poverty rates than the national average.

Where do the rich live in Myrtle Beach? ›

The Myrtle Beach area is home to many expensive homes. Houses sell for millions of dollars, and while there are expensive homes across the Grand Strand, the Grande Dunes area is home to some of the most pricey abodes.

Is South Carolina famous for anything? ›

South Carolina is known for its Southern charm, coastal cities, and hospitality. From landmarks like Charleston and Fort Sumter to Lowcountry cuisine, there's always something to learn about South Carolina no matter how long you've lived there.

Why is Myrtle Beach popular? ›

Our 35,000-plus permanent residents and millions of visitors enjoy the wide beaches, the warm weather and an incredible range of entertainment, nightlife, golf, shopping, dining and live theatre.

Why is it called Cherry Grove? ›

Cherry Grove has been a home away from home for many since the 1950's. The small beach town received it's name from Cherry Grove Plantation, which occupied the area in the early 1700s. Over the years, the plantation was sold and a portion of it was eventually transformed into Cherry Grove Beach.

What is grinding of the greens Horry County? ›

December 26 - January 26 - Grinding of the Greens. The Horry County Solid Waste Authority encourages you to take one extra step to make the holidays green and bright, RECYCLE your natural Christmas tree after the season. Simply remove all lights, decorations (including tinsel) and the tree stand.

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