The official language of the island at this time was known as Gullah. This was a combination of native, Elizabethian English, slave speak, and cadence. Evidence of the rich Gullah culture is still present on the island as residents seek to preserve it. Gullah is a big part of the history of Hilton Head.
Hilton Head was still a prosperous farming and hunting area. This led northern settlers south to fish and take from the land. Hunting Clubs purchased 1,000 acres of land. By 1931, only 300 African Americans lived on the island. All of the federal land had been sold to hunting clubs in the area.
World War II found the island useful again. Lemington Lighthouse was used as Camp McDougal. Target practice and military training occurred on the relatively desolate island otherwise. However, it was not until the 1950’s before Hilton Head was able to step into the modern age.
In 1951, electricity was wired to the island, the first telephone was installed on the island in 1960, and boat travel would soon not be required to get to the island!
It was in the 1950’s when Hilton Head hero Charles Fraser and his business partner, Fred Hack, purchased 19,000 acres of land on Hilton Head. This was nearly the entire island, which spans over 25,000 acres.
It was during this time the men started to preserve the island. Timber production and hunting ended. Then small parcels of the land were sold for development purposes. The goal of Fraser and Hack was to maintain the natural environment of the island yet still allow people to enjoy living amongst the beauty the island presented.
Fraser helped to develop the first bridge and soon, cars and other forms of transport made the island more accessible to travelers. It began the modern era of the history of Hilton Head. It was not long before the island began to grow.
It started in the 1970’s when only 2,500 residents called Hilton Head home. Today over 39,000 residents live on the island and millions of visitors travel here each year for vacation purposes.
(other parts of The History of Hilton Head can be found below)
The late 1800's were a prosperous period in the history of Hilton Head. These years eventually lead way to conflict.
South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union in 1860 and was the site of the first battle of the war, at nearby Fort Sumter in Charleston.
General Robert E. Lee was in charge of the entire South Carolina coast as well as the coast of eastern Florida and Georgia. The island became a pivotal part of the sea battles during the war.
Weather has also a played part in the history of Hilton Head. The area faced a large hurricane in 1861. While damage was extensive, the land remained as it was and Confederate soldiers were ambushed by a 77-ship armada with 13,000 Union soldiers on board.
The Confederate soldiers had little choice but to abandon the area as they were fired on. The ships were attacking all of the islands including Hilton Head. At least a thousand slaves in the area were freed by the Union Solders.
The Union soldiers took over the South Carolina coast, including Hilton Head. It was during this year that a fort, Fort Mitchel was built in honor of General Ormsby Mitchel. Over 50,000 soldiers were stationed at Hilton Head.
Their goal was to block off travel from Savannah, preventing the South from exporting all of their major crops including cotton in exchange for supplies and money from Europe.
Eventually, Hilton Head became a place to transport wounded soldiers and prisoners of war. It was the home of the Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Newly freed slaves on the island were forced into battle.
These became the first African American troops in the war. They were paid for their service and many of these troops were able to afford their own land on the island once the war ended.
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A unique first in U.S. history - and in the history of Hilton Head was about to take place - Mitchelville was developed by General Mitchel. It was created as a place for homeless slaves and northern troop families to go.
Many of these slaves congregated on the island having fled from their homestead throughout the state. This city soon had 1,500 residents before the war ended.
When the war ended, the soldiers left, those in Mitcheville left, and soon the only people left were the freed slaves. Hilton Head had been forgotten. Small communities did begin to form as these men and women took on the roles of anglers, fishnet makers, farmers, and even basket weavers.
The History of Hilton Head: Civil War through Present Day
