Murrells Inlet

History

The land around Murrells Inlet has a record of human settlement that goes back thousands of years, before written history. Shell mounds and archeological findings from the Atlantic Ocean to the Waccamaw River document the cultures of indigenous peoples who lived in this area. At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants included the historic Waccamaw people, who took advantage of the natural resources provided by the creeks and rivers. Wachesaw is loosely translated as "Place of Great Weeping", in reference to the burial grounds. Indian burial mounds have been found along the high bluffs at Wachesaw that contained European beads, urns and other artifacts. The recorded history of the area begins with English colonial settlements and the land grants made by the Lords Proprietors. To encourage development of the colony of South Carolina, they granted large portions of the Waccamaw Neck to men who were willing to transport workers here and settle the land. These estates stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Waccamaw River. The baronies were typically tens of thousands of acres that were subdivided into long narrow plantations that ranged from . The plantations of Murrells Inlet included The Oaks, Brookgreen, Springfield, Laurel Hill, Richmond Hill, and Wachesaw (from south to north). The first land grants were given to Robert Daniell in 1711, who in turn sold to several other speculators. The first planters arrived in the 1730s, some from Virginia, to begin developing agriculture and settlements. Captain John Murrell bought , which were eventually developed as Wachesaw and Richmond Hill plantations. He had a house on a bluff built around 1733. He was a subsistence farmer, and raised indigo as the primary cash crop. He died in 1771, leaving his land to son…

Geography

Murrells Inlet is located in northeastern Georgetown County. The northern edge of the CDP follows the Horry County line. U.S. Route 17 (Ocean Highway) runs through the center of the community, leading northeast to Myrtle Beach and southwest to Georgetown, the seat of Georgetown County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Murrells Inlet CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 2.21%, are water. The local hardiness zone is 8b.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  16,429
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  14,932
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  14,443
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  14,218
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  13,336
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,015
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,916
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  11,230