Myrtle Beach, South Carolina City Guide
For over 20 years, Pamela Lanier's Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Travel Guide has been your connection to Myrtle Beach's tourism community with invaluable details on local attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, history, outdoor recreation and more.
Myrtle Beach History
Myrtle Beach, part of the larger area referred to as The Grand Strand, was first incorporated as a town in 1938 and became a city in 1957. Its name comes from the wax myrtle, a shrub that grows abundantly in the area. The Waccamaw Indians were the first to inhabit Waties Island, the primary barrier island along Long Bay. The first European settlers arrived in the late 17th century but were unsuccessful in their attempts to establish plantations as the soil was sandy and crop yields poor. By the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, people began to vacation here, but there were few permanent residents. Drawn by the beauty of the area, more people began to call Myrtle Beach their primary home as the 1900’s progressed and in recent years, according to the 2000 Census, the city is the 13th fastest growing US metropolitan area.
