Hilton Head Island’s natural beauty, spectacular seascapes, exceptional ecology and South Carolina historical sites now beckon a new generation of explorers. The government provided freedmen a quarter of an acre of land and the materials to build a 22-by-18-foot house. By 1860, 24 plantations were in operation on Hilton Head Island. Location – Jarvis Creek (part of the Calibogue Sound), Hilton Head Island, St Helena Parish, Beaufort County Original plantation lands were located off US 278 in the vicinity of Honey Horn Plantation Road. It was a 45-hour journey — and sometimes the winds weren’t favorable, so they couldn’t make it Savannah, and the perishable goods would be lost. Hilton Head Tours for Annual Events Important annual events welcome the public to enjoy a showcase of the culture. And indeed, there are: Buildings of this era were made of tabby, which consists of lime, sand and oyster shells. “People come to the island and complain they can’t find anything!” Irv said. Negro Universities Press, New York (reprint of 1862 edition). He confiscated some land on Confederate General Thomas Fenwick Drayton’s Fish Haul Plantation, laid put streets and lots, and provided lumber for the former slaves to build their homes in a town that would be called Mitchelville. In the 1920s to the ’50s, Gullahs would trade fruit, veggies and wild game on the Simmons family’s property in Spanish Wells. Back in the day, the pavilions would have changing rooms, showers and a dance floor, all under one roof. Brought to the New World and forced to work on the plantations of coastal South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina and Florida, Gullah/Geechee people have retained many aspects of their African heritage due to the geographic barriers of the … While the entire area was named Bayley’s Barony, Hilton Head Island was referred to as Trench’s Island, in honor of Alexander Trench, the Bayley’s property agent and collector of land-lease fees. In the Gullah communities that developed on Hilton Head, everything was shared, and everyone knew each other. 1959. When the Union Army occupied South Carolina’s Sea Islands, including Hilton Head, on November 7, 1861, it freed about 10,000 slaves. I remember that one well. Gullah tends to be used more often to describe those living in South Carolina, and Geechee for those in Georgia. Mitchelville lasted from 1862 to 1877, when it finally dissolved. “But Mr. William Aiken took his recipes with him when he died,” Irv said. I thought that was the coolest thing — a town telling a huge company like Mickey D’s to follow their rules or shove it. It was the first self-governing town of formerly enslaved African Americans. Tickets cost $32 for adults; $15 for kids 12 and under. Whatever was left was given to Simmons, who would sail off to Savannah, Georgia once a week to sell the goods. The Civil War changed the lives of both planters and slaves on Hilton Head Island. In less than five hours, the Union fleet captured both Fort Beauregard on St. Philips Island and Fort Walker on Hilton Head Island. You’re too young to remember Sugar Daddy [caramel pops]. Its original inhabitants were known for fishing and shrimping. “The Gullah people are the descendants of the slaves who worked on the rice plantations in South Carolina and Georgia,” said historian Joseph Opala. The antebellum Zion Chapel of Ease Cemetery and Baynard Mausoleum, situated among ancient moss draped oaks and facing the waters of Broad Creek, is the burial place of several of Hilton Head Island’s original colonial families. Elliott, with the help of his neighbor, Will Seabrook, pioneered a new type of fertilizer for the cotton, resulting in record crops and wide acclaim for the Sea Island cotton. Later, in 1989, the Cross Island Parkway was constructed, making Hilton Head even more accessible to the vacationers (many from Ohio, as it’s about the max you’d be able to drive in a day) that now flock here every summer. The Gullah Heritage Corridor stretches from St. Augustine, Florida up to Wilmington, North Carolina, and Hilton Head Island played a key role in the community. During the Revolution, the British frequently raided Hilton Head Island and hostilities continued for weeks after Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. After the Civil War ended, Union soldiers auctioned off the island, according to Irv. An Authentic Culture of the Sea Islands Gullah is the West African based system of traditions, customs, beliefs, art forms and family life that have survived centuries of slavery and more than a … When William Hilton landed in the Lowcountry in 1663, he was greeted by Spanish-speaking Indians from the Yemassee tribe, who had migrated north from Florida 100 years prior. “They used to bring in Motown singers, from 1957 to ’70,” Irv reminisced. Strict rules remain when it comes to construction projects. In 1861, nearly all of Hilton Head Island was covered by plantations worked by slaves, according to maps from The Heritage Library and Beaufort County historians. Due to the land’s low elevation and hot summers, the wealthy landowners spent little time on the Island, opting to locate their beautiful townhouses in less tropical environments on the mainland. During the American Civil War, Union troops wanted to stop trade in the Confederacy, which led to an attack at Port Royal Sound, off of Hilton Head Island. Today, you can view these artifacts of Hilton Head Island history at Sea Pines Forest Preserve and on the north end of the Island, off Squire Pope Road in Green Shell Park. “On Hilton Head, we believe in setbacks and buffers. Thing is, only the whites were affected; because South Carolina has a similar semitropical environment to Africa, and the Gullahs had sickle cell immunity, slaves didn’t get sick, Irv told us. Incorporated as a town in 1983, Hilton Head Island is now home to several environmentally planned resort and residential communities, supporting more than 40,000 full-time residents. It means “living by the water,” according to Irv. Other structures were salvaged for building materials. After the war, as the freed slaves on the island attempted to grow Sea Island cotton, the boll weevil proved to be even more devastating. And it is a story about the survival of a people against seemingly insurmountable odds. "You see, Gullahs bury their dead along the edge of a waterway because they believe that's the only way we can get back to their homeland,” Irv told us. Not so long ago, Gullahs owned much of the land on the 26,880-acre isle. The Hilton Head story is about war and peace and slavery and freedom. Siem Reap Day Trip: Phnom Kulen and Kbal Spean, descendants of the slaves who worked on the rice plantations in South Carolina and Georgia, the very first former slaves to earn wages and actually get paid for their labor. His efforts were aided by the construction of a bridge to the mainland the same year. Once the island fell to Union troops, hundreds of ex-slaves flocked to Hilton Head, which is still home to many of whom are descendants of freed slaves known as the Gullah (or Geechee) who have managed to hold on to much of their ethnic and cultural identity. Enjoy easy days relaxing in the sun, sand and surf on some of the best beaches in the country. Maps - Hack, "Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, before 1861" Bibliography - Peeples, An Index to Hilton Head Island Names before 1861 Additional Information: 38BU871. Although the Island is home to many world-class golf courses and resorts, much of the landscape remains as it was when sighted from William Hilton’s ship more than 300 years ago. Drayton's negro quarters, Hilton Head, S.C. Summary Photograph shows soldiers and slaves in front of the slave quarters on Drayton's plantation. Today, historic Mitchelville is preserved as a tourist attraction, while the Gullah Geechee are squeezed onto ever-smaller tracts of land. He had a great sense of humor and has been a part of the Gullah community his whole life. Keep in mind that this was all near the beginning of the Civil War. It decided upon the novel idea of an “experiment”: Try paying wages to these contrabands (the awful word used to describe slaves freed by Union forces as well as for those who had escaped). The neighborhood once known as Gardner was home to the Aiken family, the “medicine makers,” according to Irv. “We’d drive right on the beach. At the time the picture was made, Hilton Head's population had grown to over forty thousand individuals and included Union troops, civilian storekeepers, missionaries, prisoners of war, and slaves seeking refuge from their owners. ©2020 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce & Visitor and Convention Bureau. When the Union Army occupied South Carolina’s Sea Islands, including Hilton Head, on November 7, 1861, it freed about 10,000 slaves. It's the law on Hilton Head that nothing can be built to the curb. There used to be just one paved thoroughfare on the entire island. Squire Pope is the largest Gullah neighborhood on the island. During this period, the Island maintained a small population of mostly the descendants of former slaves. And there are strict tree laws. Origin of name – Legend says Honey Horn got its name from the … . We liked him right from the get-go. Hilton Head Island is America’s favorite island®, offering 12 miles of pristine beaches and everything you need for the ultimate retreat. To fully appreciate the places you explore, you should have a better understanding of its history, food, religion, folklore, arts and crafts — and of course the weird and wonderful customs and subcultures found around the world. Mitchelville on Hilton Head was the first self-governing community of freed slaves in the US, established during the Union Army occupation of the Sea Islands. After the Civil War, more than 1,200 freed slaves remained. Slaves - 100 slaves per Federal census of 1800. The Gullah/Geechee people are descendants of enslaved Africans from various ethnic groups of west and central Africa. Irv’s involved in a project to restore Mitchelville. Their Gullah culture and language survive today as a living legacy of their strength and perseverance. 9 Insider Tips on How To Do a Golf Trip on Hilton Head Island, Free Download: Beginner's Guide to Golf on Hilton Head Island, Splurge on Hilton Head Island’s Most Storied Courses, Hilton Head’s Most Special and Secret Spots. Irv drove us past the ruins of part of a plantation owner’s home — that of William Pope, known as “Squire” because he had so many properties. Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2014 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. Welcome to Gullah Heritage Hilton Head Island, S.C. An Authentic Culture of the Sea Islands. 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