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Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a famous senior vacation area and golf retirement community.

Myrtle Beach SC History

The area’s first inhabitants were the Waccamaw and Winyah Indians. Spaniards landed about 50 miles north of Myrtle Beach in 1526 and eventually established the first European settlement in the U.S. about 30 miles to the south. They abandoned the settlement and returned to Spain the next year. Over the next 300 years, the population grew slowly. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, people began to vacation here, although it was quite rustic. Houses and camps were sparse and there were few permanent residents.

In 1900, the Burroughs & Collins Company, a firm with extensive beachfront holdings, began developing the Myrtle Beach area as a resort. In 1901, the company built the beach’s first hotel. At that time, oceanfront lots sold for $25, and buyers received an extra lot if they built a house valued at $500 or more. The beach community was called “New Town” until the name Myrtle Beach was chosen for the many wax myrtle trees growing wild along the shore.

In the 1920s, a group of businessmen built an upscale resort called Arcady. Arcady featured Pine Lakes International Country Club, birthplace of the magazine “Sports Illustrated”, as well as the legendary Ocean Forest Hotel. Myrtle Beach incorporated as a town in 1938 and became a city in 1957.

Myrtle Beach South Carolina – Well Known Vacation & Retirement Area

Today, Myrtle Beach South Carolina is well known as a beautiful, entertaining area for senior vacationers and retirees.