History of Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Six miles of ocean-cleansed beaches, Isle of Palms, South Carolina, is a barrier island within the Old Town Charleston, South Carolina, area.
Now a haven for the world, it was a haven first for Charlestonians. Much lore surrounds the island. It is said that the Isle of Palms is 25,000 years old. And it is said that the Seewee Indians, who thrived on Isle of Palms for centuries, greeted the first English settlers by swimming out to their ships.
It is also said that pirates were the only other living occupants, burying treasures throughout the island. No treasure has been found to support the claim. During the Civil War, Isle of Palms launched a submarine, the CSS Hunley, which would be the first to sink an enemy vessel, the USS Housatonic. The CSS Hunley then was lost at sea, and was only found very recently.
It is being recovered for posterity. Isle of Palms, South Carolina, was largely uninhabited until J. S. Lawrence bought the island in 1899 and gave it its present name. In 1906, a fifty room hotel was built. In 1912, James Sottile built a beach pavilion and an amusement park. A ferry, bridge, trolley system, then road, in that order, were constructed throughout the 20th century, attracting more and more visitors.
In the 1970s, the Sea Pines Co., known for developing communities in world-famous Hilton Head Island, similarly developed 1,600 acres of Isle of Palms land, into what is now known as Wild Dunes Beach and Racquet Club. As of 2000 Census, 4,583 citizens reside on Isle of Palms.