HHI Postcard History Series

Through historic postcards discover how Hilton Head Island went from a relatively dormant community to a renowned tourist destination.

English explorer Capt. William Hilton found the island and named Hilton Head after himself in 1663. After the Civil War was over, the island was relatively dormant for almost 100 years. The biggest event of the 20th century was the installation of electricity in 1950. Soon after, tourism to the area started when the Sea Crest Motel opened in 1955. In 1956, the James F. Byrnes Bridge was built, and the first grocery store opened near Coligny Plaza. Developer Charles Fraser visualized an environmentally friendly residential community and named it Sea Pines Plantation. Sea Pines Plantation wrote its first sales contract in 1958, and Fraser’s formula has since been copied around the world. In 1969, the Heritage Classic golf tournament set the island on a path to being nationally known.

Nelle Smith and Ora Smith, who arrived on the island in 1963, were true pioneers. They coauthored the book Paradise: Memories of Hilton Head Island in the Early Days, a historical memoir. Ora is a self-proclaimed archivist of modern Hilton Head historical documents. The postcards in the book are from their private collection of the modern era of the island.