Georgetown in Georgetown County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Georgetown’s Industrious Past
Port of Georgetown
Photographed By Michael Herrick, January 3, 2017
1. Georgetown’s Industrious Past Marker
Inscription.
Georgetown’s Industrious Past. Port of Georgetown.
Georgetown’s Industrious Past Port of Georgetown. Indigo was first introduced to the area around the 1740's and served as Georgetown's first principal cash crop. Taking advantage of British bounties for indigo, highly prized as a clothing dye in Europe, an elite class of indigo plantation owners and merchants evolved and formed the Winyah Indigo Society, which in 1755 established one of the first free schools in America. The Revolutionary War brought an end to the indigo trade with England and eventually indigo was replaced by rice. The turn of the twentieth century brought much needed prosperity to Georgetown. Lumber became a big industry in Georgetown in the late 1800's. By 1913, the Atlantic Coast Lumber Company, located in the bend of the Sampit River, was the largest lumber mill on the East Coast. In 1936, International Paper built a mill in Georgetown, which grew to be the largest paper mill in the world. In the late 1960's, the steel mill was built on the site of the Atlantic Coast Lumber Company. Both mills are still in operation. Georgetown County also is home to more than 100 other businesses and industries that manufacture everything from additives for the cosmetic industry to polyethylene liners for landfills.
Georgetown’s Industrious Past
Port of Georgetown
Indigo was first introduced to the area around the 1740's and served as Georgetown's first principal cash crop. Taking advantage of British bounties for indigo, highly prized as a clothing dye in Europe, an elite class of indigo plantation owners and merchants evolved and formed the Winyah Indigo Society, which in 1755 established one of the first free schools in America. The Revolutionary War brought an end to the indigo trade with England and eventually indigo was replaced by rice. The turn of the twentieth century brought much needed prosperity to Georgetown. Lumber became a big industry in Georgetown in the late 1800's. By 1913, the Atlantic Coast Lumber Company, located in the bend of the Sampit River, was the largest lumber mill on the East Coast. In 1936, International Paper built a mill in Georgetown, which grew to be the largest paper mill in the world. In the late 1960's, the steel mill was built on the site of the Atlantic Coast Lumber Company. Both mills are still in operation. Georgetown County also is home to more than 100 other businesses and industries that manufacture everything from additives for the cosmetic industry to polyethylene liners for landfills.
Location. 33° 22.047′ N, 79° 17.19′ W. Marker is in Georgetown, South Carolina, in Georgetown County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of King Street and Front Street, on the left when traveling south. Located on the Georgetown Harborwalk. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Georgetown SC 29440, United States of America. Touch for directions.
entry (Submitted on June 28, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 28, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 7, 2017, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 667 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 7, 2017, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.
