History: “Aynor, another town in the county, is located in what was known as the Aynor tract of timber. The origin of the name is unknown.
Klondike is a community named by a Mr. Mathison, a timber speculator who settled there during the time of the Klondike gold rush.
Bucksville – Henry Buck, a native of Bucksport, Maine, found his way down to then Horry District in 1838, and became interested in the virgin pine forest along the Waccamaw River. He established the Upper Mill, the Middle Mill, and the Lower Mill, all sawmills on the Waccamaw. Later when a post office was established at the Middle Mill it was called Bucksport. The Upper Mill was never a post office.
The Gulley is a section of the town of Conway that lies “over the gulley,” or over Deep Gulley Branch, a stream that crosses the town from the west to the east. It is now well drained and in its upper reaches of little note. Green Sea. Miss Essie Derham of Horry County gave me this explanation of the name: “Green Sea was named by Joseph Henry Derham who came to America about 1848 and landed in Brooklyn. He came to Horry County about 1858 and married there and settled in upper Horry County, calling the place Green Sea. It is said to have reminded him of Ireland, his native land.”
“Kingston. In 1731 a township was laid out on the west bank of the Waccamaw River and called Kingston in honor of his Majesty, King George II of England. In 1785 Old Georgetown District was subdivided into four counties, one of them Kingston with the same boundaries as present Horry. In 1801 Kingston County, Georgetown District, was made a district and named Horry in honor of Peter Horry, a Revolutionary hero. Horry District kept this name until the constitution of 1868 when it was changed to present Horry County. In Conway the old name is preserved in Kingston Presbyterian Church, Kingston Lake, and Kingston Street.
Conway. In 1734, the same persons who laid out the township were ordered to prepare a plan of a town. This town, like the township, was called Kingston and likewise located on the west bank of the Waccamaw. In 1801, when the name of Kingston County was changed to Horry District, the name of the town was changed to Conwayborough, in honor of Robert Conway, another Revolutionary hero who then held a grant for a large portion of the town. This name was shortened in 1883 to Conway.
Placard Swamp. Some fourteen miles north of Conway a main road of the long ago crosses a swamp. At this point placards or legal notices were posted. Hence the stream was known as Placard Swamp and the road as Placard Road. In some instances placard is corrupted into “play card.”
Socastee was the name of a minor Indian tribe. A swamp and a community in Horry County are known by this name. The Intracoastal Waterway now follows the swamp for some miles.
Wampee is the name of a community in the northeast section of the county. The word is of Indian origin and is said to denote wild rice.
Cualdape was the Indian name for the present lower Waccamaw River on which in 1526 the Spaniards located their first settlement, San Miguel de Cualdape.
We have now mentioned three Indian names— Socastee, Wampee, Gualdape—all in Horry County and all ending with the sound of “e” or of “ee.” Other Indian names ending with the same sound seem to indicate that the Indian tribes along the Carolina coast had a common language. These words might be considered: Peedee, Santee, Sewee (Sewe), Yema- see, Cherokee, Oconee, Wateree, Combahee. A closer study would suggest other Indian words ending with this same sound. Loris, a town in Horry, is said to have been named for a dog owned by the wife of an official of the railroad then under construction.”
Information from: Names in South Carolina by C.H. Neuffer, Published by the S.C. Dept. of English, USC
Stay Connected
Explore history, houses, and stories across S.C. Your membership provides you with updates on regional topics, information on historic research, preservation, and monthly feature articles. But remember R&R wants to hear from you and assist in preserving your own family genealogy and memorabilia.
Visit the Southern Queries – Forum to receive assistance in answering questions, discuss genealogy, and enjoy exploring preservation topics with other members. Also listed are several history and genealogical researchers for hire.
User comments welcome — post at the bottom of this page.
Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.
Do you have information to share and preserve? Family, school, church, or other older photos and stories are welcome. Send them digitally through the “Share Your Story” link, so they too might be posted on Roots and Recall.
Thanks!