Village of Little River

Front inscription

Little River was one of the earliest settled sections of Horry County. Pre-contact Native Americans made temporary encampments nearby to collect fish and shellfish. White settlers established plantations by the 1730s. In the 19th century, the village of Little River was an important entrepôt in the Carolinas’ coastal shipping industry. Commerce centered on the river SE of here.

Reverse inscription

Major exports during that time were lumber and naval stores, much of it locally produced by enslaved people. Commercial fishing grew after the Civil War while recreational fishing flourished in the 20th century, especially after World War II. Once described as “the seaport town of Horry,” Little River remained primarily accessibly by boat until the paving of U.S. 17 and S.C. 9.