History buffs will rejoice upon learning the Lowcountry area's rich history, particularly during the Civil War.

For decades, the one-square mile town of Bluffton remained virtually undisturbed. But now, after annexing about 20,000 acres of Union Camp land, Bluffton is one of the fastest growing municipalities in the state.

The Early Years

The small settlement of summer homes where Bluffton now stands was originally called Kirk's Bluff. The location had always been noted for its natural beauty, and it became the summer resort for wealthy 18th and 19th century plantation families. Bluffton was named for the high bluffs upon which many of its houses were built.

The 1861 landing of Yankee troops on Hilton Head forced Blufftonians to head for the hills. Although they were not a threat to the Union soldiers stationed on Hilton Head, a small number of Confederates were stationed in Bluffton during the Civil War.

Nighttime raids on Hilton Head were made by Southern soldiers who had grown up on the island and were angry at the Union occupation of their family lands and homes.

These raids so infuriated the Federal officers that they sent three vessels of troops to destroy Bluffton in 1863. When the planting families returned to Bluffton after the war, they found that all but 13 homes and the Episcopal Church of the Cross had been ruined.

Enduring Hardships

General Hunter, commander of the Union Army in The South, allowed several raids on Bluffton.

One notable character in post Civil War Bluffton was Dr. Joseph H. Mellichamp. Few people could afford to pay the doctor, but he would treat anyone of any race who showed up at his door.

Old South

With the development of the nearby resorts, Bluffton has grown in popularity as a destination for tourists who want to see the "Old South." The town has the character of a 19th-century Southern village. Take an afternoon off to stroll down the wide streets and admire the historical homes and lush gardens.

Not only the homes, but the residents of this small town seem to come from an older, friendlier time. The town's unofficial motto is "Bluffton is a State of Mind."

Hilton Head Island has gone through numerous transformations over the 500 years since Europeans first set foot here -- long before Hilton Head's modern-day father Charles Fraser built the island's first resort.

For thousands of years, Indians lived peacefully on the shores of this large Carolina sea island, leaving behind few traces of their civilization other than Indian shell rings, the remnants of their circular dwelling areas.

The Discoverers

Following on the heels of Columbus' discovery of the New World in 1492, Spanish ships sailed up the Carolina coast in the early 1500s. In 1562, when Frenchman Jean Ribaut sailed here, there was no visible evidence of Spanish presence. Ribaut claimed the area for France and set up a fort on a nearby island now known as Parris Island, home of the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot.

Arrival of Englishmen and Scotsmen

The English arrived in 1629. King Charles I named the region between Virginia and Florida after himself (Carolina).

In 1663, Sir John Colleton sent Capt. William Hilton from Barbados to explore the new Carolina region. The island was later named Hilton Head in his honor.

Permanent Settlement

The first Englishmen permanently settled on the island in 1717. In that year, John Barnwell started a 500-acre plantation in what is now called Hilton Head Plantation, on the north end of the island.

Many other families came to the island in the 18th century, including Baynards, Lawtons, Baldwins, Davants, Draytons, Mongins, Popes, Scotts and Stoneys.

Indigo was the primary crop. Eliza Lucas, who became Eliza Pinckney, an amateur botanist and plantation wife, developed indigo at her father's plantation near Charleston.

Cotton Wealth

After the Revolutionary War, cotton was introduced. At the peak of the cotton prosperity, 26 plantations occupied the island. Additional African labor was brought to the island.

The Gullah culture of the island's black people, which combines aspects of African and European traditions, came into being during this antebellum period.

Civil War Occupation

The old way of life on these plantations came to an abrupt halt with the start of the Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln and Union commanders believed that the key to victory for Union forces lay in the blockade of all Confederate ports. Port Royal Sound at the north end of Hilton Head was his first target.

Several hours after the battle for Hilton Head began, the rebel soldiers put up a white flag and boarded boats to take them to the mainland.

Post War

After the war, Hilton Head suffered from the wave of poverty that afflicted all Southern states. The Gullah, descendants of slaves, took over about 20 percent of the land on the island.

The Recent Past

In the early 1950s, Gen. Joseph Fraser and Fred C. Hack saw the potential of Hilton Head Island as a vast tree farm. They purchased thousands of forested acres on the island for timber.

It was Joseph Fraser's son, Charles, who developed Sea Pines and orchestrated the early growth of the island into a resort community.

Modern-day Developments

The completion of the Cross Island Parkway, which connects the island's north and south ends via a 6-mile stretch of toll road, is one of the most recent stepping stones in Hilton Head's development. Construction of the 5.6-mile highway began in February 1995, but its conception dates back to November 1957, when developer Charles Fraser proposed a similar route that also would have connected the north and south ends of Hilton Head Island via a bridge over Broad Creek.

Daufuskie Island lies across Calibogue Sound, southwest of Hilton Head Island.

Daufuskie's post-Revolutionary War history mirrored that of Hilton Head until the 1950s. Unlike Hilton Head, Daufuskie remains a quiet place. It is accessible only by boat.

Traditional occupations of islanders are fishing, farming and oystering. In the 1980s, private resorts brought the outside world to Daufuskie. A visit to non-resort areas of Daufuskie shows visitors that traditional residents still enjoy a tranquil, rural lifestyle.