Editing Hardeeville, South Carolina (section)

==History==
[[File:Purrysburg.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Marker indicating the former location of the Purrysburg settlement]]
The earliest European settlement in the region was [[Purrysburg, South Carolina|Purrysburg]], a former Swiss [[Huguenot]] settlement founded in 1732 on the banks of the [[Savannah River]], about {{convert|2|mi|0}} northwest of the current city's center. The settlement ultimately failed, as disease and competition from growing [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah]] proved too much for the local settlers to overcome. Many left the immediate area, moving elsewhere in the Lowcountry region (including a new hamlet called [[Switzerland, South Carolina|Switzerland]]) or upriver to the new communities of [[Augusta, Georgia]], and [[Hamburg, South Carolina]], though some remained.

The area saw some skirmishes between [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] and [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] forces during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. The [[Charleston and Savannah Railway]] (today's CSX Transportation) was considered a prized possession and major strategic goal for Union forces. The [[Battle of Honey Hill]], an effort to defend the railroad, was one of the later battles won by Southern forces in late 1864, shortly before General [[William Sherman]] entered South Carolina after his [[Sherman's March to the Sea|March to the Sea]] in Georgia.

[[File:Hardeeville-7.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Argent Lumber Company locomotive on display]]
The area within the city was settled in the 19th century by Isaac Hardee, a native from North Carolina. Through the efforts of his son, Whyte William Hardee, a depot and general store along the Charleston and Savannah Railway opened up. This depot and the surrounding areas became collectively known as "Hardee's Station", and eventually as "Hardeeville" at the town's founding in 1911. The area became renowned for its timber operations with the Argent Lumber Company, which had one of the largest logging operations in the world. Unique to the area was the swamp logging procedure, with conditions that were far more treacherous than standard logging. {{RailGauge|3ft|lk=on}} [[Narrow-gauge railway|narrow-gauge]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.taplines.net/argent/argent.html|title=Argent Lumber Co.|website=www.taplines.net}}</ref> railroads were constructed to help deliver timber to a processing area, where the lumber would be lifted onto {{RailGauge|4ft8.5in|allk=on}} rail cars or trucks headed to all parts of [[North America]]. As a tribute to Argent's impact on the community, the city was donated an H.K. Porter 2-8-0 steam locomotive (c/n 4776, built January 1911), Argent Lumber Company Number 7, for display in 1960.<ref>Ferrell, Mallory Hope, "''Argent Lumber Company ...Last of the Swamp Rats''", Light & Industrial Railway Quarterly, Fontana, California, Summer 1984, Volume 2, Number 4, page 7.</ref>

Growth continued at a modest pace throughout the rest of the 20th century, though timbering operations were gradually scaled back as overseas lands became more sought after due to lower costs and more standard logging procedures. In spite of the decline of the logging industry, the construction of [[U.S. Route 17]] and later [[Interstate 95 in South Carolina|Interstate 95]] provided a new type of commerce: motorist services such as motels, restaurants, and gas stations. The development of [[Hilton Head Island]] to the southeast as a resort destination had a further impact on the community, with an additional interstate exit providing greater commercial opportunity and affordable costs of living for service employees who moved to the city.

At the start of the 21st century, development pressures along the [[U.S. Route 278]] corridor became a central concern for city leaders. In response, Hardeeville began to annex large undeveloped parcels of land that were previously held by timbering and paper concerns. These annexations were done in order to guide new growth into larger [[planned unit development|planned developments]], increasing the city limits from {{convert|5|sqmi|km2|0}} in 2000 to over {{convert|117|km2|order=flip|0}} in 2010.<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4532245| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Hardeeville city, South Carolina| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=November 27, 2018| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213101935/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4532245| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2004, Core Communities became the first company to sign a development agreement with the city and began constructing Tradition Hilton Head. In the following years, other developments have begun or announced plans at developing in these areas. Although the [[United States housing bubble|recession]] beginning in late 2007 significantly slowed the pace of development, the city has continued to grow due to continuous commitments from existing developers, and new investment related to industrial and commercial opportunities. These investments have allowed the city to make improvements to its existing areas in the form of streetscaping projects, improved community facilities, and general reinvestment.