Editing Horry County, South Carolina (section)

==History==
Horry County was created from Georgetown District in 1801. At this time, the county had an estimated population of 550. Isolated by the many rivers and swamps typical of the South Carolina Lowcountry, the area essentially was surrounded by water, forcing its inhabitants to survive without much assistance from the "outside world". This caused the county residents to become an extremely independent populace, and they named their county "The Independent Republic of Horry". The county was named after, and in honor of, [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] hero [[Peter Horry]]<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n160 161]}}</ref> who was born in South Carolina around 1743. Horry started his military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains, elected by the Provincial Congress of South Carolina, to serve the 1st and 2nd Regiments. In 1790, he was assigned to the South Carolina militia under Brigadier General [[Francis Marion]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.horrycounty.org/depts/finance/budgetFY2012.pdf |title=Horry County 2011-2012 Budget: Community Profile on page 24 |date=May 16, 2012|access-date=July 31, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120516103103/http://www.horrycounty.org/depts/finance/budgetFY2012.pdf |archive-date=May 16, 2012}}</ref>

The population has increased more than fourfold since 1970, as the area has become a destination for retirees and people owning second homes. It has been developed for resorts and retirement communities. The majority-White residents have constituted a majority-Republican voter base since the late 20th century.

On October 29, 2012, the county paid homage to the man for whom the county is named. It commissioned a bronze sculpture of Peter Horry, installing it inside the Horry County Government and Justice Center. The sculpture was designed by artist [[Garland Weeks]]. Coastal Monument of Conway designed the stone base. The base of the sculpture is inscribed with the names of the 1801 commissioners on one side and the names of 2011 Horry County Council members on the other; a brief biography of General Peter Horry is on the front. It cost slightly more than $16,200 for both the bust/sculpture and the stone base.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dickerson|first=Brad|title=Horry County honors its namesake|url=http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2012/10/29/3142239/horry-county-honors-its-namesake.html#storylink=misearch|access-date=October 30, 2012|newspaper=The Sun News|date=October 29, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031132813/http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2012/10/29/3142239/horry-county-honors-its-namesake.html#storylink=misearch|archive-date=October 31, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Taylor |date=October 29, 2012 |title=Horry County unveils sculpture of its namesake |url=https://wpde.com/news/local/horry-county-unveils-sculpture-of-its-namesake |access-date=March 4, 2023 |website=WPDE |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 30, 2012 |title=Sculpture of Gen. Peter Horry being unveiled |url=https://www.abccolumbia.com/2012/10/30/sculpture-of-gen-peter-horry-being-unveiled/ |access-date=March 4, 2023 |website=ABC Columbia |language=en-US}}</ref>

In addition to official and academic resources, local history enthusiasts have contributed to preserving Horry County’s heritage. One example is the Horry County Legacy Project, a website dedicated to documenting and sharing the county’s history. The project, available through the Horry County Museum, features articles, photographs, and other resources that highlight the county’s cultural and historical development. Local historian Nicholas Gallagher has played a significant role in curating and presenting the content on this platform.