www.lowcountryjoe.com: Daufuskie Island History and Future

Daufuskie Island History and Future
The Mystical Island of Daufuskie
Daufuskie Indians One can only imagine the staggering beauty the first visitors must have witnessed on their arrival. The land and the horizon toward Tybee Island, Hilton Head and Savannah would have been void of structures. The sky would have been void of flying steel birds and vapor trails. The ocean and Calibogue sound would be pristine without the sight of a sail or hull. The only thing visible would have been lush Sea Island forests covered with towering Palmetto trees, and moss covered live oaks. The only sounds would be the spouting of Dolphins, the singing of birds and the breaking of ocean waves. It is in this environment that the Indians came up with a name to identify this paradise. They called it Daufuskie, which in the Indian language, meant land with a point. It was on this land with the point that they would find a protected cove to beach their primitive dugouts. They would find deer, wild pigs and foul in incredible abundance. This meaty nourishment supplemented by the abundance of clams, oysters and fish would give them strength. I can only imagine how they worshipped this place and how they thanked their Gods and Spirits for their good fortune. For thousands of years tribes passed on their traditions and they lived off the bounty of the land in peace. It was only after the white man came, complete with greedy Indian traders that their demise was written. The traders were out to make a fast buck and that’s just what they did. Food and furs were exchanged for trinkets and pieces of glass. They used every scheme they knew to take advantage of what they thought were ignorant savages. Well, they were to find out shortly that the Indians were not so ignorant but they could be savage.
Now just imagine when the Indians first met the Spaniards. Spain had laid claim of all lands from Florida to Charleston but the English were starting to build settlements along the Carolina Coast. The Spaniards said, Hey Indians, we know you have been mistreated by the English traders so how would you like to work for us and get some revenge. Lets wipe out those traders and the rest of the white men. It didn’t take long for war paint to be applied and the killing and pillaging began. Well the English countered with overwhelming force and over the next few years the Yemasees were driven out of the Carolinas. In that time, a number of skirmishes were held on Daufuskie, the beaches were stained with blood and the Southern tip of Daufuskie would forever have the name, Bloody Point.
Plantations Early on the owners of Daufuskie land knew that fertile soil combined with the warm sub tropical climate would provide excellent growing conditions. The Island, even as it seems to me today, was always warmer in the Winter and cooler in the Summer than the mainland. Cotton, fruits and vegetables would flourish in this environment. Owners such as Squire Pope, The Stoddards and The Mongins built lavish homes and Plantation life as we know it had begun. There were eleven Plantations on Daufuskie at the outbreak of the Civil War. The center of activity was the Mansion where the owner and his family resided. Think of the home TARA of Gone With the Wind fame and you will have an excellent mental picture of what these homes looked like. They were usually two story structures, constructed of wood and painted white. It was typical to have wide porches grace the complete front and back. Entrance ways and windows were designed to give the maximum of air flow "no air conditioning in those days". Heart of pine was the wood of choice and wooden pegs would be used to bind the structure together. The early builders were true craftsman and took pride in every detail. Various outbuilding and stables completed the overall layout and to top it off lavish gardens outlined by trimmed hedges and arbors outlined the yards. Not far away would be the slave quarters. Most were constructed of wood and have long since disappeared. Some, however, were constructed of a durable cement type material called tabby. It was made by mixing lime, oyster shells, sand and water. Then it was poured into molds and left to set. A prime example of this wonderful construction can be seen at Haig Point Plantation. The roofs are gone but the walls still stand as if to remind us of this terrible period of our History. The Civil War When the Federal Troops bombed Port Royal on Hilton Head in the November of 1861 it marked the end of life as usual for Daufuskie’s eleven working Plantations. Sounds of heavy shelling would have easily carried to the Plantation owners, overseers and hundreds of slaves beginning their daily chores. The owners knew there was a Civil War at hand but the constant distant booming had to surprise them. One thing for sure is that it definitely did not make their day. Confusion had to be prevalent as the powers to be made their hasty retreats to Savannah and other Southern Ports. Its hard to imagine how the slaves felt by this rapid turn of events. Life as they knew it would never be the same. Over 1500 Union soldiers would soon be stationed on the Island. They would confiscate all edible food and livestock. Then they would tear down many of their Masters impeccably kept Mansions for use as cannon platforms in the shelling of nearby Fort Pulaski. By the Summer of 1862 the Unions mission had been completed and like the blink of an eye the troops were gone. Most of the former slaves left with them and except for a few old and sick the Island was uninhabited. Rebirth and Decline Without human intervention bushes and vines encroached on the Islands forlorn buildings and gardens. Mother nature was reclaiming what was rightfully hers, but she wouldn’t have it for long. Former owners reclaimed their properties, rebuilt, and once again sounds of innocent children’s laughter echoed through the pines.
	When you think of it, nothing had really changed the land since the pre Civil War era. The earth was still as fertile, the air still pure, the oceans and rivers still pristine. Post war Savannah was thriving and there was a need for all types of food and materials. What is now the Intra-Coastal Waterway was the perfect water highway and Island businesses soon flourished.
So the Island gave up its bounty in the form of fruits, vegetables, cotton, indigo, timber and oysters. There was work to be had and Moms and Dads of eager families repopulated the Island. The labor was demanding, the wages poor, but at least they had a way of providing for their children.
Every farmer that has ever lived knows that you are "bound by nature" and such has been the case on Daufuskie. Cotton was the biggest cash crop but the boll weevil took care of that by 1920. A railroad was built in 1910 to facilitate a logging and lumber business. Timber, however, is a limited resource and by 1915 the shrill whistle of the steam locomotive that symbolized economic growth was silenced forever. Dealing with Mother Nature was tough enough but in the 1950’s the oyster business was given a deadly blow by humans. It was common in those days to dump waste and even raw sewage into the rivers as a way of disposal and the Savannah River just happened to drain into the oyster beds. All that remains of this once flourishing business is an old eroding block foundation on the banks of the New River.
The Islands economy and population, just like after the Civil War, went into a steep decline. The oyster business had been the Islands only viable "big" business. When the companies closed their doors the employees had no choice but to leave. It is estimated that over 70 % of the population made the exodus leaving only the elderly folks that were on social security or pensions. The bushes and vines once again covered the homesteads and erased any memories of past Island living. Snowbirds and Tourists Early on folks from the Northeast left the Winter’s snows and made their annual trek to Florida. At that time, however, driving through South Carolina’s Lowcountry on Rural Rt. 17 was just a necessary evil. To the unaccustomed eye the marshes looked like mosquito infested swamps and the sparsely populated land seemed outright foreign. It took the vision of Hilton Head’s founder and developer, Charles Frasier to change all that. Soon the Island was a world class resort, the massive moss covered live oak trees were admired and photographed and the vast marshes designated federally protected wetlands. Developers like the Melrose Company and International Paper were eager to capitalize on Hilton Head’s success. They saw scenic and historical Daufuskie as a prime investment opportunity. Daufuskie Island would again realize a short rebirth. Melrose and Haig Point In the Fall of 1984 the sound of Bulldozers would replace the old railroad engines whistle and economic life would again be pumped back into the Island. Tall standing stately pines and oaks were toppled in the name of progress and the maritime forest was transformed into home sites and golf courses. It is interesting to note that Jimmy Buffet made a short visit here during that time and instinctively captured in verse the Islands changing times. But change was necessary if the Island was going to survive. Bob Burn, lifelong resident, related to me that he was given a newly formed Melrose Superintendents position and he could only find five able-bodied locals to hire. Soon multicolored, glossy sales brochures enticed prospective purchasers by promoting the Island’s natural beauty and the simple pleasures of life. Melrose and Haig Point’s sales soared for a period and then fell into what I have to describe as a downright slump. It was the mid 90’s and once again the Island was headed for really rough times. I have heard many reasons why folks lost big money on Melrose memberships and Haig Point members had a tough time selling their homes. I am a strong believer in timing and my personal opinion is that the developer’s timing was just not right. The aging seventy six million baby boomers were not in a position to make a major buying decisions and especially to an Island without a bridge. And to top it all off a lot of folks still did not know the Lowcountry existed. But that would shortly change. Hollywood and Baby-Boomers It’s hard to believe that the producers of movies like The Prince of Tides, Forrest Gump and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil could make such an economic impact on the Lowcountry, but they did. Tens of Millions watched Actors like Barbara Streisand, Tom Hanks and Kevin Spacey act out their roles with backdrops of awesome serenity and beauty. The producers caught the Lowcountry at its best and shots of soulful shrimp boats and moss covered oak trees mesmerized their audiences. Marshes once viewed as mosquito ridden swamps would take on a new light and local Chamber of Commerces were deluged for information about this newly found place. The magic that had drawn the Indians and early settlers now drew new settlers and many of these Pilgrims would be the baby-boomers. The Lowcountry was now the "in place to be". A 1997 Fortune Magazine article depicts the baby-boomer rush this way. "Listen……They’re coming. You can hear the thundering, still distant, but deep and heavy and closing fast. Soon they’ll arrive, and then economic chaos will break loose as 77 million baby-boomers stampede into retirement and do-well, pretty much what they did to Davy Crockett hats, rock and roll, college, sport utility vehicles and everything else that’s been in their path. When boomer demand slams into markets, prices often soar. Nothing stops them". And come they have….and just like the article predicted, prices along the entire Carolina coast already are soaring….and we are just seeing the first small wave! The mainland off Hilton Head is seeing economic growth that really has to be experienced to believe. Upscale areas like Belfair and Colleton River developed only a few short years ago are now prestigious residential communities. Second home buyer’s on the Island are causing inventory shortages and prime view home sites are becoming a premium. Daufuskie’s developers would again take advantage of Hilton Head’s prosperity but this time there would be one really big difference…… "The timing was right"!