Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Island History
Native American Presence on Daufuskie
Daufuskie Island has been inhabited for thousands of years, as evidenced by ancient piles of discarded oyster shells exhibiting pottery shards from all phases of the hunter-gatherer period. Prior to European arrival numerous Indian tribes inhabited the Lowcountry and islands. Culturally and linguistically these tribes were of Muskogean stock. Daufuskie comes from the Muscogee language and means "sharp feather", for the island's distinctive shape.
European arrival and Settlement
Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to visit Daufuskie, arriving in the 16th century. The Spanish did not establish settlements, however, and English settlers arrived in the 17th century, with the first English land grant on Daufuskie awarded in 1707. In 1715, bloody skirmishes between the Yemassee Indians, aligned with the Spanish, and British scouts took place on the south end of Daufuskie Island giving the area its name – Bloody Point. In 1737, King George II awarded a land grant to Captain David Mongin in appreciation for his services on the high seas in controlling Spanish pirates. Daufuskie Island remained mostly Tory during the War of Independence, and by the eve of the Civil War, eleven plantations were situated on the island.
Large plantation mansions were built and the production of "Sea Island Cotton" flourished. Because cotton farming was labor intensive, plantation owners began to bring in large numbers of slaves from the west coast of Africa.
Plantation owners and their families moved inland for up to six months of the year to avoid the heat and exposure to tropical disease. As a result the slaves were isolated from the white community for much of the year. This made it possible for them to retain their African customs and culture. Over time, they became known as the Gullahs or Geechees of the Lowcountry.
Gullah is an English-based creole language spoken by the Gullah-Geechee people along the coastal regions and Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia. It developed from a simplified communication system among enslaved Africans who spoke diverse languages and were in contact with European dialects, incorporating vocabulary and grammatical structures from West African languages. Linguists recognize Gullah as a distinct language, not a dialect of English, with a unique blend of English and African linguistic features.
The Civil War on Daufuskie
South Carolina seceded from the Union in 1861. Union forces, numbering approximately 1600 troops, took control of the island early in the war to control the Savannah River entrance. Plantation owners fled the island with the arrival of Union troops.
Daufuskie played a crucial role in the siege of Fort Pulaski. Union soldiers built "corduroy roads" using timbers from harvested trees and even dismantled plantation homes for materials to move troops and munitions across the boggy terrain to cut off the fort's supplies.
The Gullah Post War Population
After the civil war, Daufuskie's island location protected the Gullah culture from the influence of the bustling world across the water. A large population of freed slaves, who had previously worked on the island’s plantations, returned to Daufuskie and purchased small tracts of land for themselves and their families or went to work for the large landowners. They brought back with them their Gullah language and culture.
Six of the eleven pre-war plantations remained under private ownership after the war: Haig Point, Melrose, Oakridge, Bloody Point, Oak Lawn (Eiglelberger) and Webb. The remaining five properties became the primary home of the returning Gullah people. Later development of the six intact plantation properties cut off access to the Gullah hunting and fishing lands.
The Post Civil War Economy
After the Civil War, in addition to cotton, there was also a demand for wood to build America’s tall ships. The live oak trees abundant on Daufuskie were valued for their strength and resistance to rot.
Before the boll weevil destroyed all the cotton fields in the early 1900's, The waterways around Daufuskie were busy as boats transported cotton, oysters, timber, pears, pecans, produce and freight between island and mainland – either to Savannah, Bluffton, or Beaufort, and even as far away as Charleston. Sometimes there could be as many as five steamships docked at the public landing or anchored off shore.
The Oyster Industry on Daufuskie
From the 1880’s until the 1950’s, the oyster industry flourished on Daufuskie. By the turn of the century there would be an average of 2,000 people working on the island. It is reported that even the Tsar of Russia preferred ‘Daufuski Oysters.’ This brand name (without the ‘e’) was used by Maggioni and Company to market its oysters worldwide. Now this label is all that remains to remind one of a once thriving business.
The End of the Oyster Industry
Harvesting the famous Daufuskie island oysters ended when local oyster beds were closed in 1951 due to pollution from the Savannah River.
Population Decline
Electricity came to the island in 1953 and telephones in 1972. However, with few opportunities for work, the population shrank to less than a hundred people..
The Island’s Growth and Development
In the 1980s, tracts of land facing the Atlantic Ocean were purchased, development began, and the island was rediscovered as a historic treasure.
The Daufuskie Island Historical Foundation was formed to preserve the Island's rich cultural and natural history.