Surfside
Beach, incorporated in 1964 with 881 residents, is a
town of 4,425 located in Horry County. Hurricane Hazel
in 1954 destroyed 18 of the beach's 65 houses, but did
not dampen the spirit of the developers. Lots were cleared,
the sand was leveled, topsoil was brought in and T.
J. Harrison, who later became the town's first mayor,
opened the first grocery store in 1956 for the six permanent
families and summer residents. Significant growth didn't
happen until after 1956 when Myrtle Beach Air Force
Base was reactivated. By 1964, our reputation as a family
beach was further established and the town was becoming
a popular place to retire. The new town government increased
police protection, mosquito and sanitation control,
and street lights and zoning ordinances resulted in
increased property values. Public parking and walkways
to the beach were established, and government offices
were constructed just off Highway 17. Within the next
few years, the town continued to grow through annexation.
Improvements were made to streets and water lines and
business and residential building boomed. Surfside Beach,
as well as the rest of the Grand Strand, became one
of the fastest growing parts of the country.
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