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-gathering 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. As early as 1523,
Spanish explorers were sailing the southeastern coast of North America in search of potential settlements. By 1565, the Spanish had settled in
St. Augustine, Florida, and were pushing up the coast establishing and maintaining additional colonies. Concurrent with these 16th-century ambitions for settlement, the French also made attempts at colonization in
South Carolina Lowcountry areas. By the mid-1600s the English began to explore the southern coast. Prosperous Caribbean planters sponsored several expeditions to South Carolina. Captain William Hilton and
Robert Sandford both made voyages to
Port Royal Sound and vicinity. In July 1666 Sanford entered Calibogue Sound between Hilton Head and Daufuskie. It was during this period of early exploration that Spanish settlers introduced their distinctive
Iberian horses to the Southeastern coast. Today the descendants of these horses are known as "
Carolina Marsh Tacky". These sturdy, intelligent horses are particularly well adapted to the swampy and marshy lowcountry region. Examples of this rare breed can still be found on Daufuskie. In 1684, Spanish soldiers enlisted the help of native warriors to fight Scottish settlers in
Port Royal, and thus began the uneasy and difficult history of native entanglement in European settlement history. The inevitable clash of cultures culminated with the so-called
Yamasee uprising that consisted of three brutal battles on the southwestern shore of Daufuskie Island between 1715 and 1717 that gave this piece of land the name it still bears today,
Bloody Point. The quest for religious freedom ultimately brought two European families to Daufuskie Island—the great-grandson of
French Huguenot David Mongin, and the daughter of Italian Prince Filippo de Martinangelo who escaped the
Inquisition. The story of these two founding families is intertwined throughout their long history, and both rose to become powerful island plantation owners. The
American Revolution brought divided loyalties to the lowcountry. Daufuskie received the nickname "Little Bermuda" during the Revolution due to the residents'
Loyalist sentiments. After the Revolution, Daufuskie thrived with the introduction of world-famous
sea island cotton, a variety prized by European mills. High quality, sea island cotton exceeded all other long-staple cottons in fiber length, as well as fineness and strength. It was during this period of strong economic growth that several large plantation mansions were constructed. with
Spanish moss on Daufuskie The building of American wooden tall ships triggered the demand for timber from
live oak trees abundant on Daufuskie. This hardwood species, unique to the southeastern coast, was prized by shipbuilders for its strength and resistance to rot, as well as its naturally curved limbs. Daufuskie was in the center of the "live oaking" trade crucial to the development of US maritime power. Shipwrights traveled to Daufuskie and the lowcountry to fell the oaks, hew them, and lug the pieces by oxen to coastal landings. The
USS Constitution—"Old Ironsides"—was constructed with live oak. Prior to the
Civil War, there were eleven
plantations on Daufuskie. Large homes were constructed on several of these tracts – Oakley Hall at Bloody Point, Melrose, and Haig Point. The mansion at Haig Point was unique as it was built of
tabby. It was the largest tabby domestic building erected in coastal South Carolina. Introduced in the southeast by early Spanish settlers, tabby is a type of concrete made by burning
oyster shells to create
lime, then mixing it with water, sand, ash and broken oyster shells. Three of the best-preserved, tabby-walled single slave dwellings still standing in
Beaufort County can be found today at Haig Point. Early in the Civil War,
Union forces occupied the
Beaufort-area islands. Union troops on Daufuskie supported the siege and reduction of
Fort Pulaski protecting the
Savannah River entrance. This Union presence caused white plantation owners to flee, leaving property and slaves behind. After the war, Daufuskie's remoteness allowed
Gullah culture to survive and flourish through the generations. The
Gullah language is a legacy of the original slaves and later laborers who remained once the plantations folded. The
lowcountry was remote until the mid-20th century, but the isolation of Daufuskie created the perfect climate for the language and manners of the Gullah people to remain remarkably well preserved. The local dialect is heavily influenced by
West African languages and rural English. Daufuskie is in the center of the
Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. Following the Civil War the farming, mining, and timber industries were re-established in
Beaufort County and the lowcountry. This activity meant the waterways around Daufuskie, with its critical position between
Port Royal and
Savannah, became very busy. Navigation aids became necessary to support the increased volume of shipping. In 1873 the
Haig Point Range Lights were constructed on the island's northern end. This was followed by the
Bloody Point Range Lights in 1883 built to assist ships approaching the Savannah River entrance. From the 1880s the oyster industry flourished on Daufuskie. By the turn of the century the island had a population of 2,000-3,000, most of whom worked in this lucrative shellfish trade. The flat coastline, saltmarsh estuary, and natural oyster reefs, combined with a lengthy spawning season, make waters surrounding Daufuskie the perfect habitat for growing abundant clusters of meaty, briny oysters. Daufuskie oysters were known as far away as
Bar Harbor and
New York. It is reported that the Tsar of Russia preferred Daufuskie oysters. Eventually, in the 1950s, pollution closed the oyster beds and the island's economy declined. 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, leaving a legacy of rich Gullah history. In the 1980s developers started making plans to make Daufuskie Island a residential development destination, and the planned developments of
Bloody Point, Melrose,
Haig Point, and Oakridge were born. Despite this progress and development, the island's historic district has remained untouched to preserve the
Gullah culture, and today the entire island is on the
National Register of Historic Places. ==Industry==