Origin McBee was named after a railroad executive, V.E. "Bunch" McBee, born July 26, 1849, in
Greenville County, South Carolina. Bunch McBee was one of South Carolina's leading forces in the building of railroads, was responsible for the Columbia to
Hamlet, North Carolina, line, which runs through McBee, and was at one time superintendent of the
Seaboard Air Line Railroad.
20th century In 1900, McBee's first railroad depot was built. About one year later on October 8, 1901, McBee was incorporated. On June 30, 1901, McBee Presbyterian Church was built, the first church in McBee. Six years later in 1907 McBee's second church, McBee Methodist Church, was built. After the Seaboard's Columbia-to-
Cheraw line was completed in 1900, McBee grew so quickly that a new depot became a high priority by the end of the decade. In 1914, the
Seaboard Air Line Railroad built a second depot in McBee. This was both a passenger and freight depot until it closed in 1971. Now it is the McBee Depot Library and Railroad Museum. It was listed in the
National Register of Historic Places in 1999 as the
Seaboard Air Line Railway Depot in McBee. In 1980, the railroad became a subsidiary of the newly created CSX Corporation, and in 1986 the Seaboard name was changed to
CSX Transportation. In 1945,
U.S. Route 1 through McBee was named the Blue Star Memorial Highway Number 6. McBee Rescue was originally formed in 1962 as a joint venture with Jefferson Rescue to fill the need of rescue - ambulance service in the area. The ambulance was rotated between McBee and
Jefferson and responded to the appropriate area as needed. The ambulance was originally parked on the street corner in McBee and later at the Health Center prior to constructing the current squad building. Prior to the ambulance, the only means of transport to the hospital was by personal vehicle or by the funeral home hearse, which had to come from
Hartsville. Approximately one year later McBee and Jefferson split and formed their own respective squads and each purchased an ambulance. In 1973, the town of McBee purchased a second engine for the McBee Fire Department. In 1986, Alligator Fire District was formed with McBee Fire Department.
21st century In 2001, McBee celebrated its 100-year anniversary. In 2001 McBee Elementary School was re-modeled. Following the completion of the elementary school, in 2005 McBee High School also was re-modeled. In 2012 McBee built a recreational complex that consists of four baseball diamonds, a football field, a soccer field, a walking trail, and a practice football field. In 2013 McBee launched their official website. Nestle Waters of North American, completed their bottled water facility in 2016, creating 27 jobs in McBee. ==Geography and climate==