1956 Map of Bluffton

About this map

Bluffton and the surrounding Sea Islands appear here during a transformative era of coastal development in the mid-1950s, with later revisions showing the growth of Hilton Head Island through the early 1970s. The landscape is defined by a labyrinth of tidal waterways, including the May River, Calibogue Sound, and Skull Creek. While Bluffton is established on the mainland bluffs, the islands show a mix of older agricultural footprints and emerging recreation, evidenced by several Golf Courses. Genealogists will find significant value in the numerous family and plantation-era burial sites, such as Stoney Cem, Lawton Cem, and Haig Point Cem on Daufuskie Island. The transition from river-based transport to modern infrastructure is marked by the Toll Bridge at Buckingham Landing and the County Dock near Hilton Head Harbor, while the presence of the Barnard Ruins points to the area's deeper colonial and antebellum history.