Isle of Palms, SC – Firsts

First Name of Island
Hunting Island

First Title Owner of Island
Thomas Holton of Barbados
– 1696

First Home Built on Island
Summer Residence of the Nicholas Sottile family
– 1898

First Called Isle of Palms
Named by Dr. Joseph S. Lawrence to attract tourists
– 1898

First Official Transportation to IOP
Charleston and Seashore Railroad Company Chartered a ferryboat in Charleston to a trolley in Mt Pleasant that crossed the Intracoastal Waterway, continued through Sullivan’s Island and onto Isle of Palms
– Circa 1898

First Leisure Excursion to IOP
Passengers of the Charleston and Seashore Railroad Company
– July 28, 1898

First Post Office
Inside Hudson’s Pavilion
– August 5, 1913

First Paperboy
George Wurthmann
– 1933

First Bikini on IOP
– Fourth of July Weekend – 1965

First Person to Cast a Vote on IOP
Wiley G. Horne
– July 11, 1950

First Policeman/Also Fire Chief
Eddie Walters, known as “Chief”
– 1945

First Mayor of IOP
Walter I. Chapman, Jr. elected to office
– May 31, 1952

First Automobile Bridge Over Breach Inlet
Wooden Bridge was built to replace trolley trestle
– 1926

First Filling Station
Mr. Leo Hendrickson’s filling station and general repair
– 1935

First Airstrip and Landing Field
1,800 by 135 foot strip along the inland waterway
– completed August, 1951

First Woman Mayor
Carmen R. Bunch elected to office
– 1986

First Full Time Fire Chief
Larry Britton
– 1987

First Resort
Isle of Palms Beach and Racquet Club
– 1972

First Talk of an IOP Connector
1974

First Pharmacy
Island Pharmacy
– April 16, 1992

First Bank
Southern Bank and Trust

First Grocery Store
Isle of Palms Food Store

First Restaurant
Huck’s
– 1940

First Church
First United Methodist Church, 12 21st Avenue

First Civic Club on IOP
Isle of Palms Exchange Club
– 1948

First Direct Link to IOP
Isle of Palms Connector
October 2, 1993