Events

By 1943 the Allies had begun to push the German Armies out of North Africa and Italy. In doing so they captured large numbers of German Prisoners of War. Great Britain could not handle them all so many were shipped to the United States starting in the summer of 1943. South Carolina became the home to nearly 10,000 German POWs by 1945 (in all more than 375,000 Germans were interned in the United States by 1945). Enlisted personnel were required to work for the nation that interned them so many were employed on farms, pulp wood operations and military bases in non-military related occupations. Their work was crucial to SC farmers and pulp wood producers because so much of their normal labor had left to join the armed forces or work in war industries. Florence and Myrtle Beach had satellite camps for prisoners that numbered between 250 and 500 each. This presentation will discuss what these camps were like and how the prisoners adapted to their life in America.

Enjoy a traditional music demonstration at the L.W. Paul Living History Farm on Saturday, August 17th. In this presentation, Wayne Skipper will discuss the places local musicians would play in the rural farming community in the early 1900s. The program will last from 1:00 PM until 3:30 PM and is free and open to the public.
The L. W. Paul Living History Farm is open Tuesday-Saturday 9 AM-4 PM and teaches the history of the Horry County farm family from 1900-1955. The farm is located at the corner of Hwy 701 North and Harris Short Cut Road in Conway, SC. For more information, call the L. W. Paul Living History Farm at 843-365-3596 or email hcgmuseum@horrycounty.org.
For a full list of programs and events at the Horry County Museum and L.W. Paul Living History Farm, visit www.horrycountymuseum.org.

The monthly Active Adult Series at the Horry County Museum will continue on August 20th at 1:00 PM with a program on Horry County’s communities. Join us to learn a little more about the different communities and towns that make up the largest county in South Carolina. The Active Adult Series is held the third Tuesday of each month and is perfect for new residents to the area, or lifetime locals who want to learn more about the place that they call home.  

Experience life on the “one horse farm” in Horry County from 1900-1955 at the L.W. Paul Living History Farm. Join us on August 21st from 9:30 AM until 10:30 AM for a program on gardening where visitors can learn about growing a garden using heirloom varieties of vegetables and only organic fertilizers.

The 2019 Horry County Museum Documentary Film Series continues with Waves of Change: The Story of Myrtle Beach, SC.  This series follows almost a century in the history, development, and people of the sleepy beach village that became a national tourist destination. It explores how the community of Myrtle Beach has dealt with two major goals-to bring people to the beach and to build a hometown. It also explores some of the major setbacks to development as well as the forces and people that propelled its growth. And it discusses the next wave of change-continued increase in growth and the challenges that come with that growth.

Junior Curators is back at the Horry County Museum on Saturday, August 24th from 9 AM-10 AM. This free, family friendly, program is open to children ages 5 and older and will teach children the history and natural history of Horry County through hands on activities. In this session, children will learn about hurricanes and the impact they’ve had on our area. Children are also invited to come and record their experiences with recent storms. Parents must remain with children. To participate, sign up with Marion Haynes at haynesm@horrycounty.org or call 843-915-7861.

The Horry County Museum and the AVX Foundation present a program by Randy Webster on Saturday, August 24th. This program will feature an in-depth discussion about hurricane preparedness and what it means to you.

Randy Webster is the Interim Assistant County Administrator for Public Safety. He has 35 years of public safety experience in Emergency Management, EMS and Fire service fields. He began his career with Horry County in 1989 just before Hurricane Hugo hit the east coast. In 2016, Webster was named EMD Director of the Year during the annual South Carolina Emergency Management Association Workshop. He has presented at conferences regionally and nationally and has served on many boards and committees throughout the state including the South Carolina Homeland Security Advisory Council, the National Hurricane Conference Response Committee, and as President of the South Carolina Emergency Management Association.