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Off the Beaten Path

© Virginia Marin

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Off the beaten path and in another time lies the fabulous island of Edisto - Edisto Island, South Carolina.

Edisto Beach

Forty miles southwest of Charleston and resting within the arms of two tidal rivers is beautiful Edisto. An aura of mystic and alluring charm hovers over this island and its old homes. Ancient Spanish Moss shrouds, with lonely grandeur, the magnificent magnolias and gnarled live oak trees which have withstood the ravages of time. Great and small plantation houses stand sentinel over this proud land, as yellow jasamine and white Cherokee rose play against a contrast of dark tangled jungles of palmetto, myrtle, yucca, and jack vine. Tidal marshes and creeks stretch their arms wide and lonely, luring an unwary visitor into the swaying gray-green grasses which hide from view the deadly twists and turns of the salt creeks and inlets.

Sit back. Relax. Close your eyes. It is evening. Peace, be still. The day's heat has faded as the last rays of a hot summer sun fall beneath the ever darkening horizon. The mockingbirds have nestled for the night and the chirping of crickets harmonize their cacophony with other sounds of the night. A light zepher carries the fragrance of honeysuckle's sweetness - and then, if one listens carefully, the haunting melody of a lost lullaby can be heard drifting across the quietness. Listen! Do you hear the swish of a silken skirt? A soft step on a ballroom floor? Laughter and gaiety? Perhaps a distant drum beat?

Way back, in what we call the old days, the Edisto Indians lived on the banks of the North Edisto River. They enjoyed fertile land, wild game, and fish in an abundant supply. When the Spanish came to the area, they called the island Oisto. It has also variously been called Locke and Mause Island.

It is possible that Edisto was settled before Charles Towne. Old records claim that the Earl of Shaftesbury, one of the Lords Proprietors, bought the land in 1674 from the Edisto Indians for a piece of cloth, beads, and hatchets. It is known that one Paul Grimball constructed a home at the Point of Pines and to this day its tabby foundation remains intact. In 1682, the fifth colonial governor of Carolina, Joseph Morton, built his home on the island. These were perilous times for settlers because of threats not only from the Indians, but from the Spaniards as well. In 1686, the Spaniards raided the Island and burned the Grimball and Morton houses. Their raid provided them with gold, silver, and other valuables as well as slaves.