Hilton Head Monthly Magazine

Last month, August 5, 2008 to be exact, the Town of Hilton Head Island celebrated the 25th anniversary of its incorporation. Mayor Tom Peeples, the town council and other dignitaries held a commemorative ceremony in May. Former Mayor Ben Racusin, the town’s first mayor, spoke to those present regarding the history leading to incorporation. Mayor Peeples shared Racusin’s remarks in condensed form in Monthly’s August issue. In case you missed them, here is a brief recalling of Hilton Head’s incorporation saga, with some perspectives from a few islanders who have been around for a while.

Before incorporation, Hilton Head’s very survival as an idyllic seaside community was threatened because island residents had little say in important civic matters. Decisions were made at the county level and most of the power was projected downward from northern Beaufort County. Forty years ago, county officials envisioned an industrial economic engine and that’s where the trouble started.

In 1969 and shortly thereafter, the BASF Corporation planned to build a petrochemical plant, and the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company wanted to build a natural gas facility on what is now Colleton River Plantation. Furthermore, the oil company Brown and Root sought to build offshore oil platforms nearby. The projects had the county’s blessing, with little input from Hilton Head. Nevertheless, island residents banded together to form the Hilton Head Island Community Association and managed to avert a major disaster.

Five years later, crisis struck when a barge collided with the old swing bridge to the mainland, knocking out the only land route on and off the island. Community association president, Bert Connors, was out of town at the time so the association’s former president Ben Racusin took charge of the situation. Racusin was able to coordinate efforts with the Army Corps of Engineers and the bridge was repaired, albeit with a fair amount of difficulty as the group was accustomed to working with local governments.

The crisis inspired Racusin to look more closely at incorporation. With help from the Clemson University political science department, it was determined that Hilton Head did not meet state population density and fixed housing-unit regulations for incorporation. Still, the community needed a stronger voice in determining its destiny, so an island commission to support Hilton Head’s one county council member was formed.