Hilton Head has several places of historical interest. There is evidence of the island being inhabited seasonally by Native Americans as early as 10,000 years ago. The Shell Ring inside the Sea Pines Forest Preserve is all that remains from their inhabitance. There is a large earthworks fort called Fort Walker in Port Royal Plantation. This fort was a station for Confederate troops until 1861 and participated in Battle of Port Royal At the time this was the largest amphibious landing by U.S. troops. On the Atlantic coast of the island are large concrete gun platforms that were built to defend against a possible invasion by the Axis powers of World War II. Platforms like these can be found all along the eastern seaboard. Port Royal also is the location of an experimental steam cannon guarding Port Royal, South CarolinaPort Royal Sound built around 1900. The cannon was fixed but its propulsion system allowed for long range shots for the time. The Leamington Lighthouse which was built in the 1870s on the southern edge of what is now Palmetto Dunes. The first bridge to the island was built in 1956; it was a two lane toll bridge. Later a swing bridge was constructed and operated until 1982 when it was replaced. The swing bridge was hit by a barge in 1974 which shutdown all vehicle traffic to the island until the Army Corps of Engineers built and manned a pontoon bridge while the bridge was being repaired. The beginning of Hilton Head as a resort started in 1956 with Charles Fraser developing Sea Pines Plantation, with the center piece being Harbour Town. Many of the island's earliest residents, sometimes called GullahGeechees, spoke Gullah languageGullah. Although threatened by the rapid increase in tourism Gullah culture can be seen at the annual Gullah festival, tours offered by native islanders and at craft shops around the Lowcountry. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilton_Head_Island%2C_South_Carolina