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Hardeeville is a city in Jasper and Beaufort counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 4,789 in 2014 based on estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.〔(Going up: Booming growth along U.S. 278 fuel's Lowcountry's fastest-growing municipalities )〕 Hardeeville is included within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. For many years, Hardeeville billed itself as the "Lowcountry Host" due to the prevalence of lodging and traveler-oriented facilities along U.S. Highway 17 and later Interstate 95. In recent years, the city has expanded its economic focus due to high population growth. According to Census estimates, Hardeeville posted the highest population growth rate of any municipality in South Carolina, growing 53.4 percent from 2010 to 2014.〔() Going up: Booming growth along U.S. 278 fuel's Lowcountry's fastest-growing municipalities〕 ==History== The earliest European settlement in the region was Purrysburg, a former Swiss Huguenot settlement founded in 1732 on the banks of the Savannah River, about two miles (3 km) northwest of the current city's center. The settlement ultimately failed as disease and competition from growing Savannah proved too much for the local settlers to overcome. Many left the immediate area, moving elsewhere in the Lowcountry region (including a new hamlet called Switzerland) or upriver to the new communities of Augusta and Hamburg, though some remained. The area saw some skirmishes between Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. The Charleston and Savannah Railway (today's CSX railway) was considered a prized possession and major strategic goal for Union forces. In an effort to defend the railroad, the Battle of Honey Hill was one of the last battles won by southern forces in late 1864, shortly before General William Sherman attacked South Carolina after his "March to the Sea" in Georgia. The area within the city was settled in the 19th century by Isaac Hardee, a native North Carolinean. Through his son, White William Hardee's efforts, a depot and general store along the Charleston to Savannah railway opened up. This depot and the surrounding areas became collectively known as Hardee's Station, and eventually as Hardeeville at the town's founding in 1911. The area became renowned for its timber operations with the Argent Lumber Company, which had one of the largest logging operations in the world centered around the town. Unique to the area was the swamp logging procedure that was utilized, which made operations far more treacherous than standard logging. narrow gauge〔(Tap Lines: Shortline & Industrial Railroading in the South )〕 railroads were constructed to help deliver timber to a processing area, where the lumber would be lifted onto rail cars or trucks headed to all parts of North America. As a tribute to Argent's impact on the community, the city was donated an H.K. Porter 2-8-0 steam locomotive (c/n 4776, built January 1911), Argent Lumber Company Number 7, for display in 1960.〔Ferrell, Mallory Hope, "''Argent Lumber Company ...Last of the Swamp Rats''", Light & Industrial Railway Quarterly, Fontana, California, Summer 1984, Volume 2, Number 4, page 7.〕 Growth continued at a modest pace throughout the rest of the 20th century, though timbering operations were gradually scaled back as overseas lands became more sought after due to lower costs and more standard logging procedures. In spite of the decline of the logging industry, the construction of U.S. Route 17 and later Interstate 95 provided a new type of commerce; motorist services such as motels, restaurants, and gas stations. The development of Hilton Head Island as a resort destination had a further impact on the community, with an additional interstate exit providing greater commercial opportunity and affordable costs of living for service employees who moved to the city. At the start of the 21st century, development pressures along U.S. Route 278 corridor became a central concern for city leaders. In response, Hardeeville began to annex large undeveloped parcels of land that were previously held by timbering and paper concerns. These annexations were done in order to guide new growth into larger planned developments, increasing the city limits from in 2000 to over in 2010. In 2004, Core Communities became the first company to sign a development agreement with the city and began constructing Tradition Hilton Head. In the following years, other developments have begun or announced plans at developing in these areas. Although the recession beginning in late 2007 had significantly slowed down the pace of development, the city has continued to grow due to continuous commitments from existing developers, and new investment related to industrial and commercial opportunities. These investments have allowed the city to make improvements to its existing areas in the form of streetscaping projects, improved community facilities, and general reinvestment. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hardeeville, South Carolina」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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