Murrells Inlet is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States.

The land around Murrells Inlet has a record of human settlement that goes back thousands of years, before written history.

Shell mounds and archeological findings from the Atlantic Ocean to the Waccamaw River document the cultures of indigenous peoples who lived in this area.

At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants included the historic Waccamaw people, who took advantage of the natural resources provided by the creeks and rivers.

Indian burial mounds have been found along the high bluffs at Wachesaw that contained European beads, urns and other artifacts.

The recorded history of the area begins with English colonial settlements and the land grants made by the Lords Proprietors.

To encourage development of the colony of South Carolina, they granted large portions of the Waccamaw Neck to men who were willing to transport workers here and settle the land.

Captain John Murrell bought 2,340 acres (950 ha), which were eventually developed as Wachesaw and Richmond Hill plantations.

The wealthy rice planters also established social, educational, and religious organizations, including the Planters Club, the Winyah Indigo Society in Georgetown, the Hot and Hot Fish Club, the All Saints Academy, the Waccamaw Methodist Mission, and All Saints Waccamaw.

Ward Flagg (one of three sons) survived the storm and retired to the miller's cottage in Brookgreen and reportedly never visited the ocean again.

The Willcox family retained the Hermitage, but sold Wachesaw in 1930 to William A. Kimbel, who also bought Richmond Hill with the purpose of developing a large hunting estate.

Mood of Sumter and a group of sportsmen bought Brookgreen, Springfield, Laurel Hill, and The Oaks to use as a hunting preserve.

Club members enjoyed their hunting paradise for ten years, as a succession of owners conserved the property before selling out to yet another wealthy outsider seeking a rural estate in the South where land was cheap.

[citation needed] The years from Reconstruction until World War I saw an increase in the number of settlers who moved to Murrells Inlet to enjoy the natural resources provided.

The family names listed in the 1900–1930 census records reflect the growth and are still found in Murrells Inlet today.

Early shipping routes relied on the deepwater access provided by the Waccamaw River to move vast quantities of materials and goods.

The Comanche was an early steamship that called on Wachesaw Landing to deliver passengers and mail to Murrells Inlet.