Water, Work, and Heritage: The Living Gullah Legacy of Hilton Head Island
OYSTER SYSTEM
From Marsh to Market: The Gullah Geechee Oyster Story of Hilton Head Island
For generations, oysters have been more than just food on Hilton Head Island — they have been a foundation of the Gullah Geechee way of life, a source of income, a cultural connection to the water, and a story of resilience.
1950s – The Working Waterfront
In the mid-20th century, Hilton Head’s creeks were alive with the skill and labor of Gullah Geechee watermen. Using bateaux — small wooden boats crafted to navigate the marsh — they carried heavy clusters of oysters from tidal flats to bustling shucking houses along the shore.
Entire families took part in the process. Elders passed down harvesting knowledge, men worked the boats, and women and children shucked, sorted, and packed oysters for shipment across the country. This was not just work — it was a deeply rooted cultural tradition tied to tides, seasons, and community cooperation.
1960s–1970s – From Canneries to Kitchens
As tourism began to transform Hilton Head, the seafood industry shifted as well. Many Gullah Geechee residents who had once worked solely in oyster harvesting and shucking began to contribute to the emerging hospitality industry, preparing and serving the same oysters they once processed for distant markets.
This change brought new economic opportunities, but also signaled the beginning of a transition away from the large-scale, Gullah-led oyster operations that had defined the waterfront for decades.
1980s–1990s – Preserving the Past
Even as large canneries closed, the history of Gullah Geechee involvement in the oyster trade remained present in the community’s memory. The sites where Gullah hands once hauled, shucked, and packed oysters were repurposed into public-facing spaces, such as restaurants and cultural landmarks.
For decades, Broad Creek’s marshlands — worked extensively by Gullah Geechee harvesters — produced oysters that were known for their flavor and quality. By the 1990s, industrial processing had largely ended, but the stories, work songs, and oral histories lived on.
2000s–Today – A New Kind of Harvest