Presenter recounts history, purpose and local route of the Intracoastal Waterway through Georgetown County

A presenter described the route and early history of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and its portion through Georgetown County, saying the waterway runs down the Waccamaw River from Little River through Winyah Bay to the Santee and passes through the county.

The presenter said the Waterway was "an interesting creation first envisioned by George Washington" and added that Washington never raised the money to complete it. The presenter said Patrick Henry began collecting funds around 1790 for the first constructed section through the Dismal Swamp connecting Virginia and North Carolina.

According to the presenter, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway "stretches from Boston to Key West" and runs parallel to the Atlantic coast. The transcript records the presenter saying a mileage figure for the Waterway; that figure is stated in the talk but not corroborated elsewhere in the transcript.

The presenter emphasized that the Waterway’s original purpose was commercial and military—"moving things like cargo by water without going out into the ocean"—and contrasted that history with the modern recreational use many now associate with the ICW. He recounted an anecdote of boys launching handmade barges from Hagley Landing toward the port of Georgetown and being endangered by larger cargo vessels, quoting them: "What are they doing on the river? They should be out in the ocean."

The presenter said the last section of the ICW to be completed was the portion through Georgetown County, which he said connected "Ory County" and the Santee Delta; the transcript does not identify any further details about "Ory County." He also said many travelers consider the Georgetown County stretch among the most scenic and that it was finally completed through the county "about 1930."

This account is based solely on the recorded presentation in the transcript and quotes the presenter’s phrasing where indicated. The transcript does not contain formal motions, votes, or cited statutes, and it does not identify the presenter by name or affiliation.