This was the old Myrtle Beach Pavilion as it looked in the 1920s. It burned and was replaced with a masonry structure in the 1940s.

In the historical scheme of things, Myrtle Beach is a very young city.

In fact, none of the fabulous high-rise hotels, campgrounds and golf courses that have made Myrtle Beach an international tourist destination existed 75 years ago.

Nevertheless, Myrtle Beach has a rich history.

Much of that heritage can be seen in an upcoming book being published jointly by the Myrtle Beach Herald and the City of Myrtle Beach. (The Herald is a sister publication to VISIT!)

A Pictorial History of Myrtle Beach will be released Sept. 19 at a gala event at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The 144-page book features more than 350 photographs that trace the history of Myrtle Beach from its beginning in 1900 to the present.

The Myrtle Beach Herald will also unveil a companion piece called “Myrtle Beach: A Retrospective” on the same day. This full-color magazine features stories, pictures and memories of the events and people who helped shape Myrtle Beach into a world-class resort.

At the turn of the 20th century, Myrtle Beach was known simply as “New Town.” The golden, sandy beaches and gently lapping waves enticed people to the shore even then.

The 60-mile swath of pristine beach, now known as the Grand Strand, had only a handful of residents. Visitors had to navigate rivers, streams and nearly impassable swamps to frolic in the surf.

As it did elsewhere in the United States, the Great Depression affected the lives of the few hundred residents of Myrtle Beach throughout the 1930s. Nevertheless, the little town continued to grow. The downtown area, much of it built under the direction of Daniel Nance, expanded greatly.

The 1930s were a time of great change for Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach Farms built a small, one-room brick jail on the corner of Oak Street and 10th Avenue. The police force consisted of two officers, with one on duty during the day and the other at night. The first edition of The Myrtle Beach News, a weekly publication, rolled off the presses of Clarence Macklen. The Myrtle Beach State Park opened the same year.

The official dedication of the Intracoastal Waterway was held on April 11, 1938. Telephone service arrived in 1936 when Seacoast Telephone Company installed 25 telephones. Myrtle Beach’s first movie theater, Ben’s Broadway, opened in 1936. The Gloria Theater near the Pavilion opened in 1937.

Under the direction of H.B. Springs, Carl C. Pridgen and Dewey H. Bell, the town’s first bank was opened. The Myrtle Beach Fire Department was organized in 1936.

The Town of Myrtle Beach incorporated in 1938 and Dr. W.L. Harrelson served as the first mayor.

Washington Park Horse Track opened June 3, 1938, and operated until 1947.

Under Mayor Harrelson’s prodding, steps were taken to build the town’s first airport.

The roar of fighter planes filled the air over Myrtle Beach in the 1940s. Wilson Springs remembers almost being strafed by a bomber crew while playing in Withers Swash.

When the United States entered World War II, the government took over the new Myrtle Beach airport and used it to train airplane crews. Landing strips, hangars and support buildings sprang up almost overnight.

The wooden pavilion burned in 1944 and a new, modern building took its place. Highway 501 opened, connecting Myrtle Beach to Conway.

Peaches Corner, Fun Plaza and the Gay Dolphin added to the gaiety of Ocean Boulevard. Soldiers filled the streets and many returned after the war to live at Myrtle Beach.

After World War II, things began to explode for Myrtle Beach. More and more tourists thronged to its wide strand prompting Claude and Harry Dunnagan to coin the phrase “The Grand Strand,” by naming their business The Grand Strand News Bureau.

The Sun Fun Festival was conceived in 1951 as a fundraiser for the Ocean View Memorial Hospital. The Myrtle Beach Pavilion continued to grow and attract hordes of people. Cruising the Boulevard became a popular pastime.

Hurricane Hazel slammed into the coast early on Oct. 15, 1954, devastating parts of the beach. It proved to be a temporary setback. Businesses were wide open by the following summer. In fact, former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark Garner said the hurricane was a blessing in disguise. Many of the older homes on the beachfront were destroyed, paving the way for modern hotels and motels. Street ends were also aligned to grant better access to the public.

Deactivated in 1947, the Myrtle Beach Army Airfield became a municipal airport again, but was donated by the city to the U.S. Air Force as an active air base in 1954. The 354th Fighter Day Wing/Tactical Fighter Wing, based in Myrtle Beach in 1956-1963, deployed squadrons in Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East with major service in Lebanon, Germany, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. The base closed in 1993. While open, Myrtle Beach Air Force Base provided hundred of jobs to civilians in the area and was one of the leading economic factors in the city’s growth. The airbase enjoyed excellent relationships with the City of Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach.

In 1966, the Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park got some serious competition when the Grand Strand Amusement Park opened, featuring the heart-stopping Swamp Fox roller coaster.

The first drop was 65 feet and the coaster cars reached 50 miles per hour over 2,400 feet of track. The park was purchased by the Ammons family in 1992 and rechristened Family Kingdom Amusement Park.

The 1960s were a busy time for the beach. The famous Myrtle Beach golf package was created by Joe Thompson, manager of The Caravelle Motel. Cecil Brandon formed Golf Holiday in 1967 with 10 hotel members and eight golf courses. George Bishop came to the Grand Strand and opened Waccamaw Clay Products.

In 1967, the Myrtle Beach Convention Center was built providing meeting space for large groups of Grand Strand vacationers.

Sun Fun continued to lure thousands of vacationers to Myrtle Beach.

Friday the 13th of September 1974 was a sad day for many residents of Myrtle Beach. That grand hotel, the Ocean Forest, came tumbling down following a series of controlled explosions to make way for condominiums. It was an inglorious end for a landmark that had towered over the Myrtle Beach landscape for 44 years.

Despite a crippling recession and gas shortages, the 1970s again proved a time of incredible growth for Myrtle Beach. Numerous golf courses were built. Motels, amusement parks and tennis courts were constructed and land values skyrocketed as major chains arrived at the Myrtle Square Mall.

In 1971, the first high rise in Myrtle Beach, The Yachtsman Hotel, was constructed. A band named Alabama was entertaining audiences at The Bowery.

Between 1970 and 1975, new construction topped $75 million and the permanent population of Myrtle Beach tripled.

The 1980s saw the Grand Strand’s popularity grow rapidly. Dozens of new golf courses were added and more high-rise hotels joined The Yachtsman on the Myrtle Beach skyline.

Even the 1989 visit by Hurricane Hugo, whose eye hit the coast 100 miles south of Myrtle Beach, did not stop the city’s growth. In 1989, the City of Myrtle Beach was named the sixth fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States by American Demographics Magazine.

The 1980s also marked the start of the live entertainment era when Calvin Gilmore opened the Carolina Opry at nearby Surfside Beach.

Cranes towered over the Myrtle Beach landscape during the 1990s as the construction of hotels, motels, condominiums and retail establishments kicked into high gear. No one project gathered more attention than the ambitious Broadway at the Beach complex. Burroughs and Chapin gambled $250 million that tourists would travel off the beaten path and come in from the beach to enjoy a unique dining and entertainment experience.

Construction of Broadway at the Beach began in 1996 on 350 acres that once was part of the company’s farming operations.

Broadway at the Beach featured 20 restaurants, 100 specialty shops, nightclubs, a movie theater, Ripley’s Aquarium, The Palace Theatre and rides from the old Myrtle Beach Pavilion.

Today it is visited by millions of tourists throughout the year.

The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade officially opened in May 2010 at a cost of nearly $6.4 million. It runs 1.2 miles along the oceanfront from the Pier 14 at 14th Avenue North to the 2nd Avenue Pier. National Geographic has ranked the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk No. 3 in the United States, while Travel and Leisure ranked the boardwalk No. 2

The northern section runs from Pier 14 to Plyler Park, the location of “Hot Summer Nights.” The boardwalk features live music three times a week during the summer and weekly attractions. The middle section, from Plyler Park to the former site of the Myrtle Beach Pavilion, has a carnival atmosphere accompanied by restaurants, bars and gift shops. City officials describe the southern promenade, from the former Pavilion to 2nd Avenue Pier, as a meandering oceanfront park with benches and landscaping.