Burroughs, Franklin Gorham | South Carolina Public Radio

"B" is for Burroughs, Franklin Gorham (1837-1897). Manufacturer, merchant, land developer. A native of North Carolina, Burroughs disliked farming. In 1857, he moved to Conway and went to work with a cousin in a mercantile and turpentine business. On his own, he won contracts to build a bridge and gallows for the town. He entered Confederate service in 1861, and served in the Army of the Tennessee. He was captured in 1864 and imprisoned near Chicago. Returning home, he expanded his turpentine and retail businesses. Although Myrtle Beach was not founded in his lifetime, Burroughs dreamed of a coastal resort between New York and Miami. Franklin Gorham Burroughs set in motion the building of a railroad to what is now Myrtle Beach and his sons completed his plan—a major step toward developing the resort.