ON THIS DATE

January 17

1711: The Lords Proprietors charter the “building of a town to be called Beaufort Town” in honor of the new Proprietor, Henry Somerset, the Duke of Beaufort. The town was “to be located on the Port Royal River on Port Royal Island.” The Port Royal River was later renamed the Beaufort River. 

January 19

1907: The Great Fire of Beaufort, allegedly started by three young boys hiding in a barn to smoke a cigarette, burns more than 40 houses and businesses in Beaufort and does more than $150,000 of damage – more than $4.4 million in today’s dollars.

January 22

1973: Joe Frazier loses by technical knock-out to George Foreman in Kingston, Jamaica – his first professional defeat – to fall to 29-1 and lose the WBA, WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles.

— Compiled by Mike McCombs

Previous Story

Penn Center hosting Martin Luther King Jr. celebration

Next Story

Veteran of the Week – Chuck Heck

Latest from History

ON THIS DATE

June 6 2000: Clarence “C.J.” Cummings, Jr. is born to Clarence Cummings, Sr., and Savasha Jenkins

ON THIS DATE

May 29 2020: Capt. Raymond Batz takes over command of Naval Hospital Beaufort from Capt. Rob

ON THIS DATE

May 23 2019: The Beaufort County Board of Education approves a four-year contract with Frank Rodriguez,

ON THIS DATE

May 16 2019: The Battery Creek High School softball team wins the Class 3A state championship,