Original contents: finger puppet, turtle, beach glass, Sacagawea
dollar for FTF.
The story of the Gray Man is one of the oldest stories in
Coastal SC. There are several versions of the story but the one
most accepted tells of a young woman mourning the death of her
childhood sweetheart.
He had been gone from the area for several months. After
returning, he was so anxious to get back to her, that instead of
taking the safe route back to his home, he took a short cut through
the marsh.
Accompanied by his manservant riding a short distance behind, he
and his horse came to a sudden stop and began rapidly sinking
deeper, and deeper into a patch of deadly quicksand. His manservant
was not able to help, and watched the horrific scene of his master
and his horse disappearing into the mire.
When the young woman heard of her finance's tragic death, she
was heartbroken. After he was buried the young woman endlessly
walked the same beach that she and her beau had walked.
One day, windier than most, with the ocean crashing on the shore
more violently than usual, a figure appeared ahead. As the young
woman walked toward the figure she swore it was her fiance. He
warned her to leave the island; she and her family were in danger..
Then he disappeared.
The young woman hurried home and told her parents of the strange
experience. Because the young woman was usually sensible and not
prone to flights of fancy, the parents heeded the warning and left
the island early the next morning. That n ight a hurricane
destroyed most of the homes on the Island but the home of young
woman's family was undamaged.
According to numerous accounts The Gray Man appears on the beach
of Pawleys Island prior to hurricanes and warns the residents of
the impending storm and urges them to vacate the island. Those who
heed his warning return to find their homes undamaged.
Encounters with the Gray Man have occured before every major
hurricane that has struck the island for more than 100 years.