9 Things You'll Remember If You Lived In South Carolina In The 90s
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Robin Jarvis
Author
Some things in the 1990s created a nationwide frenzy or cult-like followings, like Beanie Babies and The Big Lebowski. But not all things ’90s were nationwide sensations. Here are some things from the ’90s that specifically affected South Carolinians. In this list, we’ll take a look at beloved places that are now lost forever, a scaly swamp creature, famous landmarks and more. Here are nine things you’ll remember if you lived in South Carolina in the ’90s.
So many people have such fond memories of the Myrtle Beach Pavilion. It opened in 1948 on 11 acres of prime real estate along the beach. The pay-per-ride park featured a wooden roller coaster appropriately named "The Hurricane," and approximately 40 other rides that filled the hearts of children with joy and laughter for decades. The park closed in 2006.
First sighted in the Scape Ore Swamp in 1988, the Lizard Man continued to make headlines into the 90s and beyond. After the initial 1988 sighting, in 1990 a woman in Bishopville saw what she believed was the suspected 7-foot beast lunge at the passenger side of her car. Over the years, photos and videos have been captured of this legendary creature from Lee County. Watch the ETVRoadShow youtube video above for more about the Lizardman.
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Who in Columbia in the 90s wouldn't remember this iconic department store on Main? Now repurposed into living space(s), the Tapp's building opened in 1940 as the state began to emerge from the The Great Depression. The department store itself opened decades earlier in 1903, and closed in 1995.
The Grace and Pearman were a pair of knuck-busting bridges that connected Charleston to Mount Pleasant via Highway 17. One of them, The John P. Grace Memorial Bridge, was such a tight squeeze you'd almost have to remind yourself to breathe for the seemingly forever two minute ride to the other side. Demolition of the two began in 2005, after the new Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge opened.
Want a trip down memory lane that may send chills up your spine? Watch this amazing video from Facebook user Andrew Doyle, taken on a flip phone (you remember those, right?) from the front seat of a car crossing that skinny bridge. (The music in the background on his radio is 96Wave playing "Church" and "Nirvana.")
Want a trip down memory lane that may send chills up your spine? Watch this amazing video from Facebook user Andrew Doyle, taken on a flip phone (you remember those, right?) from the front seat of a car crossing that skinny bridge. (The music in the background on his radio is 96Wave playing "Church" and "Nirvana.")
Who could forget this blockbuster movie directed by (and starring) Barbara Streisand and also starring Nick Nolte? The movie was filmed (partly) in South Carolina and released in 1991. Not only was it filmed in the Palmetto State but the book it was based on was written by a man South Carolina would come to embrace as a "native son" even though he was born in Georgia. The Prince of Tides was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Pat Conroy wrote the book and the screenplay. He was born in Atlanta, GA and spent much of his adult life in the Palmetto State. He died in Beaufort on March 4, 2016.
Sadly, we'd love to forget this part of the 90s. In October of 1994 Smith claimed her car was stolen by a hijacker and that her two sons were still inside. Less than a year later, on July 22, 1995 a jury convicted her of the drowning deaths of both children. She's serving a 30-year sentence.
Remember when you could eat something fried and not have to worry about your arteries clogging up? (Thomas Gray coined the phrase "Ignorance is bliss" in 1742, according to Wictionary.com) Or when having the word "fried" in a restaurant name wasn't a business killer? Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits was a fried chicken fast food franchise that opened in 1972. They served up delicious spicy fried chicken. In 2008 they rebranded as Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen - and the rest - is history.
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Personally, I never went to the KIDS 'R US because by the time I left TOYS 'R US I was always too broke to head next door to look at clothes for my kid. (Just kidding, but not really.) Maybe I wasn't alone and that's why TOYS 'R US finally shuttered their sister store that featured children's clothing.
Many tears were shed by adults and children alike when this chain of restaurants closed locations or converted them into Chuck E. Cheeses. We loved it all -
from Skee Ball to coin-operated old-fashioned arcade games and a stage whose curtain would miraculously open on schedule to reveal an animated band show called the Rockafire Explosion. By 1992, all of the Showbiz Pizzas in South Carolina had either closed or been converted to a Chuck E Cheese.
On the fringe of becoming a “connected world,” South Carolina was a different place in the 1990s. At the start of the decade the Internet was still a new and vastly unknown place. Cell phones were the size of a shoebox and we didn’t worry so much about what we ate. Do you have memories from the 1990s that are specific to South Carolina? We’re sure we didn’t list them all, so feel free to add to our list in the comments!
If you love nostalgia, then you’ll love this epic museum in South Carolina.
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