St. George developed as a stop on the S.C. Canal and Railroad known as George's Station. It was named for James George (1789-1867), a plantation owner who gave land for the station when the railroad was built in the 1830s, and he is believed to have operated a store in this area as early as 1810. The town was officially incorporated as George's Station in 1875 and was re-incorporated St. George's in 1889. In 1897, it was chosen as the seat of newly created Dorchester County. The new name recalled the old colonial parish of St. George's, Dorchester, as well as the town's founder James George. The postal service first shortened the name to St. George, which came into common use by mid-century. By 1910, the town was a commercial hub with two banks, two hotels, several mills, and numerous stores. The construction of U.S. Hwy. 15 in the 1920's brought even more business and traffic, as it was along the most direct route from New York to Miami.