▁up stream ▁from ▁that ▁river ' s ▁mouth ▁at ▁Little ▁River ▁In let ▁on ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean . ▁ ▁The ▁main ▁road ▁through ▁the ▁town ▁is ▁North ▁Carolina ▁Highway ▁ 1 7 9 ▁( Be ach ▁Drive ), ▁leading ▁west ▁to ▁U . S . ▁Route ▁ 1 7 ▁in ▁South ▁Carolina ▁and ▁east ▁by ▁a ▁w inding ▁route ▁ ▁to ▁Sh all otte . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Cal ab ash ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁, ▁or ▁ 9 . 2 7 %, ▁is ▁water . ▁ ▁History ▁Cal ab ash ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁g our ds ▁that ▁grew ▁in ▁the ▁region , ▁which ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁drink ing ▁well ▁water . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁Cal ab ash ▁has ▁been ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁distinct ive ▁style ▁of ▁f ried ▁sea fo od , ▁which ▁has ▁come ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁" Cal ab ash ▁Style ." ▁Cal ab ash ▁style ▁buff ets ▁are ▁common ▁in ▁many ▁eastern ▁Carolina ▁coast al ▁towns . ▁My rt le ▁Beach , ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁these ▁restaur ants ▁as ▁the ▁city ▁is ▁just ▁ ▁from ▁Cal ab ash . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁a ▁large ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Cal ab ash ▁split ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Carolina ▁Sh ores . ▁The ▁split ▁came ▁as ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁years ▁of ▁b ick