Florence

Florence is the hub of an eight county region called the “Pee Dee”. It is the center for business, health care, communications, education, retail sales, cultural opportunities, and recreation.

"In 1888, the South Carolina General Assembly created the “County of Florence”, encompassing the towns of Timmonsville, Coward, and Lake City with the Town of Florence as its county seat."

"Florence is the hub of an eight county region called the “Pee Dee”. It is the center for business, health care, communications, education, retail sales, cultural opportunities, and recreation." 

Florence County. Accessed November 13, 2015. View the history. 

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John Dillinger
John Dillinger

Video

Grades: 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

John Herbert Dillinger is remembered as arguably the most infamous bank robber in American history. Dillinger’s crime spree across the Midwest lasted from June 1933 to July 1934. The FBI’s J. Edgar...
Ronald McNair | Carolina Snaps
Ronald McNair | Carolina Snaps

Video

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

South Carolina native Ronald McNair was the second African-American to go into space, and was part of the STS-51L crew that died when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after lift-off on...
Blue Sky 102
Blue Sky
Episode 102

Video

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Blue Sky’s second work is located just outside of Florence County, S.C. Sky was commissioned to paint a historical piece, and Blue Sky chose to paint a mural of the Great Pee Dee River.
McNair, Ronald Erwin | South Carolina Public Radio
McNair, Ronald Erwin | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

Grades: 6 7 8

“M” is for McNair, Ronald Erwin [1950-1986]. Astronaut. As a young child in Lake City, McNair had a keen interest in science. After graduating from North Carolina Agricultural and State Technical...
Archie Hunter Photo Gallery | Digital Traditions
Archie Hunter Photo Gallery | Digital Traditions

Photo

Grades: Higher Education

Archie Hunter of Florence belonged to the third generation of a family of traditional chairmakers. His grandfather began selling his handmade chairs to supplement the meager income from his Kershaw...
The Jamestown Foundation | Making It Grow
The Jamestown Foundation | Making It Grow

Video

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

Clemson Extension Agent and Host of "Making It Grow Amanda McNulty travels to Jamestown in the Mars Bluff Community of Florence, SC and talks with Terry James about The Jamestown Foundation. The...
G-Man: Death And Legacy | Carolina Stories 8
G-Man: Death And Legacy | Carolina Stories
Episode 8

Video

Melvin Purvis’ life tragically ended on February 29, 1960, due to an accidental discharge of a firearm. Some speculate that his death was suicide, while some others say that Purvis may have been...
G-Man: Early Life | Carolina Stories 2
G-Man: Early Life | Carolina Stories
Episode 2

Video

Melvin Purvis was born in 1903, the first son of a large family from Timmonsville. He studied law at the University of South Carolina without much enthusiasm, but graduated in 1925. When his love...
G-Man: Life After FBI | Carolina Stories 7
G-Man: Life After FBI | Carolina Stories
Episode 7

Video

Melvin Purvis smoothly moved on from the FBI, making endorsements for various everyday items, like safety razors, cars, and cereal. The Junior G-Man Club for children, and the Park Brothers’ Melvin...
The Columns | History Of SC Slide Collection
The Columns | History Of SC Slide Collection
Episode 5

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The Columns, also known as the Rankin or Johnson House, was built near Florence by Dr. William R. Johnson around 1850-60. The full-façade porch of its Classical Revival architecture represents a style...
Highway 301 | South Carolina Public Radio
Highway 301 | South Carolina Public Radio

Audio

Grades: 6 7 8

“H” is for Highway 301. Construction of this major U.S. highway in South Carolina began in 1932, when the federal government began taking over the maintenance and construction of many state roads. The...
Ron McNair | History of SC Slide Collection
Ron McNair | History of SC Slide Collection
Episode 97

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The "Challenger" astronaut Ron McNair (1951-1986) and Governor Richard Riley during a joint session of the South Carolina legislature in the House Chambers on April 11, 1984. McNair, an Air Force...
Florence: A Renaissance Spirit: New South | Carolina Stories 5
Florence: A Renaissance Spirit: New South | Carolina Stories
Episode 5

Video

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

In the midst of these dramatic social changes, an economic transformation was taking place. It was after the days of World War II, after 1945, when Florence really burst into the New South. In the...