Spartanburg County was founded in 1785 and lies near the Blue Ridge Mountains. Both the county and its seat are named in honor of the Spartan Regiment, a local militia who served the Americans in the Revolutionary War. Notable residents include general William Westmoreland and hymn writer William Walker.
The county was principally settled by Scotch-Irish and other Europeans who moved to the area from Pennsylvania and Virginia in the late 18th century. Historically, the economy relied on small cotton farms, cattle raising, and the Lowcountry tourists that visited the area’s mineral springs. After the Civil War, the region’s economy transitioned to textile manufacturing. Today, Spartanburg County has become an industrial hub. In fact, “the New York Times reports Spartanburg as having the highest per capita international investment in the nation.”
SOURCE: Economic Futures Group. Accessed June 10, 2016.
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Born near Honea Path in Anderson County, Olin D. Johnston (1896-1965) attended local schools, the Textile Industry Institute at Spartanburg, and Wofford College. While in school, Johnston worked in...
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Dr. Matilda A. Evans (1870s-1935) received an M.D. degree from Oberlin College in 1897, the only African-American in her class. She was a native of Aiken, and a student at Schofield Normal School...
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Born in Cokesbury, Governor John Gary Evans (1863-1942) attended Cokesbury Conference School. In 1879, he enrolled at Union College in Schenectady, New York, but withdrew before he graduated to study...
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James H. Carlisle (1825-1909), president of Wofford College from 1850-1904, was responsible for the emergence of this Methodist school as an outstanding liberal arts college by the late 19th century...
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Born in 1878 in Spartanburg County, Ibra Charles Blackwood (1878-1936) attended Furman University preparatory school and Wofford College. Later, he studied law in Spartanburg, and began a law practice...
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The enlistment of men into the armed forces caused a labor shortage in industry and agriculture, which were both rapidly expanding production to meet wartime needs. For the first time, many women...
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A unionization parade for Saxon Mills, Spartanburg, in 1935. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.
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In this section, the "Palmetto Special" leaves Columbia and travels to Spartanburg County. At the beginning of the program the Fall Line is defined, along with an introduction to the backcountry, the...
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Eugene Pottery, Cowpens, Cherokee County. Interview recorded June 2007 as the Folklife Resource Center continues to document pottery traditions in South Carolina. Winton Eugene is a self-taught potter...
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Eugene Pottery, Cowpens, Cherokee County. Interview recorded June 2007 as the Folklife Resource Center continues to document pottery traditions in South Carolina. Winton Eugene is a self-taught potter...
