D. The Historic Landscape | Pee Dee Explorer

Learn about the economic growth and settlement of the counties in the Pee Dee area. 

Florence: A Renaissance Spirit
Episode 1

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In the late 1840s, construction began on the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad, which would connect the port of Wilmington with the cotton fields of the Pee Dee. This would be an economic boon for...
Florence: A Renaissance Spirit
Episode 2

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After the Civil War, Florence made a quick transition. Damaged rails were repaired, fields were planted, businesses reopened, and the population increased. Many refugees fled to Florence from...
Florence: A Renaissance Spirit
Episode 3

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By the turn of the century, Florence was prospering. The train yard was active, and a new crop, tobacco, bolstered the economy. Florence became known as the Magic City. Learn how the Florence Museum...
Florence: A Renaissance Spirit
Episode 4

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Many returning to Florence after World War II saw clearly, possibly for the first time, a great injustice in their own community...segregation. Brown versus Board of Education" changed race relations...
Florence: A Renaissance Spirit
Episode 5

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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...
Bennettsville

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Bennettsville was named for the state's newly elected governor, Thomas Bennett. The town was partially burned during the Civil War and was referred to as the "pretty little town" by Union Troops...
Bennettsville

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Visit the four treasure-filled buildings at the Marlboro County Historical Museum complex. The 1826 Jennings-Brown House served as Union Headquarters during Bennettsville occupation.
Cheraw

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Take a stroll through the streets of Cheraw and experience why it's been called "The Prettiest Town in Dixie." Walk the town laid out in 1768. Visit Old St. David's Church, which was occupied by four...
Darlington

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Visit old Darlington's courthouse square via the mural painted by South Carolina artist Blue Sky. View the historic Wingate and Wilds houses. Learn about St. John's Academy and the colorful Darlington...