Florence County

"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. http://florenceco.org/

Florence: A Renaissance Spirit: Early History | Carolina Stories

Episode 1

Video

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

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; Reconstruction | Carolina Stories

Episode 2

Video

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

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: Early 20th Century | Carolina Stories

Episode 3

Video

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Higher Education

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: Civil Rights Movement | Carolina Stories

Episode 4

Video

Grades: 5 8 11 Higher Education

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: 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...

Hewn Timber Cabins | Pee Dee Explorer

Video

Grades: 6 7 8

Examine the life of African American slaves as Karl McAlister, Francis Marion University Librarian, takes us on a tour of the two remaining hewn timber cabins from the Gregg Plantation in Florence...

Swamp Fox | Pee Dee Explorer

Video

Grades: 6 7 8

Francis Marion served in the American Revolutionary War. Known as the Swamp Fox, he is considered one of the fathers of modern guerrilla warfare due to his "surprise attack" strategies that often took...

Tenant Farmers | Pee Dee Explorer

Video

Grades: 6 7 8

Learn the history of African-American tenant farmers during the era of reconstruction as Karl McAlis ter , Francis Marion University Librarian, takes us on a tour of the two remaining hewn timber...

West African Slaves | Pee Dee Explorer

Video

Grades: 6 7 8

Find out how slaves were transported from West Africa to South Carolina. Also, discover the culture and language influences as Karl McAlister, Francis Marion University Librarian, takes us on a tour...