Abbeville and the American Civil War Abbeville has the unique distinction of being both the birthplace and the deathbed of the Confederacy. On November 22, 1860, a meeting was held at Abbeville, at a site since dubbed "Secession Hill", to launch South Carolina's secession from the Union; one month later, the state of South Carolina became the first state to secede.
It was also the birthplace of noted states rights advocate John C. Calhoun.
At the end of the Civil War, with the Confederacy in shambles, Confederate President Jefferson Davis fled Richmond, Virginia and headed south, stopping for a night in Abbeville at the home of his friend Armistead Burt. It was on May 2, 1865, in the front parlor of what is now known as the Burt-Stark Mansion that Jefferson Davis officially acknowledged the dissolution of the Confederate government.
2003 Right-of-Way Standoff
On December 8, 2003, in a 14-hour standoff that stemmed from a land-survey dispute, two Abbeville lawmen were gunned down by West Abbeville resident Steven Bixby. This siege has been compared by both sympathizers of the Bixbys and law enforcement agents to the events of Waco and Ruby Ridge. In February 2007, Steven Bixby was convicted on 17 counts including the two murders, as well as lesser charges of kidnapping and conspiracy. He was given two death sentences for the murders plus 125 years in prison on the other charges.
Notable People
General Robert Reid Hemphill, who fought in the Civil War, and was a member of the House of Representatives from 1876 to 1880 and from 1884 to 1886. He was also a Senator from 1886 to 1894 from Abbeville County, and later Clerk (1894–1908) of the South Carolina Senate. He was also Editor of the "Abbeville Medium". Robert died in Abbeville.
James S. Cothan, (1830–1897), born near Abbeville, United States Congressman from South Carolina [6]
John Henry Logan, (1822–1885), born in Abbeville, physician, served as a surgeon in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, professor at Atlanta Medical College, and editor of the Atlanta Medical Journal.[6]
Benjamin Glover Shields, (1808–1850), born in Abbeville, was a United States Congressman from Alabama.[6]
John C. Calhoun, 7th American Vice President under Andrew Jackson, notable States Rights Activist, and later the 16th Secretary of State of the United States Robert Reid Hemphill,(1840–1908),
Bamberg
Notable People
Rodney Wallace - UFC light heavyweight fighter
DaQuan Bowers - Plays football for Clemson University.
Nikki Haley - First Indian American Republican state legislator in the United States.
Mickey Pruitt - NFL linebacker.
Mookie Wilson and Preston Wilson - Major League baseball players.
Ricky Sapp- NFL football player
Barnwell
Barnwell is home to what is thought to be the only vertical freestanding sundial in the USA,[5] though counter-examples exist.[6] The Barnwell sundial was surrounded by a parking lot in the 1960s but in the 1990s the city removed the parking lot, built a park, and made the sundial a focal point
Notable People
The most widely-known former resident is entertainer James Brown, "The Godfather of Soul", who was born in the Elko area of Barnwell and moved to Augusta at the age of six to live with his aunt.
The South Carolina poet and novelist, William Gilmore Simms, lived most of his life in the county.
Troy Brown, New England Patriots wide receiver.
Henry Louis Wallace, serial killer
R. Winston Morris, professional tuba player and teacher.
state Speaker of the House Solomon Blatt, Sr. (1895–1986),
Governor Joseph E. Harley (1880–1942).
Other state and national politicians from Barnwell include: James Aldrich, state representative and judge during the 19th and early 20th century James O’Hanlon Patterson (1857–1911), United States Representative from South Carolina.
Tom Berenger
Beaufort
The city has been featured in the New York Times, named "Best Small Southern Town" by Southern Living, named a "Top 25 Small City Arts Destination" by American Style, and a "Top 50 Adventure Town" by National Geographic Adventure
Major festivals and arts events include the Water Festival, a two-week extravaganza in the middle of July; and the Shrimp Festival, celebrating the local and traditional industry, is in the first weekend in October. In 2007, The Beaufort Shrimp Festival was selected as one of the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events.[4]
The Beaufort International Film Festival held the first week of March screens independent films, such as Brats.
A Taste of Beaufort, presented by Main Street Beaufort, is held on the first Saturday in May and features 20 local restaurants, fine wines, and live music.
Beaufort has been named by some sources as one of "America's Best Art Towns", including being ranked the #14 Small City Arts Destination by American Style Magazine in 2008 and one of America's top 100 art towns by author John Villani in his 2005 book "The 100 Best Art Towns in America: A Guide to Galleries, Museums, Festivals, Lodging and Dining" .[4] Close to 20 galleries operate within the City with hundreds of local residents contributing to the arts scene.
Notable People
Tom Berenger, actor
Samuel Hopkins Adams, author
Danni Ashe, adult entertainer
Pat Conroy, author of numerous novels with several depicting communities resembling Beaufort
Esther Dale, former actress
Jazzy Jay, hip-hop disc jockey
David Nolan, author of Fifty Feet in Paradise
Athletes
Kevin Brooks, basketball, National Basketball Association and National Basketball League (Australia)
Joe Frazier, boxer
Joe Montford, football, Canadian Football League
James Saxon, football player and coach, National Football League
Woodward Barnwell, former U.S. and Confederate Congressman
Edward Junius Black, former U.S. Congressman (represented Georgia)
William F. Colcock, former U.S. Congressman
Charles Craven, former governor and founder of Beaufort
William Elliot, former U.S. Congressman
John Floyd, former U.S. Congressman (represented Georgia)
Richard Howell Gleaves, former Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
William J. Grayson, former U.S. Congressman and poet
Francis Lubbock, former governor of Texas
Michael P. O'Connor, former U.S. Congressman
Libby Pataki, wife of former Governor of New York George Pataki
Clementa C. Pinckney, current state senator
Robert Rhett, former U.S. Congressman and leading secessionist politician
Robert Smalls, former slave and Civil War hero who became one of the first African-Americans elected to the U.S. Congress
William Verity, Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Commerce
Others
Richard W. Colcock, former president of The Citadel
Donald Conroy, former colonel, USMC; also known as "The Great Santini" and father of Pat Conroy
Stephen Elliott, former Episcopal bishop
John Edwards Holbrook, former zoologist
Leon Keyserling, economist and adviser to President Truman Anita Pollitzer, former photographer Anne Pressly, former news anchor whose murder in Arkansas attracted national attention
Belton
Notable People
Viola Thompson Griffin, former member of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, from which the 1992 the movie A League of Their Own is based on, resides in Belton.
Bennettsville
Notable People
Hugh McColl, former president of the Bank of America
Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund are natives of Bennettsville.
Historian Henry Steel Commager had married Bennettsville author Evan Alexa Carroll (Feb 4, 1904-Mar 28 1968).
Aziz Ansari, comedian, actor on NBC's Parks and Recreation and MTV's Human Giant grew up in Bennettsville, attending Marlboro Academy and the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics
This town is known for the alleged sightings of a reptile-like monster in and near a swamp called Scape Ore Swamp. It has supposedly frightened people and damaged some cars. At one point there was a one million dollar reward for anyone who could find and present "Lizard Man."
Notable People
Felix "Doc" Blanchard, Heisman Trophy winner and "Mr. Inside"
Gwendolyn Bradley, opera singer
The Button King, born Dalton Stevens
Silas DeMary, a player for the Cleveland Gladiators, an Arena Football League team
Pearl Fryar, noted topiary artist
Tommy Gainey, professional golfer on the PGA Tour
Jim Nesbitt, comic country musician
Drink Small, the "Blues Doctor", an African American soul blues and electric blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter
Camden
The Carolina Cup is an annual event held on either the final Saturday in March or the first Saturday of April. The first race was held March 22, 1930 and has been held every year since, with the exception of 1943 and 1945, during World War II. The races have become a South Carolina tradition, and normally draws a crowd of over 70,000 spectators. The "Cup" has become a premier social sporting event. Springdale Race Course is also home to the Marion du Pont Scott Colonial Cup held on the third Sunday in November annually. Among major steeplechase horse races, it is unique in that South Carolina state law prohibits gambling on horse racing.
Notable People
Kathleen Parker, current resident, winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
American actor and Broadway performer Samuel E. Wright
Larry Doby - first African American to play in the American League
Bobby Engram - NFL player
Vonnie Holliday - NFL player
Charles Bennett - NFL player
Richie Williams - CFL player
Bernard Baruch - American financier and American presidential adviser
Chester
Notable People
Sheldon Brown - National Football League corner back
Allison Feaster - Basketball player in the WNBA, French citizen since 2004
Maurice Morris - National Football League running back
Trivia
While being transported to Richmond, VA for his trial for treason, former Vice-President Aaron Burr passed through Chester. Burr "flung himself from his horse and cried for a rescue, but the officer commanding the escort seized him, threw him back like a child into the saddle, and marched on."[5] The large stone he stood on has been inscribed and is preserved in the town center, and is known locally as the Aaron Burr Rock.
Chiefs (TV miniseries), based on the novel by Stuart Woods, was filmed in Chester over the course of three months in 1983.[6] It was nominated for three prime-time Emmy awards, and featured a star-studded cast including Charlton Heston, Keith Carradine, Paul Sorvino, Billy Dee Williams and Danny Glover
Three Major League Baseball players were born in Clinton...Chick Galloway (1896), Charlie Wilson (1905), and Johnny Riddle (1905). Three Major League Baseball players died in Clinton...Chick Galloway (1969), Cal Cooper (1994), and Claude Crocker (2002).
Conway
Notable People
William Gibson, author and credited as the father of the Cyberpunk genre of science fiction, born March 17, 1948.
Kristy McPherson, American golfer on the LPGA Tour.
Sheri Reynolds, author and associate professor of Southern literature at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia.
Nick Shalosky, First Openly Gay Elected Official in South Carolina
Darlington
In popular culture Bruce Springsteen's "Darlington County" off his album Born in the USA.
Notable People
David Rogerson Williams (1776–1830), governor and scientific experimenter, was a native of Darlington; he is remembered for introducing the mule to Southern agriculture
James Lide Coker (1837–1918) and David R. Coker (1870–1938), industrialists
Annie Greene Nelson (1902–1993) and Elizabeth Boatwright Coker (1909–1993), novelists
Dorsey Dixon, musician and songwriter
Orlando Hudson, baseball player for the Minnesota Twins
Jack C. Stultz — Chief, Army Reserve; Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command
Kevin Steele — defensive coordinator, Clemson University
John Chavis — Defensive Coordinator, LSU
Derrick Hamilton - football player
Attractions
South of the Border
Easley
Easley has been hosting the Big League World Series for several years.
Stanley Morgan- NFL player for the New England Patriots
Fountain Inn
Notable People
Fountain Inn was the adopted home of journalist and humorist Robert Quillen, one of the "leading purveyors of village nostalgia" during the early decades of the twentieth century.[3]
Fountain Inn was the home town of late one legged tap dancer Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates.
Fountain Inn is the home town of Travelle Wharton who is an American football offensive lineman for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He played college football at the University of South Carolina.
Gaffney
Notable People
W.J. Cash, author
Kertus Davis, NASCAR driver
Robert E. Hall, Eleventh Sergeant Major of the Army, Oct 21, 1997 - June 23, 2000
Andie MacDowell, actress
Michael McCluney, member of the band Day26
Rocky McIntosh, professional football player, the Washington Redskins
Mikki Moore, professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors
Arizona Reid, player for the Cairns Taipans, Australian National Basketball League
Sidney Rice, professional football player, the Minnesota Vikings
Dominique Stevenson, former football player for the Tennessee Volunteers and the Buffalo Bills
Andy Strickland, professional football player with the Atlanta Falcons
Spree killings of 2009
The city of Gaffney and surrounding Cherokee County came into the national spotlight during the summer of 2009 when a spree killer began killing residents of the rural town.[6] The first victim, a prominent peach farmer from western Cherokee County, was killed on June 27. On July 1, the killer was responsible for the death of an 83-year-old woman and her 50-year-old daughter. The two were found bound and shot to death in the elder woman's home near Gaffney. On July 2, 46-year-old Stephen Tyler was shot and killed in his appliance and furniture store; his teenage daughter, Abby, was critically wounded; she died of her injuries two days later.[7] The news spread quickly from the local newspaper to national and international media outlets including CNN, ABC News, The Wall Street Journal, and the BBC. On July 6, police responding to an emergency call of a burglary in progress in Gaston County, North Carolina shot and killed a suspect who drew a gun on them, injuring one officer. Ballistic tests and checks on the suspect's SUV indicated this to be the wanted killer, later identified as Patrick Tracy Burris
Georgetown
Georgetown occupies a unique place in American history. Some historians claim that American history began here in 1526 with the earliest settlement in North America by Europeans with African slaves. It is believed that in that year the Spanish, under Lucas Vásquez de Ayllón, founded a colony on Waccamaw Neck called San Miguel de Gualdape.
Aziz Ansari, actor and comedian, alumnus of South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics
Rich Batchelor, former MLB relief pitcher
Rufus Bess, former NFL cornerback
Roderick Blakney, "MooMoo", former professional basketball player
James Robert Campbell, "Jim", former MLB pinch hitter
James Lide Coker, founder of the Southern Novelty Company (now Sonoco Products) and of Coker College
Chad Dawson, current boxer; also, formerly a WBC, IBF, IBO, NABF, Ring magazine, and Lineal light heavyweight champion.
Leeza Gibbons, television personality
Cpt. Thomas Edward Hart, founder of Hartsville, SC in 1817
Albert Haynesworth, former NFL defensive lineman
Terrance Herrington, former middle-distance ACC track champion and US Olympic Track & Field athlete
Shannon Johnson, "Pee Wee", former professional basketball player, WNBA All Star, and member of the gold medal-winning USA Basketball team in the 2004 Summer Olympics
Jordan Lyles, professional baseball player for MLB's Baltimore Orioles
Tony McDaniel, former NFL defensive line
Bobo Newsom, former MLB pitcher and four-time MLB All-Star selection
Jeryl Prescott, American actress, best known for her role as Jacqui in the AMC series The Walking Dead
Greenwood
Festival of Flowers - Every year in June, Greenwood hosts the South Carolina "Festival of Flowers". Park Seed Corporation, located in Greenwood and one of the largest gardening companies in the world, plays a large part in the Emerald City's ability to host this event
Notable People
Benjamin Mays (August 1, 1894 – March 28, 1984), minister, educator, scholar, social activist, mentor to Martin Luther King Jr, and president of Morehouse College
Ben Coates, starting tight end for the New England Patriots NFL Football Team
Armanti Edwards, starting quarterback for the Appalachian State Mountaineers football team, and winner of the 2008 Walter Payton Award, given to the top Football Championship Subdivision offensive player. Drafted by the Carolina Panthers with their 3rd round, 25th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Keith Jameson, professional opera singer Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, English National Opera, and others, and Founder and Director of the Greenwood Music Festival
Keith Harling, Country music artist
Alex Thomas, SCISA AA Women's Cross Country State Champion
Gregg Marshall, Head coach of Wichita State University's men's basketball program
Pinky Babb, Coached Greenwood High School for 39 years and is among the top 20 nationally in high school football victories.
William "Hootie" Johnson, Former chairman of The Augusta National golf course.
John McKissick, National high school football leader in coaching victories (Summerville, S.C., High School).
William Jennings Bryan Dorn, Former U.S. and state Congressman
Chino Smith, Former Negro League player, named one of S.C.'s top 100 athletes by Sports Illustrated.
Grainger Hines, Greenwood native and actor, once married to Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and The Papas.
Brencis Stanford, Golf aficionado
Paige Rowland, Actress known for her role on All My Children as Kit Montgomery.
George Singleton, author
Jerome Singleton, Paralympic athlete
"The Fantastic" Johnnie C, R&B/Gospel singer who scored with the 1968 hit song "Boogaloo Down Broadway"
The Swingin' Medallions, 60s beach music group best known for their hit Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)
Gray Davis, Classical Ballet Dancer American Ballet Theatre
Gaines Adams, former Defensive End for the NFL's Chicago Bears
Inman
Peach Capital of the World" - Inman, SC is the self-proclaimed "Peach Capital of the World." This title stems from an incident involving the collaboration of peach farmers to ship the entire shipment of produce on a single day. Thus, the town was able to attain the lofty position by shipping more than the entire state of Georgia, "The Peach State", on a single day
Lake City
Notable People
Ronald McNair, (October 21, 1950 - January 28, 1986) , a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, was one of the astronauts killed during the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, mission STS-51-L.
Derrick Burgess - 2005 NFL player (Oakland Raiders, born: Aug 12, 1978).
Derrick Faison was born on August 24, 1967 in Lake City, South Carolina. After going to high school at Lake City (SC), Faison attended Howard University. Faison made his professional debut in the NFL in 1990 with the Los Angeles Rams. He played for the Los Angeles Rams for his entire 1 year career. Faison died in 2004 while playing basketball at the age of 36 from an undetected heart condition, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM); the Derrick Faison Foundation was later established to combat HCM and sudden cardiac death and to provide scholarships for underprivileged students.[6]
Harris Jones (Harris Jones, Jr.) was born on October 3, 1945 in Lake City, South Carolina. After going to high school at Carver (Lake City, SC), Jones attended Johnson C. Smith University. Jones made his professional debut in the NFL in 1971 with the San Diego Chargers. He played for the Houston Oilers and San Diego Chargers over the course of his 3 year career.
D.T. Cromer (David Thomas Cromer) was born on March 19, 1971 in Lake City, South Carolina. He made his Major League debut on April 5, 2000 for the Cincinnati Reds. Cromer played for the Cincinnati Reds for his entire 2 year career.
Tripp Cromer (Roy Bunyan Cromer) was born on November 21, 1967 in Lake City, South Carolina. He made his Major League debut on September 7, 1993 for the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1995, his rookie year, he hit .226 with 5 home runs and 18 RBI. Cromer played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros over the course of his 7 year career.
Laurens
Laurens is home to Gary Davis and Pink Anderson, acoustic blues musicians who were born in the city, as well as Redtop Davis, lightweight boxer of the 1940s and 1950s.
J.T. Taylor, the lead singer of the funk/R&B band Kool & The Gang, grew up in Laurens.
The Redneck Shop, a white supremacist clothing store, was located in Laurens.
Liberty
Liberty Idol
Liberty Idol, a karaoke style singing competition based on the widely popular American Idol television series, started in 2006 as a way to get more tourists to visit the Liberty area and bring more income to local businesses. Since 2006, the event has taken place every year, with the event taking place downtown on Saturdays during the Spring and Summer. Singers sign up to compete against each other from week to week, with the top 5 remaining singers at the end receiving a cash prize, and the best singer being named Liberty Idol. Liberty Idol has proven very successful, drawing in over 3,000 people for its latest finale. The popularity of the event pushed Charter Media to broadcast the latest season on local television.[30]
Film
The film Midnight Man starring Cameron Mitchell was filmed in the Liberty, Six Mile, and Clemson areas in the 1970s.
A majority of the 1999 major motion picture Chill Factor, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Skeet Ulrich, was filmed on location in Liberty and in its surrounding areas.
Loris
Notable People
Robert H. Brooks, founder of Hooters in the mid 1980s and the Naturally Fresh Foods in Atlanta, Georgia, 1966. Born Loris September 13, 1937, Died Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, July 15, 2006.
Dining and Festivals
The annual Loris Bog-off is held on the second weekend in October, in the downtown Loris area. Chicken bog,[8] is a dish of chicken, rice, sausage and spices; that originated in the Pee Dee area of South Carolina
Manning
Notable People
Fred Bennett, defensive back for the Houston Texans
David Gaillard, engineer of the central portion of the Panama Canal, after whom the Gaillard Cut is named. He died before the work was finished.
Marian McKnight, "Miss America 1957"
Glenn Murray, who played pro baseball as outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies, starting 1996 Peggy Parish originating author of the Amelia Bedelia series of children's books
John Richbourg, disc jockey on the Nashville clear channel AM radio station WLAC
Lt. Col. James A. Walker,[citation needed] World War II ace fighter pilot and an early member of the Tuskegee Airmen
Alvin Greene, Democratic Party nominee for Senator
Kevin Garnett - Olympian, professional basketball player
Orlando Jones - actor
Orangeburg
Home of South Carolina State University.
Notable People
Alex Barron: Florida State Tackle. Drafted by the St. Louis Rams 19th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Shelton Benjamin: Professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler who notably worked for World Wrestling Entertainment. Born in Orangeburg on June 23, 1977.
Stephen Euin Cobb: (author, futurist and host of the award winning podcast The Future And You) Born in Orangeburg S.C. on February 3, 1955.
Monique Coleman: Actress and singer, most notably from High school Musical & High School Musical 2.
Shawnee Smith: Actress and musician. Well known for her roles as Amanda Young in Saw I-VI and Linda in the TV series Becker.
She is also the other half of the country-rock band Smith & Pyle alongside actress
Missi Pyle. Born in Orangeburg, SC on July 3, 1970.
Angell Conwell: Actress. Born in Orangeburg, SC on August 2, 1983.
Bob Corker: U.S. senator from Tennessee, born in Orangeburg on August 24, 1952.
Don Covay: Musician, born in Orangeburg on March 24, 1938.
Woodrow Dantzler: Clemson University quarterback and AFL player. First player in NCAA history to pass for more than 2,000 yards (1,800 m) and rush for more than 1,000 yards (910 m) in a single season.
Ralph B. Everett: President and CEO of the Washington, DC-based Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (website), the nation's premier African American think tank. Born in Orangeburg, SC on June 23, 1951.
Israel Hicks (1943-2010), stage director who presented August Wilson's entire 10-play Pittsburgh Cycle.[7]
Tim Jennings: University of Georgia cornerback. Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2nd round of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Mikki Moore: Professional basketball player who is currently a free agent and has played for a total of 9 teams.
Eugene Robinson: Op-Ed columnist, The Washington Post, born in Orangeburg in 1955.
Steve Sonic: Musician, founder of seminal punk band Red Menace and member of punk band Bored Suburban Youth.
Bill Spiers: MLB player for the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, and the Houston Astros.
Karen J. Williams: former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, born in Orangeburg in 1951.
Herm Winningham: retired Major League Baseball player and World Series Champion (1990).
The Jarvis Brothers Quintet: An acapella group that is known for their jubilee style singing, members of the Smithsonian Institute. Group consist of brothers; Ulysses, Reginald, Donald,Anthony and Rogers.
Pickens
Notable People
The most famous person from Pickens is Browning Bryant (January 24, 1957), who was a recording star in the late 1960s and early 1970s. On the strength of his record sales, he made numerous national TV appearances, including on Arthur Godfrey radio show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Mike Douglas Show (which he co-hosted for a week), The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, and The Kraft Music Hall; he also performed in Las Vegas and did concerts around the U.S.
Former NFL player and Appalachian State graduate, Harold Alexander is from Pickens. During Alexander's time at Appalachian State he set several NCAA punting records. Alexander was drafted 67th overall in the 1993 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. After playing two seasons with the Falcons, Alexander moved on to the Detroit Lions before ending his NFL career.
Seneca
The Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate for 2004, former United States Senator from North Carolina, John Edwards, was born in Seneca.
United States Senator Lindsey Graham
Simpsonville
Simpsonville is also home to the 2008 Little League Softball World Champions
Notable People
Jason Bokar, Chess Grandmaster
Danelle German, creator of cat handbags and founder of the National Cat Groomers Institute of America.
Shane Hall, NASCAR driver
Tommy Jones, Professional bowler; 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year
Travelle Wharton, offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers.
Todd Kincannon, Parliamentarian of the South Carolina Republican Party
Jamon Meredith, Offensive Tackle and 2009 5th Round Draft Pick of the Green Bay Packers
Lucas Glover, PGA Tour golfer and winner of the 2009 U.S. Open Golf Championship
Travelers Rest
Brooke Henson Brooke Leigh Henson (MPCCN Case File#1220F90), a native of Travelers Rest, has been missing since July 4, 1999. There was a bizarre development in 2007 when a woman named Esther Elizabeth Reed (originally from Montana) apparently stole Henson's identity to register at Columbia University in New York City. She was scheduled to be interviewed by New York police, although the police do not believe she was involved in Ms. Henson's disappearance, but rather was a prolific purchaser of false identity documents. The case was aired on the November 4, 2007 telecast of America's Most Wanted
Union
The county's Carnegie Library was named Best Small Library in America by Library Journal
Notable People
Darrell Austin, former NFL player for the New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Bucs
States Rights Gist, Confederate brigadier general during the Civil War
Bob Jeter, NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears
Cotton Owens, NASCAR driver Clifford Ray, former professional basketball player
Susan Smith, convicted of drowning her two sons in a highly-publicized murder case
Jim Youngblood Former NFL LineBacker Los Angeles Rams #53
The Union Yellow Jacket Football team has seen great success in recent past. They won the 4A State Football Championship in 1990 and 1995, and won the 3A State Title in 1999,2000, and 2002
Over 500 of the famed Tuskegee Airmen trained at Walterboro Army Air Field between April 1944 and October 1945 including individuals training as replacement pilots for the 332nd Fighter Squadron and the entire 447th Bombardment Group
Notable People
Norman Hand - was an American football defensive tackle in the NFL
Sandy Fields - is a Professional Basketball player
Dean Meminger - is an American professional basketball player
Brother Stair - is an American radio preacher
Darwin Walker - is an American football defensive tackle in National Football League
Cirie Fields - a repeat contestant on CBS's Survivor television series
