Pickens

Pickens County lies in the northwestern part of South Carolina. Both the county and its seat are named in honor of Revolutionary War general Andrew Pickens.

Cherokee Indians inhabited the area first. However, they often fought with the settlers, so the settlers constructed Fort Prince George in 1753 to keep themselves safe. Much of the Cherokee War took place at this fort. Eventually, the Native Americans ceded control of the region to the United States via a treaty in 1777. As a result of this treaty, the land was absorbed into the Pendleton District. In 1826, this district split into two counties, one of which was Pickens County.

For most of its history, Pickens County’s economy depended on either the growing of cotton or the processing of cotton in textile mills. However, in recent decades manufacturing has become an important and diverse industry in the area.

Notable Pickens County residents include John C. Calhoun and his son-in-law Thomas Green Clemson, who gave his father-in-law’s land to the state so that they could establish an agricultural college. This agricultural college later became Clemson University.

History. Accessed June 10, 2016. http://www.co.pickens.sc.us/History/default.aspx

Lake Jocassee | Carolina Snaps

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Lake Jocassee is a 75,000-acre reservoir outside of Salem, South Carolina and is considered the jewel of the Appalachian Mountains.

Sassafras Mountain | Carolina Snaps

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Towering over three thousand five hundred feet, Sassafras Mountain is the highest point in the state of South Carolina.

Sassafras Mountain | From the Sky

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Located along the South Carolina - North Carolina border in Pickens County and towering over 3,500 feet, Sassafras Mountain is the highest point in the state of South Carolina.

Lake Jocassee | From the Sky

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The enchanting peaks and serene basins of Lake Jocassee are unlike anything else in South Carolina! And they can best be seen...From the Sky! Fly over the 75,000-acre reservoir that is commonly known...

Roy I. Jones | SC African American History Calendar (2020)

Episode 7

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

Dr. Roy I. Jones is a lifelong educator who has served in South Carolina institutions for nearly 40 years. Jones is the Executive Director of the Call Me MiSTER program and Provost Distinguished...

Fort Hill Plantation

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William Hiott is the Executive Director & Chief Curator for Fort Hill Plantation. He guides us through the history of Fort Hill and its famous residents, John C. Calhoun and Thomas Green Clemson...

3D VR - Fort Hill Plantation Office | Let's Go!

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Inside John C. Calhoun's office, located at Fort Hill Plantation in Clemson, SC. CREDIT: Sarah Pritchard, 2019 ETV Endowment Intern (Digital Media/Knowitall) Click play to view the tour on your device

3D VR - Fort Hill Plantation Home | Let's Go!

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Fort Hill, the antebellum plantation of John C. Calhoun, South Carolina’s pre-eminent 19th century statesman, started as a four-room Clergy Hall. Through a succession of Calhoun-Clemson women, Fort...

Fort Hill Photo Gallery | Let's Go!

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Frank Howard

Episode 102

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Nearly every morning, Coach Howard and friends meet for coffee at a restaurant near the Clemson campus. Coach Howard then discusses his coaching career while taking viewers around his home, and the...

Frank Howard

Episode 103

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Coach Frank Howard joins host Tom Fowler for an interview. Coach Howard discusses his organization activities since retiring, the high points of his career, how football teams traveled, and how...

Frank Howard

Episode 101

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Coach Frank Howard, also known as “The Bashful Baron of Barlow Bend,” had an illustrious career as the head coach of the Clemson Tigers football team. After he retired from Clemson, Coach Howard...

Camp iRock (2017) WhatWorksSC

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Camp iRock (Pickens County), a partnership of the United Way, YMCA and the School District of Pickens County, which is a free summer camp for rising 2nd-4th below grade-level readers with the goal of...

Clemson University Extension Service | South Carolina Public Radio

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"C" is for Clemson University Extension Service. The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 created the Cooperative Extension Service. The act ended the rivalry between state agricultural commissioners and land...

Building The Home And Move To Clemson | Hanover House

Episode 2

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This segment covers the St. Julien family settling near Charleston, and building their home and plantation. William Hiott, Director of Clemson University Historical Properties, talks about why the...

The French Huguenot Exodus | Hanover House

Episode 1

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The beginning is about the house’s original owner, Paul de St. Julien’s family, and their French Huguenot origins. They moved to Charleston, S.C. to escape religious and political persecution, when...

African American Contributions | Hanover House

Episode 3

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William Hiott and Patrick McMillan discuss the contributions made by African Americans. When Paul de St. Julien died in 1741, he owned forty-five slaves. Most of the profit which came from St. Julien...

House History And Tour | Hanover House

Episode 4

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This last segment features a tour around the house, showing each room, design choices exclusive to each room, and some of the antiques and various artifacts on display in the home. Today, the house...

Central | South Carolina Public Radio

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"C" is for Central [Pickens County; population 3,522]. The town of Central came into being when the Atlantic and Richmond Air Line [later the Southern Railroad] laid a track through Pickens County in...

Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 1

Episode 2

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At the same stop, we see Dwarf Iris flowers.

Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 8

Episode 12

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Rudy and Jim analyze the geographic features of the creek, around with some of the plant life growing in the area: White Pines, Wild Geranium flowers, Mountain Laurel, Liverwort, Maidenhair Fern,...

Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 6

Episode 10

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Lake Jocassee – Here, standing on a rock outcropping, Rudy and Jim analyze Lake Jocassee’s geographic features, along with the variety of trees found around the lake: White Pine, Virginia Pine, and...

Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 5

Episode 9

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Old Farm Road – While walking down this old farm road, Rudy and Jim come across a Sweetgum tree which has been chewed by a beaver. The beavers in the area have built a dam, thus creating a new habitat...

Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 2

Episode 5

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Poor Robin’s Plantain is another common flower found in the area. A Silver Spotted Skipper butterfly is seen gathering nectar from one of these flowers, and Rudy and Jim revisit the Black Rat Snake...

Pickens

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