McCormick County was founded in 1916 due to a combination of lands previously belonging to Abbeville, Greenwood, and Edgefield counties. It is known for a variety of outdoor attractions including Hickory Knob, Hamilton Branch, and Baker Creek state parks as well as J. Strom Thurmond Lake. McCormick serves as the county seat.
French Huguenot, Scotch-Irish, and German farmers first settled the area in the mid-18th century. These settlers did not get along well with the Cherokee Indians of the region, and after Cherokees killed several residents the British built Fort Charlotte in order to protect them. When the Revolutionary War began, Fort Charlotte was one of the first forts that Americans conquered.
Mining has had a strong impact on the area. Dorn Gold Mine was constructed soon after the discovery of gold in 1850 to mine gold as well as manganese. In 1869, a man named Cyrus McCormick bought the mine. McCormick later gave away land that would become the county seat of McCormick, and the town of McCormick, as well as McCormick County, was named after him in 1882. Although the mine closed in the early 20th century, the town of McCormick still holds the McCormick Gold Rush Festival annually in honor of its mining heritage.
Historic McCormick County. Accessed June 10, 2016. http://www.mccormickcountysc.org/mccormick_county_history.php
McCormick County Visitors Council. Accessed June 10, 2016. http://mccormickscchamber.org/visitors_council.php?silverheader=3
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The document includes transcripts for Richard Blackwell's audio.
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