Richland

Richland County lies in the South Carolina midlands. Its county seat, Columbia, also serves as the state capital.

Richland County lies in the South Carolina midlands. Its county seat, Columbia, also serves as the state capital.

The county was founded in 1785 within the Camden District, and its name most likely refers to the “rich land” of the county. In 1791, Richland County became smaller when land previously belonging to this county was added to Kershaw County.

During the Civil War, Sherman entered Richland County and occupied Columbia before setting it on fire.

Since its founding, Columbia has served as an economic hub for the state, especially in terms of trade and manufacturing. The county is home to Fort Jackson, Congaree National Park, and multiple lakes and rivers. Notable county residents include Senator Wade Hampton and President Woodrow Wilson.

 

SOURCES: About Richland County

Congaree Swamp (S.C.) Stop 6
Episode 10

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Closer to the water, Rudy and Jim find more Cypress-Tupelo trees, and come across two Clubtail dragonflies in the process of mating.
Congaree Swamp (S.C.) Stop 6
Episode 9

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Congaree Swamp is abundant with insect life. Rudy and Jim come across a newly emerged dragonfly, and a Zebra Swallowtail butterfly is seen feeding on a White Clover flower. A Clubtail dragonfly is...
Stanley Donen | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Stanley Donen is an Oscar winning film director and Broadway stage choreographer, who is credited for changing the way Hollywood musicals are viewed by movie audiences worldwide. He was born and...
Technology at Allen University | Palmetto Scene

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Palmetto Scene visits Allen University, a historic Black university in Columbia, where students are excited about using their knowledge to secure high-paying, interesting jobs in the 21st-century...
A True Likeness: Introduction | Carolina Stories
Episode 1

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An old photograph taken sometime between 1912 and 1914 is found, and experts were told to visit a Miss Hattie May Cornwell, in the Arsenal Hill community of Columbia, S.C. She not only identified the...
Reflections of Columbia, Part 3
Episode 3

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After Reconstruction, the local business community thrived in the 1880s. Horse-drawn trollies became common-place in the streets of Columbia, and the Columbia Canal was completed in 1882. “Mill...