Spartanburg County was founded in 1785 and lies near the Blue Ridge Mountains. Both the county and its seat are named in honor of the Spartan Regiment, a local militia who served the Americans in the Revolutionary War. Notable residents include general William Westmoreland and hymn writer William Walker.
The county was principally settled by Scotch-Irish and other Europeans who moved to the area from Pennsylvania and Virginia in the late 18th century. Historically, the economy relied on small cotton farms, cattle raising, and the Lowcountry tourists that visited the area’s mineral springs. After the Civil War, the region’s economy transitioned to textile manufacturing. Today, Spartanburg County has become an industrial hub. In fact, “the New York Times reports Spartanburg as having the highest per capita international investment in the nation.”
SOURCE: Economic Futures Group. Accessed June 10, 2016.
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Harold Vernon Riddle played the fiddle for well over fifty years. He was first exposed to the rural folk music of upstate South Carolina in the mill village of Glendale where he was born. He heard...
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Billy Henson talks with Cinda Baldwin about Jones "Pete" Clayton's influence on him. A native of Lyman in Spartanburg County, Henson came from a long line of traditional potters. Both his grandfather...
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Billy Henson talks about the difference between using sand or glass in a glaze. A native of Lyman in Spartanburg County, Henson came from a long line of traditional potters. Both his grandfather...
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A native of Lyman in Spartanburg County, Henson came from a long line of traditional potters. Both his grandfather, Jesse Vardry Henson, and his great-uncle, David Carr Henson, were folk potters in...
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Joel Stover discusses regional differences in barbecue.
