York

York County lies within the Olde English region of South Carolina. The county and its seat are named in honor of York County, Pennsylvania.

Catawba Indians initially inhabited the region before they ceded control of the area to the United States via treaty in 1763. After this treaty was signed, a great number of Scotch-Irish from both Pennsylvania and the South Carolina Lowcountry began to settle the area.

The county was founded in 1785 within the Camden District. It later belonged to the Pinckney District before becoming its own district. During the Revolutionary War, the battles of Williamson’s Plantation and King’s Mountain took place here.

Initially, the economy relied on small cotton farms. However, over time the economy transitioned from cotton farming to cotton processing and became dependent on the textile industry.

Sarah Ayers, A Catawba Native American | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 3

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This is one of a series of photos from a collection made by Mrs. I.A. Robertson in 1908. She had long been interested in the Catawba Native Americans and their pottery, and often visited their...

The Caterwaulers: A Winthrop College Music Organization | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 7

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This group of Winthrop College students called their music organization The Caterwaulers, in a photo which appeared in the college 1910 yearbook. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.

Winthrop Students Gather Outside With A Guitar | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 2

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Winthrop College students of the 1970s gather outdoors with a guitar on a warm spring day. Courtesy of the Winthrop University Archives.

Circus Parade In Rock Hill | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 4

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The chariot of a circus parade rolls through the Main Street of Rock Hill amid the crowd in 1897. Courtesy of the Winthrop University Archives.

A Picnic Near Rock Hill | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 8

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This photograph from the album of J.S. White records a picnic in the vicinity of Rock Hill in May of 1897. Courtesy of the Winthrop University Archives.

Outdoor Tea | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 5

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Winthrop students in the Home Economics Department prepare and serve an elaborate outdoor tea, around 1950. Note the white gloves and hats. Courtesy of the Winthrop University Archives.

Women Exercising At "Outdoor Gymnasium" | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 14

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Here, a group of young women exercise in the "Out-Door Gymnasium" at Winthrop College in Rock Hill. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.

Women And Competitive Sports | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 8

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Women played competitive team sports too, as illustrated by this lively basketball game between Winthrop College and Converse College in 1912. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.

A Mill Village In York County | History Of SC Slide Collection

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A mill village in York. Photo from the Works Progress Administration, 1930s. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.

Rock Hill's Main Street At Night, 1950 | History Of SC Slide Collection

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Main Street of Rock Hill at night, 1950. Courtesy of the Winthrop University Archives.

Rock Hill's Main Street Business District, 1913 | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 1

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Rock Hill, like many Upcountry South Carolina towns, began as a railroad depot in 1852 on the Charlotte-Columbia Railroad. Incorporated in 1870, its real growth came from two influences: the influx of...

A Convertible At A Rock Hill Gas Station In 1941 | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 8

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A convertible stops at a gas station in Rock Hill in 1941 to "fill 'er up." By the end of the year, World War II gasoline rationing severely restricted automobile pleasure travel. Courtesy of the...

The Rock Hill Buggy Company's Anderson Automobile | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 6

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The model in this 1928 advertising photograph prepares to step into an Anderson Automobile in front of the Winthrop College main building in Rock Hill, where the Rock Hill Buggy Company, manufacturer...

The Saluda Speedway Postcard, 1913 | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 3

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This postcard view of a roadway outside of Rock Hill in 1913 is titled "The Saluda Speedway." Courtesy of the Howard G. Woody Postcard Collection.

Winthrop College Girls Ride Bikes Across Campus In Rock Hill | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 2

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Winthrop college girls ride bicycles across campus in Rock Hill in 1965. Courtesy of the Winthrop University Archives.

The Southern Railroad Takes Anderson Automobiles From The Rock Hill Platform | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 11

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The Southern Railroad takes on a shipment of Anderson Automobiles from the platform in Rock Hill, where the Anderson was manufactured. The storage warehouse and loading platforms are shown in this...

The Rock Hill Buggy Company | History Of SC Slide Collection

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"A Birds-eye View of the Rock Hill Buggy Company." The brochure for which this engraving was drawn boasted around 1900: "This company was started here in 1886 with a little hand power plant and about...

Change Of Occupation In Office Work | History Of SC Slide Collection

Episode 2

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Office work changed from being primarily a male occupation to one dominated by women between the early 20th century and this 1960s photograph of a Winthrop College student in typing class. Courtesy of...

Catawba Mill | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 9

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Catawba Mill produces a new lightweight coated paper on this modern machinery, photographed on July 14, 1986. Courtesy of "The State" newspaper.

David Bancroft Johnson | S.C. Hall of Fame

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As Superintendent of Schools in Columbia, South Carolina, David Bancroft Johnson saw the need for an institution that would focus on training teachers. He received funds from Robert Winthrop and the...

A Keowee Church Farm Cotton Picking | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 5

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"A Keowee Church Farm Cotton Picking." This photograph of whites picking cotton, taken around 1900 in York County, is from the collection of Miss Margaret Gist. She was active in the missionary...

Bedroom Of This Rock Hill Home | History of SC Slide Collection

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The mother of the boys who lived in the bedroom of this Rock Hill home labeled the 1898 photograph of it (in her album "The Blue Room") and gave the cry of mothers everywhere who have told their...

Winthrop Industrial College | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 47

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Winthrop Industrial College, photographed May 12, 1894, was the industrial half of the Winthrop Normal and Industrial School constructed in Rock Hill. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.

Photograph of a Winthrop College Classroom | History of SC Slide Collection

Episode 46

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This 1974 photograph of a Winthrop College classroom illustrates many of the changes in higher education that occurred in South Carolina in the late 1960s. The College had become co-educational, and...