Born in 1878 in Spartanburg County, Ibra Charles Blackwood (1878-1936) attended Furman University preparatory school and Wofford College. Later, he studied law in Spartanburg, and began a law practice there. In 1903, he was elected to the state House of Representatives. Blackwood also served as the U.S. Internal Revenue agent for income tax collection in the South Carolina District from 1914 to 1916. In 1930, Blackwood was elected governor. During his administration, he was noted for his recommendation for a tax on hydro-electric and steam power in order to obtain funds for the state; reorganization of the state administration by consolidating many offices; and acquiring control of the banks during the 1933 banking crisis. During a strike by textile workers in 1934, Blackwood called out the National Guard. He was also instrumental in a program for development of the power and navigation potential of the Santee and Cooper Rivers (see Santee Cooper Electric Power Project, Hydro And Steam Generator Plants Of The Santee Cooper River Facility and The Lock House On The Santee Canal). After his term as governor, Blackwood resumed his law practice in Spartanburg where he died in 1936.
Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.
