Familypedia
Register
Advertisement
Main Births etc
This article is based on the corresponding article in another wiki. For Familypedia purposes, it requires significantly more historical detail on phases of this location's development. The ideal article for a place will give the reader a feel for what it was like to live at that location at the time their relatives were alive there. Also desirable are links to organizations that may be repositories of genealogical information..
Please help to improve this page yourself if you can.


Laurens County, South Carolina
Laurens County Courthouse
Laurens County Courthouse
Map of South Carolina highlighting Laurens County
Location in the state of South Carolina
Map of the U.S
South Carolina's location in the U.S.
Founded March 12, 1785
Seat Laurens
Largest city Laurens
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

724 sq mi (1,875 km²)
714 sq mi (1,849 km²)
10 sq mi (26 km²), 1.4%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

67,539
Congressional district 3rd
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website https://laurenscounty.us/

Laurens County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 67,539.[1] Its county seat is Laurens.[2]

Laurens County is included in the Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History[]

Laurens County was formed on March 12, 1785.[3] It was named after Henry Laurens, the fifth president of the Continental Congress.

One of nine modern counties of the Colonial Ninety-Six District, Laurens County hosted more "official" (i.e. officially recognized and contemporaneously documented by competent governments) battles than did half of the original colonies. The Battle of Musgrove Mill was the first time during the American Revolution that regular soldiers of Great Britain were defeated in battle by militia.

Those battles in modern Laurens County were:

  1. Fort Lindley/Lindler
  2. Widow Kellet's Block House
  3. Musgrove's Mill
  4. Farrow's Station
  5. Duncan Creek Meeting House
  6. Indian Creek
  7. Hammond's Store
  8. Fort Williams (not to be confused with Williamson's fort some 25 miles south in Greenwood County)
  9. Cedar Springs (begun in Cross Anchor SC, then an old-fashioned "Hoss Chase" of fifty eight miles through four counties and ended in NC after about 30 hours!)
  10. Mud Lick Creek
  11. Hayes' Station. (Joe Goldsmith, State Historian, SC Soc., Sons of the American Revolution)

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 724 square miles (1,880 km2), of which 714 square miles (1,850 km2) is land and 10 square miles (26 km2) (1.4%) is water.[4]

Adjacent counties[]

Major highways[]

  • I-26 (SC) Interstate 26
  • I-385 (SC) Interstate 385
  • US 25 U.S. Route 25
  • US 76 U.S. Route 76
  • US 221 U.S. Route 221
  • South Carolina 72 South Carolina Highway 72
  • South Carolina 418 South Carolina Highway 418

National protected area[]

  • Sumter National Forest (part)

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1790 9,337
1800 12,809 37.2%
1810 14,982 17.0%
1820 17,682 18.0%
1830 20,863 18.0%
1840 21,584 3.5%
1850 23,407 8.4%
1860 23,858 1.9%
1870 22,536 −5.5%
1880 29,444 30.7%
1890 31,610 7.4%
1900 24,311 −23.1%
1910 26,650 9.6%
1920 42,560 59.7%
1930 42,094 −1.1%
1940 44,185 5.0%
1950 46,974 6.3%
1960 47,609 1.4%
1970 49,713 4.4%
1980 52,214 5.0%
1990 58,092 11.3%
2000 69,567 19.8%
2010 66,537 −4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[1]

2000 census[]

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 69,567 people, 26,290 households, and 18,876 families living in the county. The population density was 97 people per square mile (38/km2). There were 30,239 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile (16/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 71.57% White, 26.23% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 1.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 26,290 households, out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.10% were married couples living together, 15.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,933, and the median income for a family was $39,739. Males had a median income of $30,402 versus $21,684 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,761. About 11.60% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.60% of those under age 18 and 13.50% of those age 65 or over.

As of December 2017, the county unemployment rate was 4.4%.[10]

2010 census[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 66,537 people, 25,525 households, and 17,707 families living in the county.[11] The population density was 93.2 inhabitants per square mile (36.0 /km2). There were 30,709 housing units at an average density of 43.0 per square mile (16.6 /km2).[12] The racial makeup of the county was 70.4% white, 25.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.3% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.1% of the population.[11] In terms of ancestry, 11.8% were American, 9.8% were Irish, 9.6% were German, and 8.8% were English.[13]

Of the 25,525 households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.6% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 39.9 years.[11]

The median income for a household in the county was $37,529 and the median income for a family was $45,769. Males had a median income of $36,807 versus $26,799 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,757. About 14.1% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.0% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.[14]

2020 census[]

Laurens County racial composition[15]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 44,358 65.68%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 15,937 23.6%
Native American 144 0.21%
Asian 295 0.44%
Pacific Islander 24 0.04%
Other/Mixed 2,634 3.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4,147 6.14%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 67,539 people, 25,901 households, and 16,961 families residing in the county.

Education[]

There are three public school districts in the county. Laurens County District 55 covers what is generally the northeastern half of the county while District 56 covers the southwestern half. The Ware Shoals area is covered by the multi-county Greenwood County District 51. There are two public high schools in the county: Laurens (in Dist. 55) and Clinton (in Dist. 56.)

Public K-12 education includes Hickory Tavern Elementary, Ford Elementary, Gray Court-Owings, E.B. Morse, Hickory Tavern Middle, Laurens Middle, and Sanders Middle.

Private K-12 education includes Laurens Academy.

Presbyterian College, located in Clinton, is a four-year liberal-arts school founded in 1880.

Politics[]

During the 1870 South Carolina gubernatorial election, Joseph Crews was a county election commissioner in Laurens County, and in that capacity had ordered all ballot boxes to be set up in the county seat. This disadvantaged rural voters, but enabled him and the state militia to oversee the election process and to mobilize black voters. However, armed whites attacked the black militia and disarmed them; some were wounded, others murdered. "Like companies of Confederate cavalry", "heavily armed whites" pushed away black voters—until Federal troops came from twenty miles away, with Crews, and took the ballot boxes.[16] but was murdered by Democrats[17] in the run-up to the 1876 South Carolina gubernatorial election.[16]

Until 1948, Laurens County was a Democratic Party stronghold similar to the rest of the Solid South, with Democratic presidential candidates receiving near-unanimous margins of victory in most years. The 20 years from 1948 to 1968 were a highly transitional time for the politics of South Carolina and Laurens County, largely in part due to the Democratic Party's increasing support for African-American civil rights and enfranchisement. South Carolinian Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond won the county in 1948, and Democrats won it back from 1952 to 1960. Barry Goldwater's opposition to the Civil Rights Act led the county to turn Republican for the first time in 1964, which it remained for Richard Nixon's two electoral victories. The county flipped to the Democratic column to support Jimmy Carter from neighboring Georgia in 1976 and 1980, the last Democrat to win the county. From 1984, the county has been consistently Republican in presidential elections, often by wide margins of victory.

United States presidential election results for Laurens County, South Carolina[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 20,004 65.61% 10,159 33.32% 325 1.07%
2016 16,816 63.30% 8,889 33.46% 861 3.24%
2012 14,746 58.02% 10,318 40.60% 352 1.38%
2008 15,334 58.34% 10,578 40.25% 370 1.41%
2004 14,466 60.71% 9,205 38.63% 158 0.66%
2000 12,102 59.29% 7,920 38.80% 388 1.90%
1996 8,057 48.69% 7,055 42.64% 1,435 8.67%
1992 8,347 48.53% 6,638 38.59% 2,215 12.88%
1988 9,731 61.97% 5,930 37.77% 41 0.26%
1984 9,729 64.49% 5,312 35.21% 45 0.30%
1980 6,036 42.83% 7,856 55.74% 201 1.43%
1976 5,300 41.31% 7,440 57.98% 91 0.71%
1972 8,141 74.46% 2,650 24.24% 142 1.30%
1968 4,813 39.75% 3,016 24.91% 4,279 35.34%
1964 5,081 53.79% 4,365 46.21% 0 0.00%
1960 3,299 42.05% 4,547 57.95% 0 0.00%
1956 1,377 20.71% 3,726 56.05% 1,545 23.24%
1952 3,400 47.91% 3,697 52.09% 0 0.00%
1948 69 2.62% 513 19.51% 2,047 77.86%
1944 38 1.84% 1,924 93.40% 98 4.76%
1940 40 1.46% 2,697 98.54% 0 0.00%
1936 13 0.42% 3,069 99.58% 0 0.00%
1932 13 0.47% 2,750 99.39% 4 0.14%
1928 44 2.16% 1,989 97.64% 4 0.20%
1924 6 0.28% 2,105 99.53% 4 0.19%
1920 35 1.52% 2,263 98.48% 0 0.00%
1916 14 0.73% 1,895 98.65% 12 0.62%
1912 6 0.38% 1,566 98.49% 18 1.13%
1908 61 2.75% 2,160 97.21% 1 0.05%
1904 50 2.73% 1,779 97.21% 1 0.05%
1900 30 1.91% 1,540 98.09% 0 0.00%
1896 111 5.40% 1,943 94.60% 0 0.00%
1892 173 8.85% 1,772 90.64% 10 0.51%



Communities[]

Cities[]

Towns[]

Census-designated places[]

  • Joanna
  • Mountville
  • Princeton
  • Watts Mills

Unincorporated communities[]

Notable people[]

  • James Adair, (c.1709–c.1783), historian, resided in Laurens County in later life.[19]
  • Andrew Johnson, 17th president of the United States, worked as a tailor in Laurens during the 1820s.
  • William Y. Thompson (born 1922), historian, resided in Clinton from 1950 to 1955.
  • William Dunlap Simpson, 78th governor of South Carolina and chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court from 1880 to 1890.
  • Pat Cannon, United States Representative from Florida; raised in Laurens County.[20]

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Laurens County, South Carolina

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/laurenscountysouthcarolina,US/PST045221. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ "History of Laurens County, S.C.". Town Square Publications. https://townsquarepublications.com/history-of-laurens-county-sc/. 
  4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_45.txt. 
  5. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  6. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  7. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/sc190090.txt. 
  8. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  9. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  10. ^ "Monthly Unemployment Rates Ranked By County". http://www.eascinc.com/unemployment_rate.html. 
  11. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US45059. 
  12. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US45059. 
  13. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US45059. 
  14. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US45059. 
  15. ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US45059&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  16. ^ a b Ginsberg, Benjamin (April 12, 2010). Moses of South Carolina: A Jewish Scalawag during Radical Reconstruction. JHU Press. pp. 71, 102–103, 133, 136. https://books.google.com/books?id=44uF943aw18C&pg=PA102. 
  17. ^ Bellesiles, Michael A. (2010). 1877: America's Year of Living Violently. The New Press. p. 31. ISBN 9781595585943. https://books.google.com/books?id=vUI4AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA31. 
  18. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  19. ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963. 
  20. ^ "Cannon, Arthur Patrick (Pat), (1904 - 1966)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000115. 

External links[]

Commons-logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Coordinates: 34°29′01″N 82°00′21″W / 34.48357, -82.00593


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Laurens County, South Carolina. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
Advertisement