South Carolina

Mills and textiles are a important part of the history of the South, and Greenville, known as the Textile Capital of the World played a key role.

Greenville's textile heritage is what made the community the economic force it is today. From its antebellum beginnings with only a handful of mills, Greenville continued to grow industrially as more and more Northern investors saw financial opportunity in the area. With its notable feats, such as having the largest textile mill under one roof to its many mills fighting off flying squadrons during the General Textile Strike of 1934, the county's textile past is as rich and colorful as the fabrics it produced. Greenville's ascension to the Textile Capital of the World was unfortunately followed by the flood of overseas goods, resulting in the closing of many Upstate institutions. Though these mills are now silent, their efforts are what attracted so many other industries to the area.

Originally settled by the Germans, Swiss, and Dutch, Ballentine is a small town in what is known as the Dutch Fork area. This area includes the land from Newberry to Columbia and between the Saluda and Broad Rivers. Alan Ballentine moved his family to this rural farming area in the 1850s. His descendants operated a sawmill, gristmill, cotton gin, general store, and an oil company at various times from the 1890s to the 1990s. In the 1890s, the railroad came through the Ballentine property and had a stop that was known as Ballentine's Mill. Later it became known as Ballentine. The town of Ballentine, like so many small towns and communities in the area, sprang up around the railroad. While some towns like Chapin incorporated, others like White Rock, Hilton, and Ballentine did not, so the area, while successful, retained the feel of a small town. With Lake Murray nearby and the interstate within minutes, Ballentine's history has been preserved as a wonderful place to live and visit in South Carolina.

Through the eyes of photographers a century ago, the story of Hunting Island unfolds.

Over 4,000 years old, the barrier islands of South Carolina's Lowcountry are ever-changing and hauntingly beautiful. Hunting Island's importance to Beaufort and the nation has always stemmed from its use as a recreational area. From the rice planters, who took their families here on week-long excursions to hunt and fish, to present-day naturalists, campers, and beachgoers, Hunting Island's unique ecology, terrain, and wildlife have always been enjoyed and valued on an international level. Readers visit early planters, and meet shrimpers who spread their nets in the shoaled waters surrounding the island. We travel though marshes brimming with life and enjoy moments of solitude along quiet sandy beaches.

Spartanburg County gave generously and selflessly to World War II. Local men and women participated in almost every significant engagement, in almost every imaginable capacity, and in every branch of service. Distinguishing themselves with bravery, dignity, and loyalty, county veterans received every commendation, including the Medal of Honor. At Pearl Harbor, Carpenter's Mate Wayne Alman Lewis and Seaman Vernon Russell White died on the USS Arizona and Fire Controlman First Class Hubert Paul Clement died on the USS Oklahoma. Such sacrifices continued from December 7, 1941, through 1945. At home, window banners displayed blue stars for each person who served in the military. Many of the stories of these heroes from Spartanburg County have never before been told.

Situated just south of the Carolina border in the scenic foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Cherokee County offers the charm of small-town life and country living with the convenience of nearby metropolitan areas.

In 1897, the year of its founding, the county inherited a rich history that began with the Cherokee Indians. Home to two American Revolutionary War sites, Cowpens National Battlefield and Kings Mountain Military Park, as well as the Overmountain Victory National Trail, it exists as a bevy of historical sites that date before the county was established.Cherokee County pays tribute to this community's decisive history and celebrates the local architecture, business establishments, and residents, both past and present. Historic views, coupled with informative text, highlight the 1914 Carnegie Library, the charming railroad depot, the Limestone Quarry, and construction of the towering smokestack of Gaffney Manufacturing Company. Vintage photographs depict downtown Gaffney, settled almost a century before Cherokee County became a political entity, and historic Blacksburg, known as Black Station before 1888, while bringing to life the evolution of the 1845 Limestone Springs Female High School into the state's popular Limestone College of today.

The stretch of land known as "East of the Cooper," featuring the charming town of Mount Pleasant, is interwoven with innumerable waterways; these waters pulsate with the ebb and flow of tides like a network of arteries, veins, and capillaries connecting to the living heart that is the sea. Mount Pleasant's location on the Charleston harbor and its deep water access has ensured that the sea has played a major role in the lives of its residents, providing thriving maritime industries that are at once historic and contemporary. East Cooper: A Maritime Heritage is a celebration of those industries and the families and vessels that have contributed to this vital part of Lowcountry culture. Throughout history, indigenous peoples, colonists, plantation owners, and seafood industry entrepreneurs have traversed the miles of rivers, marshy creeks, and coastlines of the East Cooper area. This collection of images demonstrates the ingenuity and artistry of these people whose descendants shared their pasts with the authors as generously as their ancestors shared their skills and intimate relationships with the local waters.

This volume in the Images of America series preserves through vintage photographs the gardens that, by their very nature, are impermanent. Although Charleston's contemporary gardens are well documented in other sources, those of past generations are depicted here, reminding readers that Charleston was primarily a city of family homes where life was enjoyed in the garden. From more traditional formal designs to surprisingly informal yards, these 19th and 20th-century photographs detail gardening life from bygone eras. Beyond the peninsula, informal country gardens were a small but important part of working farms, and summer cottage yards were intended for recreation and relaxation.

Tucked away in southern Greenville County and surrounding the Reedy River, Fork Shoals, one of the county's first settlements, is a region that has been witness to an almost forgotten but proud history. Ancient artifacts, most notably a Clovis point, have been unearthed from these Cherokee hunting grounds, and the only Revolutionary War battle in Greenville County was fought nearby. In the late 1700s, a wave of settlers moved to the vicinity, establishing farms and plantations, schools and churches, and shops and mills. Fork Shoals School was one of the first accredited rural high schools in the state, and several of the churches are the oldest of their denomination in the county. Over time, Fork Shoals became unique for farming and textiles, with many individuals working at both. In these pages, the reader will learn about silk growing, early electricity, local communication systems, and textile ball teams and enjoy anecdotes about special people and places while poring over photographs that tell the story of Fork Shoals.