Lancaster County, South Carolina

Lancaster County, South Carolina
Location in the state of South Carolina
South Carolina's location in the U.S.
Founded	1798
Seat	Lancaster
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	555 sq mi (1,437 km²) 549 sq mi (1,422 km²) 6 sq mi (16 km²), 1.13%
Population  - (2012)  - Density	79,089 140/sq mi (53.9/km²)
Website	mylancastersc.org/

Lancaster County (/ˈlæŋkəstər/) is a county located in the Piedmont of the U.S. state of South Carolina in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. As of the 2012 census, its population was 79,089. Its county seat is Lancaster.

Geography and climate

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 555 square miles (1,437.4 km²), of which 549 square miles (1,421.9 km²) is land and 6 square miles (15.5 km²) (1.13%) is water. It is bounded on the west by the Catawba River and Sugar Creek and on the east by the Lynches River.

Adjacent counties

• Union County, North Carolina - northeast

• Chesterfield County, South Carolina - east
• Kershaw County, South Carolina - south
• Fairfield County, South Carolina - southwest
• York County, South Carolina - west
• Chester County, South Carolina - west
• Mecklenburg County, North Carolina - north

Early history

Waxhaw Presbyterian Church Cemetery

For hundreds of years the Catawba Indians claimed all of present Lancaster County as part of their tribal lands. The Catawba were once considered one of the most powerful Southeastern Siouan-speaking tribes. The Catawba and other Siouan peoples are believed to have coalesced as individual tribes in the Southeast. Primarily involved in agriculture, the Catawba were friendly toward early European Immigrants.

When the first White people came in the early 1750s they settled between Rum Creek and Twelve Mile Creek. Waxhaw Creek within this area had taken its name from the Waxhaw Indian tribe. The majority of the new settlers were Scots-Irish from Pennsylvania; others from North Carolina and Virginia joined them.

Many of the early settlers came to South Carolina from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They had named their county for the House of Lancaster which had opposed the House of York in the struggles of 1455-85, known as the War of the Roses. The House of Lancaster chose the red rose as their emblem while their neighbor, York County, boasts the white rose.

A second settlement was made in the lower part of the present Lancaster County on Hanging Rock Creek. The first grant was made there in 1752, and included the huge overhanging mass of rock from which the creek takes its name. About the time this section was opened up, others came in and settled along Lynches Creek, Little Lynches creek, Flat Creek, Beaver Creek, and lower Camp Creek. In coming to the Lancaster area, the first settlers had to follow old Indian paths, which became traveled so frequently, they were coming to be known as roads.

The Rocky River Road is an old route that originated as an Indian path. Along there in the American Revolutionary War, Colonel Abraham Buford fled from Tarleton and was overtaken a few miles south of the North Carolina state line where the Patriot forces were defeated in a controversial struggle known as the Battle of Waxhaws, also known as Bufords Massacre to locals. Today, the Rocky River Road is part of South Carolina Highway 522, the latter following the old thoroughfare very closely.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	6,302		—
1800	6,012		−4.6%
1810	6,318		5.1%
1820	8,716		38.0%
1830	10,361		18.9%
1840	9,907		−4.4%
1850	10,988		10.9%
1860	11,797		7.4%
1870	12,087		2.5%
1880	16,903		39.8%
1890	20,761		22.8%
1900	24,311		17.1%
1910	26,650		9.6%
1920	28,628		7.4%
1930	27,980		−2.3%
1940	33,542		19.9%
1950	37,071		10.5%
1960	39,352		6.2%
1970	43,328		10.1%
1980	53,361		23.2%
1990	54,516		2.2%
2000	61,351		12.5%
2010	76,652		24.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 61,351 people, 23,178 households, and 16,850 families residing in the county. The population density was 112 people per square mile (43/km²). There were 24,962 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile (18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.03% White American, 26.86% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.27% Asian American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 1.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 23,178 households out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.60% were married couples living together, 15.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.40% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,688, and the median income for a family was $40,955. Males had a median income of $30,176 versus $22,238 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,276. About 9.70% of families and 12.80% of the population were below the poverty threshold, including 16.50% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Heath Springs, Kershaw, Lancaster

Unincorporated areas

• Buford, Indian Land, Van Wyck

Census designated places (CDP)

• Elgin, Irwin, Lancaster Mill, Springdale, Taxahaw

Notable residents/natives

• Bill Belk, Professional football player (San Francisco 49ers)
• Will Brice, Professional football player (St. Lois Rams, Cincinnati Bengals)
• Sheldon Brown, Professional football player
• Wayne A. Cauthen, First appointed African-American City Manager, Kansas City, MO
• Danny Clyburn, Professional baseball player (Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates)
• Shawn Crawford, Sprinter and Olympic gold medalist
• Don Dixon, Record producer, songwriter, musician
• Charles Duke, Astronaut and moon-walker
• Pep Harris, Professional baseball player (Cleveland Indians, Anaheim Angels)
• Jim Hodges, Former Governor of South Carolina
• Andrew Jackson, Seventh President of the United States
• Nina Mae McKinney, Actress and Broadway star
• Todd Ray, aka 'T-Ray', Grammy Award-winning record producer
• Julie Roberts, Country music singer
• Aaron Robinson, Major League Baseball player (New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox)
• Darrell Shropshire, Professional football player
• J. Marion Sims, Surgeon known as the "Father of Modern Gynecology"
• The People's Court, Original host of Doug Llewelyn
• The Zodiacs, led by Maurice Williams, R&B vocal group
• Jeff Twitty, Professional baseball player (Kansas City Royals)
• Brian Williams, Professional baseball player (Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox)

See also

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

External links

• Lancaster County Government
• 29seven20 - Lancaster, SC
• Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce
• Lancaster County Economic Development Corporation
• Lancaster County School District
• Sciway: Lancaster County