Sumter County, South Carolina: History and Information

Sumter County, South Carolina

Sumter County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Sumter
Year Organized: 1798
Square Miles: 666

Court House:

13 East Canal Street
County Courthouse
Sumter, SC 29150-4925

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Sumter is named for Thomas Sumter, a Continental leader during the American Revolutionary War.

Demographics:

History

Sumter County and its county seat were named for Revolutionary War General Thomas Sumter (1734-1832), who was a resident of the area. This county has changed its name and boundaries several times. In 1785 Claremont County was formed as a part of Camden District; a part of the county was later split off in 1791 to form Salem County. Claremont, Clarendon, and Salem counties were combined into Sumter District in 1800. Clarendon was once again split off in 1857, however, and another small part of Sumter County went to form Lee County in 1902. This part of the state began attracting English settlers from the lowcountry and from Virginia in the mid-eighteenth century. The area known as the High Hills of Santee, a narrow ridge along the Wateree River, was famous for its healthy climate and rich soil. Sumter County eventually became a leading agricultural region. In 1941, Shaw Air Force Base was established near Sumter, and it continues today as an active duty fighter base. Confederate General Richard Heron Anderson (1821-1879) was a Sumter resident, as were opera singer Clara Louise Kellogg (1842-1916) and educator Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955).

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 682 square miles (1,766 km²), of which, 665 square miles (1,723 km²) of it is land and 17 square miles (43 km²) of it (2.44%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Lee County, South Carolina - north

Florence County, South Carolina - northeast

Clarendon County, South Carolina - south

Calhoun County, South Carolina - southwest

Richland County, South Carolina - west

Kershaw County, South Carolina - northwest

Cities and Towns:

- Mayesville

town

Incorporated Area

- Pinewood

town

Incorporated Area

- Sumter (County Seat)

city

Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

South Carolina State...

South Carolina

South Carolina Counties

Sumter County, South Carolina

Sumter County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Demographics:

History

Geography

Neighboring Counties:

Cities and Towns:

County Resources:

County Resource Guide

Penn Foster High School