Gaffney

History

Michael Robert Gaffney was born in the town of Granard in County Longford, Ireland, in 1775. He emigrated to the United States in 1797, arriving in New York City and moving to Charleston, South Carolina, a few years later. Gaffney moved again in 1804 to the South Carolina Upcountry and established a tavern and lodging house at what became known as "Gaffney's Cross Roads". The location was perfect for growth because of the two major roads which met here, one from the mountains of North Carolina to Charleston and the other from Charlotte into Georgia. Michael Gaffney died here on September 6, 1854. In 1872, the area became known as "Gaffney City". Gaffney became the county seat of Cherokee County which was formed out of parts of York, Union, and Spartanburg counties in 1897. Gaffney became a major center for the textile industry in South Carolina, which was the backbone of the county's economy up until the 1980s. Uptown Gaffney began to languish after Interstate 85 was built in the county as industries located near the new highway. Two serial killers have at different times attacked residents of Gaffney. In 1967–1968 Lee Roy Martin, known as the Gaffney Strangler, killed four people; two were young girls, a fourteen-year-old and a fifteen-year-old. In 2009, a series of shootings by Patrick Tracy Burris led to five deaths.

Geography

Gaffney is located in northern South Carolina near the center of Cherokee County. It is located southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina and northeast of Greenville. According to the United States Census Bureau, Gaffney has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.31%, is water.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Gaffney High
  High · Gaffney · 1,838 students · 17.7:1 ratio
• Gaffney Middle
  Middle · Gaffney · 921 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• B. D. Lee Elementary
  Elementary · Gaffney · 607 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• Blacksburg High
  High · Blacksburg · 553 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Grassy Pond Elementary
  Elementary · Gaffney · 503 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• Limestone-Central Elementary
  Elementary · Gaffney · 490 students · 13.2:1 ratio
• John E. Ewing Middle
  Middle · Gaffney · 486 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• Cherokee Charter School
  Elementary · Gaffney · 480 students · 9.8:1 ratio