Spartanburg

History

Spartanburg was formed in 1785 after a deal was made with the Cherokee in 1753, and was named after a local militia in the American Revolutionary War, the Spartan Regiment. The regiment, commanded by Andrew Pickens, participated in the Battle of Cowpens. In 1831, Spartanburg was incorporated, later becoming known as the "Hub City"; railroad lines radiated from it like wheel spokes. Spartanburg became a center of textile manufacturing in the late 19th century, with around 40 textile mills established through the early 1900s. In 1911, under the sponsorship of the Spartanburg Herald and the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the city built a Confederate monument at the intersection of South Church and Henry Streets, overlooking downtown. In 1966 it was moved to Duncan Park. During World War I, 100,000 soldiers trained at Camp Wadsworth. Camp Croft trained soldiers during World War II. The facility was transferred to the state and adapted as Croft State Park. By the 1950s, production at Spartanburg's mills had begun to decline as wages increased. Most textile manufacturing jobs were moved offshore.