Please add profiles of those who were born, lived or died in Newberry County, South Carolina.

Official Website

Newberry County was formed from Ninety-Six District in 1785. Prior to its formal founding, the area was the site of several American Revolutionary War battles: Williams' Plantation, Dec. 31, 1780; Mud Lick, March 2, 1781; and Bush River, May 1781.The town of Newberry was founded in 1789 as the county seat and was sometimes called Newberry Courthouse for that reason.

Originally settled by yeomen farmers, in the nineteenth century numerous plantations were established for the cultivation of short-staple cotton. Its processing had been made profitable by invention of the cotton gin. Cotton was the primary crop grown in Newberry County before the American Civil War.

The Civil War interrupted growth in the county; the warfare and loss of lives of many southern men disrupted the state economy. The first cotton mills were constructed in the county in the 1880s, and quickly became an important part of the economy and a source of jobs. With the mechanization of agriculture in the early 20th century, labor needs were reduced.

Since the 1970s the population of Newberry County has been growing due to increasing local economic prosperity.

Adjacent Counties

• Fairfield County
• Union County
• Richland County
• Lexington County
• Saluda County
• Greenwood County
• Laurens County

Cities, Towns & Communities

• Chappells
• Helena
• Jalapa
• Kinards (part)
• Little Mountain
• Newberry (County Seat)
• Peak
• Pomaria
• Prosperity
• Silverstreet
• Whitmire

Links

Wikipedia

Genealogy Trails

Sumter National Forest (part)

Nat'l Reg. of Hist. Places