Spinners and doffers, Lancaster Cotton Mills, Lancaster, SC. Image courtesy of Library of Congress.
Industry came to South Carolina as entire families worked in the textile mills and factories in the Upstate.
Mill Life
- South Carolina Mill Villages
Learn about the history of Mill Villages in South Carolina. - Greenville, S.C. Cotton Mill of F. W. Poe Mfg. Co
This photograph of a cotton mill that opened in 1897 was similar to many others that operated around the state. - The First American Cotton Mill Begins Operation
Read about the history of cotton mills in the United States. - Glendale Mills
Read about the history of the cotton mill in Spartanburg county.
Child Labor in the Mills
- Child Labor in the Cotton Mills
Listen to the story of children who went to work in the mills with their parents and siblings. - Children in Newberry MIlls
Children as young as 8 were often working in mills in South Carolina. - 1908: Dillon's Cotton Mill Workers
Many children were working in the mill in Dillon, even though most were not legally allowed to work until age 12. - Lancaster Cotton Mill, 1908
Lewis W. Hine took photographs of children working in the Lancaster Cotton Mill.
1886 Charleston Earthquake
The Charleston Earthquake of 1886 occurred at 9:50 p.m. on August 31, 1886, and lasted just under a minute. The earthquake damaged 2,000 buildings, causing $6 million worth in damages. Between 60 and 110 lives were lost.
A Changing State
- Maps of South Carolina, 1895-1912
Several counties were formed in this time period, including Saluda County, Bamberg County, and Lee County. - Fish Vendor's Cries
Hear a singer recreate a street vendor's call from Sumter, SC. Would you buy fish from someone walking down the street? - The Spanish-American War
Many South Carolinians fought in the Spanish-American War in 1898. - 1906 Automobile Registration
South Carolina began requiring automobile registration in 1906.
Photographs and Video from Around the State
- The Donner Collection
Most of Conrad Donner's photographs feature rural life in Beaufort County. - Parade on Main Street, Columbia, ca. 1899
Soldiers in the Spanish-American War marched down Main Street in Columbia. - Samuel Lord Hyde Photographs
Here are 27 photographs of the South Carolina Interstate and West Indian Exposition in Charleston, SC in 1901-1902. - Seneca from 1906 and Westminster 1924
Watch two short videos about the history of towns in Oconee County.
South Carolina Railroad Museum
The South Carolina Railroad Museum in Winnsboro, SC preserves historical railroad equipment used in South Carolina. Here are three railroad cars that were used in the state to move people and goods.
