Sumter County, South Carolina

Sumter County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,556. In a 2018 census estimate, the population was 106,512. Its county seat is Sumter.

Sumter County comprises the Sumter, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, combined with neighboring Lee and Clarendon counties, formed the Sumter-Bishopville- Manning Combined Statistical Area, otherwise known as the "East Midlands" area.

It is the home of Shaw AFB, headquarters to the 9th Air Force, AFCENT, United States Army Central, with a number of other tenant units. It is one of largest bases in the USAF's Air Combat Command.

History

Sumter County was created from Clarendon, Claremont and Salem Counties as Sumter District in 1798, named after General Thomas Sumter,Sumter County, South Carolina Genealogy
FamilySearch.org, accessed April 2020. and became effective in 1800. When the home of Sumter District's clerk of records burnt in 1801, the formative records of the three predecessor counties were also destroyed in the conflagration. So documentary evidence that the three counties were within St. Mark's Parish (formed in 1757 from Prince Frederick's Parish, Craven County) in Camden District (formed 1769) derives from family genealogies and legislative records.

On 19 December 1855, a legislative act was passed partitioning Sumter District by forming Clarendon District, with the same boundaries as defined for Clarendon County in 1785. When effectuated in 1857, a northeastern part of Sumter District (formerly in Salem County) was also separated in the partition (the area east of a line drawn from the northernmost point of old Clarendon County continued north-northeasterly to a point on the boundary line with Darlington District (Sumter County's northeastern cornerpoint abutting Florence County since 1888).

The Sumter District gained a form of self-rule and was renamed Sumter County under the 1868 Constitution.

In 1898, a northwestern part of Sumter County was detached to form part of the first Lee County, but its formation was declared unconstitutional in 1899. In 1902, an even larger northern part of Sumter County (more or less the remaining part of former Salem County) was properly legally detached to form the major sections of the current Lee County, of which some acreage reverted in 1914.

In 1921 southern Sumter County received a section from Clarendon County, of which some acreage reverted in 1922, creating the current boundaries of Sumter County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.5%) is water. It is drained by the Black River and its tributaries. Its western border is formed by the Wateree River. One of South Carolina's most famous areas are the High Hills of Santee comprising the western part of the county. The county is one of five that borders Lake Marion, also known as South Carolina's "Inland Sea."

State and local protected areas/sites

* Longleaf Pine Heritage Preserve/ Wildlife Management Area (part)
* Manchester State Forest
* Millford Plantation Historic Site
* Poinsett State Park
* Swan Lake Iris Gardens
* Tuomey Wildlife Management Area
* Woods Bay State Park (part)

Major water bodies

* Congaree River
* Lake Marion
* Lynches River
* Pocoaligo River
* Rocky Bluff Swamp
* Scape Ore Swamp
* Wateree River

Adjacent counties

* Lee County - north
* Florence County - northeast
* Clarendon County - south
* Calhoun County - southwest
* Richland County - west
* Kershaw County - northwest

Major highways

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Major infrastructure

* Shaw Air Force Base
* Sumter Airport

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 105,556 people, 44,105 households, and 29,777 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 107,456 people, 40,398 households, and 28,311 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 46,011 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 48.2% white, 46.9% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.4% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 7.2% were Subsaharan African, 6.9% were American, 6.1% were English, 5.9% were German, and 5.7% were Irish.

Of the 40,398 households, 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.9% were non-families, and 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 35.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,137 and the median income for a family was $45,460. Males had a median income of $36,101 versus $28,421 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,944. About 15.5% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Communities

Cities

* Sumter (county seat and largest city)

Towns

* Mayesville
* Pinewood
* Rembert

Census-designated places

* Cane Savannah
* Cherryvale
* Dalzell
* East Sumter
* Lakewood
* Millwood
* Mulberry
* Oakland
* Oswego
* Privateer
* Shiloh
* South Sumter
* Stateburg
* Wedgewood

Unincorporated communities

* Horatio
* Wedgewood

Notable people

* Ray Allen, professional NBA basketball player is from Dalzell. 2× NBA champion. 10× All-Star.
* Confederate Lt. Gen. Richard H. Anderson of the American Civil War.
* Joseph (Jusef Ben Ali) Benenhaley (1753-1823) was the progenitor of the Turkish Community of Sumter County, a singular people-of-color ethnic group living mostly in Dalzell in the 1900s & with worship centered at Long Branch Baptist Church since 1904 & burials in its cemetery.
* Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955), civil rights activist, feminist, stateswoman, educator, founder of the National Council for Negro Women, born to parents who had been enslaved
* William Ellison was a Negro slave who was freed and settled in Stateburg, Sumter County where he became a large-scale slave owner and lived his life.
* David DuBose Gaillard of Fulton Crossroads was in charge of the building of the central portion of the Panama Canal.
* Angelica Singleton Van Buren, U. S. president's daughter-in-law and from Wedgefield.
* Richard Irvine Manning I, 50th Governor of South Carolina.
* Richard Irvine Manning III, 92nd Governor of South Carolina.
* George L. Mabry, Jr., Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and highly decorated soldier of WWII; a Major General.
* Sloman Moody, born in Horatio.
* Franklin J. Moses Jr., governor of S. C. in 1872, serving into 1874. Enemies labelled him the 'Robber Governor'.
* Bill Pinkney of The Drifters was born in Dalzell.
* Ja Morant, professional basketball player, was the 2nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies.

See also

* List of counties in South Carolina
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Sumter County, South Carolina
* South Carolina State Parks
* List of South Carolina state forests
* University of South Carolina Sumter

References

External links

Sumter County official website

Central Carolina Technical College

Sumter County SC Community

Sumter Economic Development

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1800 establishments in South Carolina
Populated places established in 1800
Majority-minority counties in South Carolina