McColl is a town in Marlboro County,

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, United States. It lies in the state's

Pee Dee The Pee Dee is a region in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It lies along the lower watershed of the Pee Dee River, which was named after the Pee Dee, an Indigenous tribe historically inhabiting the region. History The ...

region, from the

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

border. The population was 2,174 at the 2010 census. McColl is the home of the Pee Dee Indian Tribe. They are a relatively small American Indian tribe that has occupied the Pee Dee region for several centuries. While they received state recognition from the Government of South Carolina just after the beginning of the 21st Century, they have been seeking federal acknowledgment since 1976. While today the tribe consists of just over 200 enrolled members, they were once a significant cultural and political power in the region. Their profound influence and continual presence in the area is why the region bears the Pee Dee name. Since 1976, the tribe’s official seat of government has operated on land awarded to the tribe in Marlboro County.Native Americans: The Pee Dee People
South Carolina Information Highway, accessed 22 April 2014

History

This area is within territory occupied by the

of the

South Appalachian Mississippian culture The Mississippian culture was a collection of Native American societies that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 to 1600 CE, varying regionally. It was known for building la ...

for several hundred years. Among their earthwork monuments is

Town Creek Indian Mound Town Creek Indian Mound (Smithsonian trinomial, 31 MG 2) is a prehistoric Native Americans in the United States, Native American archaeological site located near present-day Mount Gilead, North Carolina, Mount Gilead, Montgomery County, North Car ...

, an important regional ceremonial site that was occupied from about 1150 to 1400 CE in

Montgomery County, North Carolina Montgomery County is a rural county located in the southern Piedmont of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,751. Its county seat is Troy. History The first inhabitants of the area eventually compris ...

, before they abandoned it for unknown reasons. It was designated as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1966, the only American Indian site so honored in the state. In 2017, the Pee Dee Indian Tribe officially began work on the Pee Dee Tribal Mounds located on tribal land in McColl. Some of this area was developed for the cultivation of short-staple cotton in the antebellum era after the invention of the cotton gin. The area was also a center of lumbering and turpentine production in the early 20th century. The town was named for D. D. McColl, a businessman. In 2024 the town's mayor, George Garner II, died when his car collided with a truck while being pursued by a Marlboro Country police cruiser days after the entire McColl police force resigned. According to the coroner, the pursuit was "not related to any laws being broken, but rather an effort to protect the well being of Mr. Garner."

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 2,498 people, 981 households, and 669 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,090 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 65.57%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 19.22%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 12.69% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.56% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population. There were 981 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 21.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.14. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $22,015, and the median income for a family was $27,460. Males had a median income of $26,313 versus $18,854 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $10,177. About 28.5% of families and 31.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 37.7% of those under age 18 and 31.2% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,070 people, 812 households, and 537 families residing in the town.

2010 Census

According to the 2010 census, the town had a population of 2,174. Of that population, 1,235 (56.81%) were White, 493 (22.68%) were Black or African American, 364 (16.74%) were American Indian or Alaska Native, 65 (2.99%) were two or more races, 14 (0.64%) were some other race. There were 42 (1.93%) were Hispanic or Latino.

Notable people

Doc Blanchard Felix Anthony "Doc" Blanchard (December 11, 1924 – April 19, 2009) was an American football player and serviceman who became the first junior to win the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award, and was the first football player to win the James E ...

, first Junior to win

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

award, known as "Mr. Inside" while playing for

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

* Jim Tatum, head football coach for

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

(1942, 1956–1958)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Towns in Marlboro County, South Carolina Native American history of South Carolina