LAURENS

county, northern South Carolina, U.S. It is situated in a hilly piedmont region between the Saluda River to the southwest and the Enoree River to the northeast. The county is also drained by the Reedy River. Much of the land is wooded; the eastern section lies within Sumter National Forest. Originally part of Cherokee Indian territory, the area was home to Scotch-Irish settlers prior to the U.S. War of Independence. Laurens county was formed in 1785 and named for the early American statesman Henry Laurens. Before becoming the 17th U.S. president, Andrew Johnson was a tailor in the county seat, Laurens. Following the American Civil War, the county was the site of race riots and Ku Klux Klan agitation. Agriculture (eggs, milk, and cattle), lumbering, and manufacturing (textile products and bearings) all contribute to the economy. Area 713 square miles (1,847 square km). Pop. (1990) 58,092; (1998 est.) 63,249.