SPARTANBURG

city, seat (1785) of Spartanburg county, in the Piedmont section of northwestern South Carolina, U.S. It lies in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Greenville. The name is derived from the Spartan Rifles, a regiment of local militia that fought in the American Revolution. Established first as a courthouse village in 1785, the community was in an area noted before 1860 for ironworks, cotton planting, and a few cotton mills. After 1865 growth was accelerated by the intersection of three major rail lines at Spartanburg. Its diversified industry now includes textile mills, metalworking plants, and the manufacture of textile machinery, bathroom accessories, packaging materials, auto parts, tires, lighting fixtures, and refrigeration equipment. Agriculture is still an important economic factor, the chief products being peaches, cotton, livestock, and poultry. Spartanburg is the site of Wofford College (1854; Methodist), Converse College (1889; women's), Spartanburg Methodist College (1911), a campus of the University of South Carolina (1967), and Spartanburg Technical College (1961). The South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind (1849) is a few miles south. In Morgan Square stands a bronze statue of General Daniel Morgan, commander of American forces at the Battle of Cowpens (January 17, 1781), which was fought 14 miles (23 km) northeast of Spartanburg. Inc. 1831. Pop. (1990) city, 43,479; Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson MSA, 830,539; (1998 est.) city, 40,954; (1996 est.) Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson MSA, 896,679. county, northern South Carolina, U.S. It is bordered to the north by North Carolina and to the southwest by the Enoree River. The county is also drained by the Tyger and Pacolet rivers. It lies in hilly piedmont terrain on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Appalachian chain. Croft State Park is located there, and the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway crosses the county's northern section. Spartanburg county was largely a Cherokee Indian region until European settlements appeared in the 1760s, initially centred on the town of Glenn Springs. The Cherokee, British, and patriots fought often in the area during the U.S. War of Independence. Spartanburg county was established in 1785 and named for the Spartan Rifles, a local militia force during the Revolution. It soon became a resort region known for its mineral springs. Agriculture was the principal occupation, cotton the dominant crop. Soil depletion, erosion, and boll weevil infestations forced farmers to other activities, including growing peaches (production of which is now considerable) and raising cattle. In time Spartanburg county became a largely industrial area, with textile mills dotting the landscape. The city of Spartanburg is the county seat and the site of Wofford College (founded 1854) and Converse College (1889). Area 811 square miles (2,100 square km). Pop. (1990) 226,793; (1998 est.) 247,458.