Kershaw County Historical Timeline

Chronological listing prepared by Camden Archives and Museum, October 6, 2006

1700s | 1800s | 1900s | 2000s

1700s

1730: Fredricksburg, proclamation of King George II to South Carolina to establish 11 townships, one of which will become Fredricksburg, then Pine Tree Hill, then Camden

1733: Fredricksburg, December 6th, resolution from Royal Council to employ James St. Julian to survey township on the Wateree River on what will later become Pine Tree Hill, then Camden

1750: Quakers, arrival of Irish Quakers under Samuel Wyly, 1750-1751

1758: Pine Tree Hill, arrival of Joseph Kershaw from Charleston, establishment of Pine Tree Hill

1763: King Haiglar slain by raiding Indians, August 30

1768: Camden, Pine Tree Hill is changed to Camden to honor Lord Camden, champion of colonial rights

1771: Courthouse and jail completed in Camden

1771: Jail and courthouse completed in Camden

1774: Fair, citizens receive authorization to hold bi-annual fairs at Camden, first such events in South Carolina

1777: Powder magazine, Camden constructs a powder magazine

1780: Agnes of Glasgow died February12, months before the British troops arrived in Camden

1780: Battle of Camden, wounding and eventual death of Baron Dekalb, August 16

1780: DeKalb, Baron mortally wounded in Battle of Camden, August 16

1780: Revolution, occupation of Camden by British forces during the American Revolution, 1780-1781

1781: Battle of Hobkirk Hill, subsequent withdrawal of British from Camden, April 25

1781: Jackson, Andrew held prisoner by the British in Camden jail

1791: Champion, Richard, well known English potter died here

1791: Incorporation, first corporate formal existence of Camden as a town, second one in S.C. to be given a charter

1791: Kershaw County created from the Camden District

1791: Washington, visit in Camden by President George Washington on his Southern Tour

1793: Genet, visit of French Minister Genet to Camden

1798: Camden formal plan of Camden as a planned town adopted

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1800s

1802: Newspaper, first known printing of a newspaper in Camden

1802: Races, first of the Camden Races held during January

1805: Library, establishment of Camden Library Society

1813: Fire, chief town square destroyed by fire

1816: Fire, first mention of the Camden Independent Fire Company

1818: Kirkwood, establishment of Kirkwood area by John Kershaw

1822: Bank, establishment of first bank in Camden

1822: Bethesda Presbyterian Church constructed, designed by Robert Mills, famous architect from SC

1825: Clock, arrival of old town clock and bell from Philadelphia

1825: Courthouse, Mill's Courthouse constructed in Camden

1825: Lafayette, General visited Camden, dedicated DeKalb Monument

1829: Fire, November 23, Great Fire destroys commercial district of Camden

1832: Nullification, Nullification Crisis in South Carolina

1838: Factory, establishment of Dekalb Cotton Factory

1840: Guards, Formation of the Dekalb Rifle Guards

1848: Railroad, November 1st, the railroad reaches Camden

1856: Dickinson, Col. J.P., hero of the Mexican War, monument erected in Monument Square at his burial site

1860: Accident, boating accident on Boykin Mill Pond takes 24 lives, May 5

1862: Kirkland, Richard CSA soldier becomes hero at Battle of Fredericksburg when he gives water to enemy troops on December 14

1865: Battle, April 18th , Battle of Boykin's Mill in community of Boykin, April 18

1865: Currency, first issue of Camden town currency in May

1865: Occupation of Camden by Federal troops during War Between the States, February 24, 1865

1865: Reconstruction, June 14th, occupation of Camden by Federal troops during Reconstruction

1865: Sherman, February 24-25, occupation of Camden by Federal Troops under General Sherman

1874: Fire, major fire in downtown Camden

1874: Lighting, first street lighting in Camden

1877: Reconstruction, end of Reconstruction period, and redemption of local currency

1880: Duel, Cash-Shannon duel, last legal duel in South Carolina, July 5

1881: Y.M.C.A., first Y.M.C.A. organized in Camden

1883: Monument, Confederate Monument erected at intersection of Broad and Laurens Sts.

1884: Hotel, Hobkirk Inn opened for tourists by F.W. Eldredge, north Lyttleton Street

1886: Chesnut, Mary Boykin died November 22

1886: Earthquake, Camden experiences Charleston earthquake

1886: Opera, Camden Opera House completed, corner of Broad and Rutledge Streets

1887: School, Boylan-Haven-Mather Academy opens

1888: Bank, new Bank of Camden chartered, first since the War Between the States

1888: Newspaper, first issue of the Camden Chronicle published in Camden

1889: Hotel, opening of the Upton Court Inn, later the Court Inn, by Mrs. C.J. Perkins, Mill Street

1890: Mill, Camden Cotton Mill (Hermitage) established

1896: Telephone, first telephone service in Camden

1897: Camden Water, Light, and Ice Company established

1898: Polo, Camden's first polo team established

1899: Railroad, Seaboard Railroad line established through Camden

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1900s

1900: Mill, Dekalb Cotton Mill (Kendall) established

1903: Hotel, Kirkwood Hotel opens in Camden, west Greene Street

1904: Camden Historical Society established

1904: Society, Camden Historical Society established

1905: Courthouse, built on site of Lafayette Hall, corner of Broad and Lafayette Streets

1910: Chamber of Commerce, Camden-Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce founded

1911: Hanging, last public hanging in Kershaw County

1913: Hospital, Camden Hospital opened, north Fair Street

1914: Post Office, Camden Post Office Building constructed, Broad and DeKalb Sts.

1915: Library, Camden City Library Building (Carnegie) constructed at 1314 Broad Street

1916: Flood, Catawba-Wateree flood, worst of century, Wateree Bridge washed away, July 16, replaced by ferry

1918: WW I, first man from Kershaw County killed in WW I was Trotter, June 12

1919: Dam, Wateree Dam constructed and Lake Wateree created

1919: Murder of Robert Latta, city policeman

1919: Polo field, first private plane lands on field on November 14

1920: Bridge, wooden toll bridge across Wateree River, replaced ferry

1922: School, Camden Grammar School built corner of Lyttleton and Laurens Streets

1923: Fire, May 17th, Cleveland School Fire, Charlotte Thompson community, one of worst school fires in US history

1924: Murder at Wateree toll bridge, Smith killed by bridge keeper Owens, December 1

1926: Airport, Ernest Woodward donates land for airport to Camden, airfield later to be named in his honor

1932: Carolina Cup, March 22nd, first running of the Carolina Cup Steeplechase at Springdale Course

1933: Bicentennial, Camden celebrates Bicentennial as a community, 1733 founding date

1935: Accident, train wreck at Dusty Bend killed nine members of Jordan and Baker families, occurred Aug 3, 1935, see newspaper of
August 9, 1935

1936: Football, Camden High wins State Championship, Class B

1936: School, Camden High School Building constructed, 600 Bldg. Demolished in 1990's

1941: School, Southern Aviation School established at airport to train British and American pilots

1944: Hotel, Kirkwood Hotel demolished, west Greene Street

1947: Building, Farm Market, bid notice given on November 21, corner of DeKalb and Church Streets

1949: Baruch, Bernard Baruch Day in Camden

1950: Dupont Corporation opens plant in Kershaw County, first orlon plant for Dupont

1950: Springdale Hall opens

1953: Chamber of Commerce, Camden-Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce re-established after two years of non-activity

1953: Fire at Dupont Company, Lugoff, SC, two chemical tanks exploded

1954: Society, Kershaw County Historical Society established

1955: Accident, car accident on Hwy 601, Lugoff, July 12

1955: Fire, August 13th, Speaks Oil Fire on East DeKalb Street kills two people, Speaks and Haynes

1956: Assault on Guy Hutchins, Sr., local citizen, possibly by Ku Klux Klan, late December

1956: City Hall, constructed on Lyttleton St., Open House held June 1-3

1956: School, Blaney School, Blaney, SC burned, June 2

1956: Y.M.C.A. of Kershaw County established

1958: Hospital, Kershaw County Memorial Hospital opened on Roberts Street

1958: School, Camden Military Academy established

1959: Hospital, Camden Memorial Nursing Home opened in the old Camden Hospital on Fair Street, later became Karesh Wing at Roberts Street hospital

1962: Blaney, SC, name changed to Elgin, SC on October 10, 1962

1962: Elgin, SC created, name changed from Blaney, October 10

1964: Football, Camden High wins State Championship

1964: Hotel, Court Inn on Mill Street demolished after efforts to save the structure failed

1966: School, Pine Grove School, Lugoff, SC burned December 25

1967: Courthouse, new County Courthouse built on the site of the 1905 one, corner of Broad and Lafayette Streets

1969: School, Pine Tree Hill School, burned February 2

1970: Camden, watershed rights in Peck Woods donated by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lloyd to the City of Camden

1970: Colonial Cup, first running on November, 14

1970: Fire, December 17th, fire at Hatfield Fireworks, US Hwy North, Camden, SC, leaves owner Carl Hatfield and his son Johnny Hatfield dead; wife Barbara Hatfield, daughter Carlien Hatfield, and James Caviness were seriously burned

1970: Historic Camden opens

1970: School, Camden High (white) and Jackson High (black) are consolidated into one school, Laurens Street, 1970-1971

1971: West, John Carl inaugurated as Governor of SC

1972: Camden, Waste Water Treatment Plant built; Storm drainage and sewer lines built in Kirkwood, Kirkover Hills, Edgewood; Kirkwood water lines; Animal Shelter built; remodeling of drinking water plant; repair of underground sewer system in Camden, 1973-1983  
 
1972: Hospital, Karesh Wing (long term care wing) dedicated on March 19

1972: Karesh wing (long term care) added to Kershaw County Memorial Hospital

1973: Archives, Camden Archives opens, Open House on June 21, 1975, housed in Camden City Library

1973: Library, Kershaw County Library opens, county, city and black libraries merged, at 1304 Broad Street

1974: Arts, The Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County, Inc. is established

1974: Fine Arts Center established

1974: Interstate #20 completed in Kershaw County

1976: Bicentennial, Camden celebrates the Bicentennial of the United States

1977: West, John Carl appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia

1980: Grant, UDAG Grant for million dollars obtained by the city and loaned to Camden Forest Products/New South for the purpose of building their plant in Camden

1980: Hospital, Dialysis Center opens

1981: Hospital, Remodeling of hospital

1981: School, The Jackson School Building demolished, Campbell St.

1982: Mural, downtown mural painted by Blue Sky

1982: School, Camden Grammar School demolished, corner Lyttleton and Laurens Streets

1983: Airport runways resurfaced

1983: Fine Arts Center, the Carroll K. Bassett Memorial Building is completed

1983: Historic Camden made an affiliate of National Park Service

1983: Camden Celebrates Two-Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary

1983: School, Boylan-Haven-Mather Academy announces its closing

1988: Benton, Brook died April 9

1989: Hurricane, Friday September 22nd, Hurricane Hugo hits Camden

1990: Flood, October 10th, Kendall Dam collapsed after heavy rains

1990:Football, Camden High wins State Championship

1991: Accident, Amtrak Train Wreck in Lugoff, July 31 , 1991

1991: Historic Camden changed to Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site

1992: School, Camden High School moves from Laurens Street to Erenchlou Drive

1998: Doby, Larry inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame

1999: Water plant opened by city near Lake Wateree, May 4

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2000s

2001: Football, Camden High wins State Championship

2003: Dupont sells May Plant to Invista

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Main sources: HISTORIC CAMDEN, Vols. I and II,Camden, SC newspapers, various publications, etc.