Florence, South Carolina
Encyclopedia : F : FL : FLO : Florence, South Carolina
- This article is about a city in the US state of South Carolina. For the city in Italy, see Florence. For other uses, see Florence (disambiguation).
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| City nickname: "The Magic City; Flo-Town" | |||
 Location in the state of South Carolina | |||
| Founded — Incorporated | 1719 1890 | ||
| Counties | Florence County Darlington County | ||
| Mayor | Frank E. Willis | ||
| Area — Land — Water | 17.7 mi² / 45.9km² 17.7 mi² / 45.9km² 0.04 mi² / 0.1 km² | ||
| Population — City Limits — Metropolitan — Density | 30,883 (2004) 198,443 (2005) 659.8/km² | ||
| Time zone | Eastern(UTC-5) | ||
| Latitude Longitude | 34°11'3" N 79°46'27" W | ||
| Official website: [www.cityofflorence.com] | |||
Florence is on Interstate Highway I-95 between New York and Miami, with I-20 and intersecting with I-95 in Florence and ending itself in Florence. The city is located 80 miles east from the state capital Columbia and 70 miles west from Myrtle Beach.
History
Though Florence was part of one of the original townships laid out by the Lords Proprieters in 1719, it was only slowly and thinly settled until the coming of the railroads. Prior to them, the Pee Dee River was the route of most commerce. Early settlers practiced subsistence farming and produced indigo, cotton, naval stores and timber, which was shipped downriver to the port at Georgetown and exported.In the mid 1800s two intersecting railroads were built, The Wilmington and Manchester, and the Northeastern. Gen. W. W. Harllee, the president of the W & M road built his home at the junction, and named the community Florence, after his daughter.
During the Civil War the town was an important supply and railroad repair center for the Confederacy, and the site of the Florence Stockade, a prison for Union prisoners of war. Many of the prisoners died during the latter years of the war, and the burial ground adjacent to the stockade was to become the Florence National Cemetery, which continues to be a national burial ground for veterans of all wars since.
The Civil War also brought to prominence Henry Timrod, also known as The Poet Laureate of the Confederacy, who taught at a schoolhouse on the Cannon Plantation nearby.
After the war, Florence grew and prospered, using the railroad to supply its cotton, timber, and by the turn of the century, tobacco.
During the 20th century Florence grew into a major medical center, of far greater importance than its size. Industry grew, especially after World War II, when Florence became increasingly known for textiles, pharmaceuticals, paper, manufacturing and in addition to agricultural products, which makes it the hub for business in the northeastern portion of South Carolina.
International Motorsports Hall of Fame NASCAR driver Buddy Baker was born in Florence.
During the 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush delivered one of his more famous quotes in Florence: "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?".
Healthcare
Florence is a well respected medical center, with the extensive [McLeod Regional Medical Center]being the main healthcare provider. McLeod is a non-profit medical center located in Downtown Florence,and also operates campuses all over the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. The center is one of only two Level Two Trama units in the state of South Carolina. The center has also the only Childrens Hopsital unit in the Northeastern portion of South Carolina. McLeod Regional is also one of the largest employers in the Florence and the Pee Dee. Carolinas Hospital System,operates also in Florence and serves most of lower Florence county and lower areas in the Pee Dee. Carolinas formed in 1998 when Florence General and Bruce Hospital merged and opend in 2000 with a new medical tower and center in South Florence to serve as the only other hopsital in Florence County.
Transportation
Florence is located on the Interstate 95 corridor, linking it to Miami and New York, and Interstate 20, which ends in Florence, linking the city to the Midwest. Other major roadways that service the Florence area are U.S. Highway 301 linking Florence to Florida and the Northeast,U.S. Highway 52 linking Florence to Canada and Charleston, SC, U.S. Highway 76 which links Florence to Chicago and U.S. Highway 378 that links Florence with Columbia.Florence is also served by the [Pee Dee Regional Transit Authority] (PDRTA) which is South Carolina’s Oldest and Largest RTA. PDRTA runs a bus system that serves the Florence area and nearly all of Florence County and Pee Dee Region as well. The system operates routes to Columbia, Myrtle Beach and Sumter.
Amtrak's The Palmetto train and the The Silver Service trains connect Florence with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami. The Amtrak station is situated at 805 East Day Street.
Florence is served the Florence Regional Airport (FLO), which is located 2 miles north of downtown Florence. It is the second-busiest airport in the region, served by Delta Airlines Connection and US Airways Express.
Geography
Florence is located at (34.184088, -79.774147)[Geographic references#1GR1].According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 45.9 km² (17.7 mi²). 45.8 km² (17.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.17%) is water.
Florence is located in the coastal plain of South Carolina. The terrain is mostly flat. The average elevation above sea level is around 140ft. Jeffries Creek is a tributary of the Great Pee Dee River and is the main waterway that flows through the city of Florence.
Sports
Professional sports teams
| Club | Sport | League | Stadium | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pee Dee Cyclones | Ice hockey | Southern Professional Hockey League | Florence Civic Center | 
|
| Florence Phantoms | Arena Football | American Indoor Football League | Florence Civic Center | 
|
| Florence Redwolves | Baseball | Coastal Plain League | American Leagion Field | 
|
Florence is also home to the Southern Professional Hockey League's Pee Dee Cyclones, who debuted in 2005. This team was part of a two evet package in 2004 to replace the now defunct Pee Dee Pride from the ECHL. The Cyclones also play in the Florence Civic Center.
Baseball has a long and rich history in the Florence, dating back to 1920’s when the Florence Swampfox’s were founded. Today the Coastal Plain League Florence Redwolves, carries on that long tradition. The team founded in 1998 is summer baseball team for SEC and ACC players from around the southeast. The teams stadium was home to the 2004 all star and home run derby. The team's stadium is located just outside of downtown near the Florence Regional Airport at American Leagion Field.
Media
- WBTW Channel 13, CBS affiliate.
- WPDE Channel 15, ABC affiliate.
- WWMB Channel 21, UPN affiliate.
- WJPM Channel 33, PBS affiliate.
- WFXB Channel 43, FOX affiliate.
Higher Education
The area is served by Francis Marion University, a public liberal arts school, and Florence-Darlington Tech. Coker College at Hartsville and Coastal Carolina University at Conway are nearby.Attractions
- Florence Civic Center
- Freedom Florence Ballpark
- Magnolia Mall
- Florence Museum of Arts and History
- Florence National Cemetery
- Timrod Park
- War Between the States Museum
- Florence Regional Airport
- Pee Dee Farmers Market
- Darlington Raceway
Famous residents
- Buddy Baker, NASCAR driver
- Lilian Garcia, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) ring announcer and Diva
- Chris Cottros, Guitarist
- Matt Laug, Drummer
- Reggie Sanders, Professional Baseball Player
- Harry Carson, Professional Football Player
- William Johnson, painter
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 30,248 people (estimated as 30,883 in 2004), 11,925 households, and 7,882 families residing in the city. The population density was 659.8/km² (1,709.4/mi²). There were 13,090 housing units at an average density of 285.5/km² (739.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.96% White, 44.77% African American, 0.18% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population.There were 11,925 households out of which 30.2% had children under the living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 20.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the , 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,388, and the median income for a family was $42,250. Males had a median income of $35,633 versus $23,589 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,336. 19.3% of the population and 15.3% of families were below the poverty line. 28.2% of those under the and 15.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Florence is the central city of a metropolitan area with a total population of 198,443 (2005 estimate), including the entire populations of Florence and Darlington counties. However, in the more detailed 2000 Census data, only about 54% of this metro was urbanized, consisting of the urban areas Florence (2000 pop.: 67,314), Hartsville (14,907), Darlington (12,066), and Lake City (8,728). The remainder of the Florence metro is considered rural.
External links
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