Oconee County, South Carolina

Last updated

Oconee County
County
Oconee County Courthouse.jpg
Oconee County Courthouse in Walhalla
Flag of Oconee County, South Carolina.svg
Flag
Oconee County Seal.jpg
Seal
Oconee County Logo.jpg
Logo
Nickname: 
Land Beside The Water
Map of South Carolina highlighting Oconee County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
South Carolina in United States.svg
South Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°45′N83°04′W / 34.75°N 83.06°W / 34.75; -83.06
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of South Carolina.svg  South Carolina
Founded1868
Named for Cherokee word for "land beside the water" [1]
Seat Walhalla
Largest community Seneca
Area
 • Total673.57 sq mi (1,744.5 km2)
 • Land626.56 sq mi (1,622.8 km2)
 • Water47.01 sq mi (121.8 km2)  6.98%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total78,607
 • Estimate 
(2023)
81,221
 • Density125.46/sq mi (48.44/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 3rd
Website www.oconeesc.com

Oconee County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 78,607. [2] Its county seat is Walhalla and its largest community is Seneca. [3] Oconee County is included in the Seneca, SC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area. South Carolina Highway 11, the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway, begins in southern Oconee County at Interstate Highway 85 at the Georgia state line.

Contents

History

Oconee County was named after a historic Cherokee town and the word "Ae-quo-nee", meaning "land beside the water." Oconee (Cherokee : ᎤᏊᏄ, romanized: Uquunu) town developed on the Cherokee trading path near present-day Oconee Station State Historic Site along Oconee Creek. The town was located along the Cherokee trading path of the early 18th century between the English colonial Atlantic port of Charleston and the Mississippi River to the west.

Oconee Town did not develop around an ancient platform mound like those built by ancestral peoples during the period of the Southern Appalachian Mississippian culture, approximately 1000CE to 1500CE. In their public architecture, the historic Cherokee built communal town houses around a central ceremonial pole and council house. The council house was a meeting place for the larger community and council. Through the centuries of their long occupancy, the Cherokee would replace the council house, and maintain and add to nearby mounds, building in distinctly colored layers of earth that are visible to archeologists. [4] [5]

Due to its geographic position, the town was at the intersection of the trading path and the Cherokee treaty boundary of 1777. In 1792, the newly formed South Carolina State Militia built a frontier outpost near the town site, and named it Oconee Station.

European-American settlement in this far western area of the colony did not begin until the late eighteenth century. Most did not take place until decades after the American Revolutionary War. South Carolina jurisdictions were successively called parishes, counties, judicial districts and counties again. Oconee County was not created until 1868, after the American Civil War and during the Reconstruction era. It was taken from part of the Pickens District and named after Oconee Town.

Post-Revolutionary and 19th-century history

Geography

Oconee County, South Carolina
Interactive map of Oconee County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 673.57 square miles (1,744.5 km2), of which 626.56 square miles (1,622.8 km2) is land and 47.01 square miles (121.8 km2) (6.98%) is water. [7] Three large man-made lakes provide residents with sport fishing, water skiing, and sailing as well as hydroelectric power. The largest lake is Lake Hartwell, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1955 and 1963. Lake Keowee is the second-largest lake and the Oconee Nuclear Station operates by the lake. Lake Jocassee is the third-largest and is a source of hydroelectric energy, but is also popular for its scenery and numerous waterfalls.

Bad Creek Reservoir, located in the mountains above Jocassee, is also used for generating electricity during peak hours. The water level can fall by tens of feet per hour and, during off-peak times, water is pumped back into the lake for the next peak period. Because of the dramatic changes in water level due to these uses, boating and swimming are prohibited in this reservoir.

Oconee County is in the Savannah River basin.

National protected areas

State and local protected areas/sites

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Major infrastructure

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1870 10,536—
1880 16,25654.3%
1890 18,68715.0%
1900 23,63426.5%
1910 27,33715.7%
1920 30,11710.2%
1930 33,36810.8%
1940 36,5129.4%
1950 39,0507.0%
1960 40,2043.0%
1970 40,7281.3%
1980 48,61119.4%
1990 57,49418.3%
2000 66,21515.2%
2010 74,27312.2%
2020 78,6075.8%
2023 (est.)81,221 [2] 3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]
1790–1960 [10] 1900–1990 [11]
1990–2000 [12] 2010 [13] 2020 [2]

2020 census

Oconee County racial composition [14]
RaceNum.Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)64,69682.3%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)5,1196.51%
Native American 1760.22%
Asian 5910.75%
Pacific Islander 160.02%
Other/Mixed 3,6254.61%
Hispanic or Latino 4,3845.58%

As of the 2020 census, there were 78,607 people, 31,530 households, and 21,214 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, [13] there were 74,273 people, 30,676 households, and 21,118 families living in the county. [15] The population density was 118.6 inhabitants per square mile (45.8 inhabitants/km2). There were 38,763 housing units at an average density of 61.9 units per square mile (23.9 units/km2). [16] The racial makeup of the county was 87.8% white, 7.6% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 2.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.5% of the population. [15] In terms of ancestry, [17]

Of the 30,676 households, 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.2% were non-families, and 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 43.4 years. [15]

The median income for a household in the county was $42,266 and the median income for a family was $52,332. Males had a median income of $40,943 versus $29,841 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,055. About 11.8% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over. [18]

2000 census

At the 2000 census, [19] there were 66,215 people, 27,283 households, and 19,589 families living in the county. The population density was 106 people per square mile (41 people/km2). There were 32,383 housing units at an average density of 52 units per square mile (20 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.14% White, 8.38% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 2.36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 26.5% were of American, 13.1% Irish, 11.9% German and 10.5% English ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 27,283 households, out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.90% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,666, and the median income for a family was $43,047. Males had a median income of $31,032 versus $22,156 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,965. About 7.60% of families and 10.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.00% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

United States presidential election results for Oconee County, South Carolina [20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 29,69873.03%10,41425.61%5561.37%
2016 24,17871.88%7,99823.78%1,4594.34%
2012 21,61170.47%8,55027.88%5051.65%
2008 21,16467.98%9,48130.45%4871.56%
2004 18,81168.32%8,39530.49%3261.18%
2000 15,36465.17%7,57132.11%6402.71%
1996 10,50352.64%7,39837.08%2,05110.28%
1992 10,37950.68%6,61732.31%3,48317.01%
1988 10,18469.83%4,29929.48%1020.70%
1984 8,62571.61%3,33327.67%860.71%
1980 5,65141.58%7,67756.49%2631.94%
1976 3,80530.90%8,44768.61%600.49%
1972 6,82478.19%1,74019.94%1641.88%
1968 2,61827.94%2,00921.44%4,74250.61%
1964 2,71232.79%5,56067.21%00.00%
1960 1,88630.35%4,32869.65%00.00%
1956 91118.99%3,51073.17%3767.84%
1952 1,62433.46%3,23066.54%00.00%
1948 1356.90%66634.03%1,15659.07%
1944 1067.08%1,31687.85%765.07%
1940 1438.24%1,59391.76%00.00%
1936 532.51%2,05797.49%00.00%
1932 140.77%1,80399.17%10.06%
1928 705.24%1,26394.61%20.15%
1924 50.49%98996.30%333.21%
1920 705.31%1,24994.69%00.00%
1916 596.23%88593.45%30.32%
1912 586.54%76085.68%697.78%
1904 627.93%72092.07%00.00%
1900 697.32%87392.68%00.00%

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

The Oconee region is mentioned in the song "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)" by the indie rock group the Decemberists, on their 2006 album The Crane Wife . The reference is "When I was a girl how the hills of Oconee made a seam to hem me in."

Parts of the film Deliverance were filmed on the Oconee side of the Chattooga River, including specifically some scenes shot in Salem. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pickens County, South Carolina</span> County in South Carolina, United States

Pickens County is located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 131,404. Its county seat is Pickens. The county was created in 1826. It is part of the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anderson County, South Carolina</span> County in South Carolina, United States

Anderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 203,718. Its county seat is Anderson. Named for Revolutionary War leader Robert Anderson, the county is located in northwestern South Carolina, along the state line of Georgia. Anderson County is included in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Anderson County contains 55,950-acre (22,640 ha) Lake Hartwell, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake with nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of shoreline for residential and recreational use. The area is a growing industrial, commercial and tourist center. It is the home of Anderson University, a private, selective comprehensive university of approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbeville County, South Carolina</span> County in South Carolina, United States

Abbeville County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 24,295. Its county seat is Abbeville. It is the first county in the United States alphabetically. Abbeville County included in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transylvania County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Transylvania County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census the population is 32,986. Its county seat is Brevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephens County, Georgia</span> County in Georgia, United States

Stephens County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia, in the Piedmont and near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is bounded by the Tugaloo River and Lake Hartwell on the east. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,784. The county seat is Toccoa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pickens County, Georgia</span> County in Georgia, United States

Pickens County is a county located in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,216. The county seat is Jasper. Pickens County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Georgia metropolitan statistical area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon County, Georgia</span> County in Georgia, United States

Gordon County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 57,544. The county seat is Calhoun. Gordon County comprises the Calhoun, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Chattanooga-Cleveland-Dalton Combined Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salem, South Carolina</span> Town in South Carolina, United States

Salem is a U.S. town in Oconee County, South Carolina. The population was 135 at the 2010 United States Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seneca, South Carolina</span> City in South Carolina, United States

Seneca is a city in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 8,102 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Seneca Micropolitan Statistical Area, an (MSA) that includes all of Oconee County, and that is included within the greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, South Carolina Combined Statistical Area. Seneca was named for the nearby Cherokee town of Isunigu, which English colonists knew as "Seneca Town".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walhalla, South Carolina</span> City in South Carolina, United States

Walhalla is a city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Oconee County, South Carolina. Designated in 1868 as the county seat, it lies within the area of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, an area of transition between mountains and piedmont, and contains numerous waterfalls. It is located 16 miles (26 km) from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Union, South Carolina</span> Town in South Carolina, United States

West Union is a town in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. Although its name suggests that it is near Union, they are approximately four counties apart. The population was 291 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty, South Carolina</span> City in South Carolina, United States

Liberty is a city in Pickens County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city was chartered on March 2, 1876.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pickens, South Carolina</span> City in South Carolina, United States

Pickens, formerly called Pickens Courthouse, is a city in and the county seat of Pickens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,126 at the 2010 census. Pickens changed its classification from a town to a city in 1998, but it was not reported to the Census Bureau until 2001. It was named after Andrew Pickens (1739–1817), an American revolutionary soldier and US Congressman for South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clemson, South Carolina</span> City in South Carolina, United States

Clemson is a city in Pickens and Anderson counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Clemson is home to Clemson University; in 2015, the Princeton Review cited the town of Clemson as ranking #1 in the United States for "town-and-gown" relations with its resident university. The population of the city was 17,681 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Jocassee</span> Man-made lake in northwestern South Carolina, United States

Lake Jocassee is a 7,500-acre (30 km2), 300-foot (91 m) deep reservoir in northwest South Carolina. It was created in 1973 by the state in partnership with Duke Power. The lake is known for the clean and cold Appalachian mountain rivers that flow into it, keeping its waters cool and clear year-round. The Jocassee Dam, which forms the lake, is 385 feet (117 m) high and 1,750 feet (530 m) long. The lake is within Devils Fork State Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Keowee</span> Man-made lake in South Carolina, United States

Lake Keowee is a man-made reservoir in the United States in the state of South Carolina. It was developed to serve the needs of power utility Duke Energy and public recreational purposes. It is approximately 26 miles (42 km) long, 3 miles (4.8 km) wide, with an average depth of 54 feet (16 m), and a shoreline measured at 300 miles (480 km) in total, and is approximately 800 feet (240 m) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keowee</span> Historic Cherokee town

Keowee was a Cherokee town in the far northwest corner of present-day South Carolina. It was the principal town of what were called the seven Lower Towns, located along the Keowee River. Keowee was situated on the Lower Cherokee Traders' Path, part of the Upper Road through the Piedmont. In 1752 the Cherokee established New Keowee Town nearby, off the traders' path but in a more defensible location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumter National Forest</span>

The Sumter National Forest is one of two forests in South Carolina that are managed together by the United States Forest Service, the other being the Francis Marion National Forest. The Sumter National Forest consists of 370,442 acres (1,499.13 km2) which are divided into 3 distinct sections in western and central South Carolina. The Enoree Ranger District is the largest, comprising roughly 170,000 acres in Chester, Fairfield, Laurens, Newberry, and Union counties. Next is the Long Cane Ranger District, comprising about 120,000 acres in Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, McCormick, and Saluda counties. The smallest district is the Andrew Pickens Ranger District comprising over 85,000 acres which lies entirely in Oconee county and is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Forest headquarters of both South Carolina forests are located together in the state's capital city of Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina Highway 11</span> State highway in South Carolina

South Carolina Highway 11 (SC 11), also known as the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, is a 119.850-mile (192.880 km) state highway through the far northern part of the U.S. state of South Carolina, following the southernmost peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The route is surrounded by peach orchards, quaint villages, and parks. It is an alternative to Interstate 85 (I-85) and has been featured by such publications as National Geographic, Rand McNally, and Southern Living.

Keowee Key is a lakeside community and census-designated place (CDP) in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. It is considered part of the Salem community. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census with a population of 2,716.

References

  1. ↑ "History Of Oconee County". www.oconeelibrary.org. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "QuickFacts: Oconee County, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina
  5. ↑ Oconee History Museum
  6. ↑ Project, SC Picture (December 8, 2010). "Newry Mill". SC Picture Project. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  7. ↑ "2020 County Gazetteer Files – South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "SCDNR Public Lands". www2.dnr.sc.gov. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  11. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  13. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  17. ↑ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  18. ↑ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  19. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  20. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Scenic adventure and remembering "Deliverance" in Oconee County, S.C." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. May 21, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.