Pee Dee

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The Pee Dee is a region in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of South Carolina. [1] It lies along the lower watershed of the Pee Dee River, which was named after the Pee Dee, an Indigenous tribe historically inhabiting the region.

Contents

History

The region was the homeland of the Pee Dee Native Americans, a people who originally occupied the area as part of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture from about 1000 to 1400, leaving the region for unknown reasons. Today, several nonprofit organizations have been recognized by South Carolina as descendants of the historic Pee Dee, including two state-recognized tribes [2] and one state-recognized group. [2] However, none of these organizations are federally recognized. [3] [4]

Economy

The region's largest county is Horry. It encompasses the Grand Strand, which includes the beaches running from the North Carolina state border to the Winyah Bay in Georgetown County in South Carolina. On the coast, the economy is dominated by tourism, and features beaches, amusement parks, shopping, fishing, and golf. The area has become a major retirement center in the United States, in part because of its low cost of living, mild weather, and numerous golf courses. Inland is a belt featuring rivers, marshes, Carolina bays, and sandy rises where forestry is predominant. There are pine plantations and bald cypress timbering. Further inland, on higher ground, but still of only slight relief, is an agricultural belt of cultivation of tobacco, cotton, soybeans and produce. [5]

The region, especially the inland portion, remained mostly rural well into the 20th century. As late as the 1970s, it was still so rural that Florence's second television station, WPDE-TV, obtained a Farmers Home Administration loan to build a studio and tower. [6]

Regional definition

There is no agreed definition on which of South Carolina's counties are included in the region. The region takes its name from the Pee Dee River. The counties in the Pee Dee region are located, either entirely or partially, within the river's watershed.

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1950 510,179—
1960 532,4504.4%
1970 524,091−1.6%
1980 624,66919.2%
1990 683,8409.5%
2000 777,83913.7%
2010 871,87612.1%
2020 926,0696.2%
2022 (est.)953,9883.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

Always included

Usually included

Rarely included

Politics

The Pee Dee region has remained relatively constant during the first decade of the 21st century in terms of its voting history. The region's voters have been close during the previous four presidential elections, but lean toward the Republican Party. The tilt of the region is primarily due to the numerous Republicans resident in Horry County along the Atlantic coast. [7]

At the congressional level, the region, including the rarely included counties, is located within three congressional districts. The Pee Dee region is mostly contained in South Carolina's 7th congressional district.

Williamsburg, Clarendon, parts of Sumter, and parts of Florence counties are located in the majority-minority 6th district. Lee and the remaining parts of Sumter counties are located in 5th district. [8] The 5th and 6th districts are represented by Republican Ralph Norman and Democrat Jim Clyburn, respectively.

The 7th district was established following the 2010 census. In the 2012 elections, incumbents Mulvaney and Clyburn won re-election. Republican Tom Rice defeated Democrat Gloria Tinubu, both of Horry County, 54.9% to 45.1%, to represent South Carolina's new House seat. [9]

Presidential Election Results 2000-2012 [7]
Year Democrat Republican
2012 47% 139,72353%159,629
2008 47% 138,56553%153,380
2004 46% 106,77654%124,487
2000 47% 96,15053%107,954

Cities

Primary cities

(population figures is from 2020 census estimates)

Cities with a population of at least 5,000

Higher education

4-year colleges

2-year or specialized colleges

Media

The area is served by four commercial broadcast television stations, WBTW CBS 13, WPDE ABC 15, WMBF NBC 32 and WFXB Fox 43, the first two with twin studios at Florence and Myrtle Beach, as well as two educational television stations substations, WHMC-TV, in Conway, South Carolina, and WJPM-TV in Florence, South Carolina

Daily newspapers include The Sun News of Myrtle Beach and The Morning News of Florence. The Georgetown Times is published five times per week.

Major highways

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Horry County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 351,029. It is the fourth-most populous county in South Carolina. The county seat is Conway.

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

Georgetown County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 63,404. Its county seat is Georgetown. The county was founded in 1769. It is named for George III of the United Kingdom.

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

Darlington County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 62,905. Its county seat is Darlington. Hartsville is the largest community in the county. Darlington County is home to the Darlington Raceway, which hosts the annual NASCAR Southern 500. Darlington County is also home to Coker College in Hartsville. Darlington County was named by an act in March 1785.

Scouting in South Carolina has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.

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

Society Hill is a town in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States alongside the Pee Dee River. It is the oldest community in Darlington County and one of the first towns founded in South Carolina. The town was once the intellectual center of the Pee Dee region. However, the town's fortunes declined in the 19th century after rivers became less important as means of transportation. It is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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

Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropolitan area. The area forms the core of the historical Pee Dee region of South Carolina, which includes the eight counties of northeastern South Carolina, along with sections of southeastern North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 39,899, making it the 10th-most populous city in the state.

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

Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the East Coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous 60-mile (97 km) stretch of beach known as the "Grand Strand” in the northeastern part of the state. Its year-round population was 35,682 as of the 2020 census, making it the 13th-most populous city in South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 378</span> U.S. Highway in Georgia and South Carolina

U.S. Route 378 (US 378) is a spur of US 78 in the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina. The U.S. Highway runs 234.30 miles (377.07 km) from US 78, Georgia State Route 10 (SR 10), SR 17, and SR 47 in Washington, Georgia, east to US 501 Business in Conway, South Carolina. US 378 connects the Central Savannah River Area in both states with the Midlands and Pee Dee regions of South Carolina. The U.S. Highway's western portion, which connects Washington and Lincolnton in Georgia and McCormick, Saluda, and Lexington in South Carolina, is mainly a rural highway. US 378 is a major suburban and urban highway through Lexington and South Carolina's state capital, Columbia. The highway has a lengthy concurrency with US 76 between Columbia and Sumter and serves as a major route between the Midlands and the Myrtle Beach area, between which the highway has a business route through Lake City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Strand</span> Coastal area in South Carolina, US

The Grand Strand is an arc of beach land on the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina, United States, extending more than 60 miles (97 km) from Little River to Winyah Bay. It is located in Horry and Georgetown Counties on the northeastern South Carolina coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPDE-TV</span> TV station in Florence, South Carolina

WPDE-TV is a television station licensed to Florence, South Carolina, United States, serving the Pee Dee and Grand Strand regions of South Carolina and affiliated with ABC and The CW. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which also operates Dabl affiliate WWMB under a shared services agreement (SSA) with owner Howard Stirk Holdings. The two stations share studios on University Boulevard in Conway; WPDE-TV's transmitter is located on Pee Dee Church Road in Floydale, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina's 6th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for South Carolina

South Carolina's 6th congressional district is in central and eastern South Carolina. It includes all of Allendale, Bamberg, Calhoun, Clarendon, Hampton, and Williamsburg counties and parts of Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Florence, Jasper, Orangeburg, Richland and Sumter counties. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+14, it is the only Democratic district in South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina's 7th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for South Carolina

South Carolina's 7th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in South Carolina, established in 2011 following apportionment of another seat to the state in the redistricting cycle following the 2010 census. It is located in the Pee Dee region, and includes all of Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, and Marlboro Counties and most of Florence County. The district is represented by Republican Russell Fry who was elected in 2022 and took office on January 3, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina Highway 22</span> State highway in South Carolina

South Carolina Highway 22 (SC 22), also known as the Conway Bypass and Veterans Highway, is a four lane freeway that connects US 501 north of Conway, South Carolina, to US 17 in Myrtle Beach. The road was opened to traffic on May 4, 2001, six months ahead of schedule. It is slated to become part of Interstate 73 in the future. The road largely meets Interstate Highway standards, but in order to support increased Interstate traffic, its shoulders would need to be expanded to standard width.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area codes 843 and 854</span> Telephone area codes for eastern South Carolina, United States

Area codes 843 and 854 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for a portion of the U.S. state of South Carolina that comprises roughly the eastern third and the southern tip. The numbering plan area (NPA) includes the Grand Strand, the Lowcountry, the Pee Dee, and the Sandhills. Major cities in the region are Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Beaufort, Hilton Head Island and Florence. Area code 843 was created in 1998 when area code 803 was split, while 854 was added in 2015 to form an all-services overlay.

The Southern Evacuation Lifeline (SELL) is a proposed 28-mile (45 km) limited-access highway in Horry County, South Carolina, in the United States. The project is currently underfunded, expecting to cost around $600 million, and issues with the route itself still remain, as it would travel directly next to several wildlife preserves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 73 in South Carolina</span> Highway in South Carolina

Interstate 73 (I-73) is the designation for a future Interstate Highway in the US state of South Carolina. When completed, it will connect the Grand Strand area with the state's Interstate system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horry-Georgetown Technical College</span> College in Conway, South Carolina, U.S.

Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) is a public technical college in Conway, South Carolina. It is a part of the South Carolina Technical College System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina</span>

The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, and elected the seven U.S. representatives from the state of South Carolina, an increase of one seat as a result of reapportionment thanks to the continued strong growth found in South Carolina as reported in the 2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election. The people of South Carolina elected six Republicans and one Democrat to represent the state in the 113th United States Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William J. Wilkins (architect)</span> American architect

William J. Wilkins was an American architect in Florence, South Carolina and in partnership with Joseph F. Leitner in Wilmington, North Carolina.

References

  1. ↑ "Charleston and Lowcountry, The SC Lowcountry, Pee Dee, Midlands, and Piedmont". Pee Dee Tourism. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Federal and State Recognized Native American Entities". The South Caroline Commission for Minority Affairs. Archived from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  3. ↑ "Native American Heritage Federal and State Recognized Tribes". SC Department of Archives & History. State of South Carolina. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "South Carolina's Recognized Native American Indian Entities". South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  5. ↑ "Visitor Info". Pee Dee Tourism. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  6. ↑ "TV Station Gets Loan Guarantee". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press. July 12, 1980. p. 3-A. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  8. ↑ "SC lawmakers approve new 7th congressional district anchored in Horry County". Islandpacket.com. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  9. ↑ "South Carolina House Election Results 2012 - Map, District Results, Live Updates - POLITICO.com". Politico . Archived from the original on 2013-06-18. Retrieved 2013-07-05.

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