Florence, South Carolina
Florence South Carolina
By: Waldo Gil Vazquez III
Maps
-Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Company. “Florence December 1888.” Map. Https://Digital.Tcl.Sc.Edu/Digital/Collection/SFMAPS/Id/2736/Rec/2. New York: Sanborn Map & Publishing Co, 1888.
The street level map of Florence in Library of Congress collection.
-Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Company. “Florence June 1908.” Map. Https://Digital.Tcl.Sc.Edu/Digital/Collection/SFMAPS/Id/1124/Rec/8. New York: Sanborn Map & Publishing Co., Ltd, 1908.
Street level map of Florence at the time co-exists with the five other maps present.
-Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Company. “Florence March 1903.” Map. Https://Digital.Tcl.Sc.Edu/Digital/Collection/SFMAPS/Id/2756/Rec/4. New York: Sanborn Map & Publishing Co., Ltd, 1903.
Street level map of Florence in 1903 first one we start to see with developed roads.
-Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Company. “Florence March 1918.” Map. Https://Digital.Tcl.Sc.Edu/Digital/Collection/SFMAPS/Id/1162/Rec/1. New York: Sanborn Map & Publishing Co., Ltd, 1918.
A post industrialized map of Florence that ceases to highlight the railways and begins to highlight growing urbanization of the city.
-Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Company. “Florence SC June 1884.” Map. Https://Digital.Tcl.Sc.Edu/Digital/Collection/SFMAPS/Id/467/Rec/6. New York: Sanborn Map & Publishing Co., Ltd, 1884.
The Oldest map of Florence SC that contains detailed directions of houses and the less than five streets that connected old Florence.
Newspapers
-The Florence Advertiser. 1932.
The Florence advertiser was a weekly newspaper that was published in the 1930's, due to its short publication there is very little surviving copies.
-The Florence Pioneer. 1872.
The Florence pioneer was the original newspaper in Florence, and was headed and published by W. Wallace McDiarmid
-The Florence Times. 1965.
A short lived newspaper published in the 1960's in Florence SC
-The Morning News. March 18, 1922.
This is Florence's premier newspaper and is still running today at 102 years old. This newspaper talks about the daily local news and just recently posted Darlington High School Mens basketball team winning the state championship #GoFalcons.
-The Patriot News. n.d.
This is the student run newspaper at Francis Marion University. A student run, edited, and written newspaper for college students throughout campus.
-The Reform Advocate. 1899.
This was a turn of the century weekly newspaper in Florence that was eventually dissolved for the Morning Times.
Museums and Societies
-Dr. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library, n.d. https://florencelibrary.org/florence/.
This library is the central library of not just Florence, SC but all of Florence County. The Bruce and Lee library is the flagship for the Florence County public library system
-Florence County Museum, n.d. http://www.flocomuseum.org/.
The Florence County Museum is the central stockade of history in Florence County SC. This museum has a rich and detailed account of Florence and the surrounding towns history dating back to the civil war.
-“Florence National Cemetery--Civil War Era National Cemeteries: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary.” National Parks Service. Accessed February 26, 2024. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/national_cemeteries/south_carolina/florence_national_cemtery.html#:~:text=Florence%20National%20Cemetery%20is%20located,closed%20on%20all%20Federal%20holidays.
This cemetary is recognized by the national parks system as being historically relevant to the area housing confederate soldiers graves.
-“Friends of the Florence Stockade.” Google Sites: Sign-in. Accessed February 26, 2024. https://sites.google.com/site/friendsoftheflorencestockade/home.
This site is about the Confederate prison that housed 2300 union soldiers during the civil war.
-PDT_Admin01. “The Columns.” Pee Dee Tourism, October 24, 2022. https://peedeetourism.com/the-columns/.
The Columns is a plantation and house turned museum in the Florence-Darlington area. This is a greek revival style house and was listed on the national registrar in 1974.
-PDT_Admin01. “War between the States Museum.” Pee Dee Tourism, October 18, 2022. https://peedeetourism.com/war-between-the-states-museum/.
This a "civil war" museum located in Florence interestingly named after the "war between the states" cause instead of the civil war.
-South Carolina Cotton Museum. Accessed February 28, 2024. http://www.sccotton.org/.
A museum about the cotton plantations in Florence County located in Bishopsville.
-South Carolina Room, n.d. https://florencelibrary.org/south-carolina-room/.
A genealogical study of South Carolina residents Sponsored by the Florence County Museum.
-“Three Rivers Genealogical Society.” Facebook, n.d. https://www.facebook.com/www.threerivershistoricalsociety.org/.
A current Historical Society based in Florence dedicated to preserving the history of Florence County and the Peedee River.
Books
-Anderson, Thom. Remembering florence: Tales from a railroad town. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2009.
This book is about the railroad history of Florence South Carolina
-Goodman, Donna H. Morning Walk in the PeeDee. Florence, SC: Discovery, 2020.
This book is about the Natural World in Florence SC, a very important part of its history is the connection the city has had with the Peedee River Basin
-Harrison, Brenda, and Jennifer Leach. Florence. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 2007.
A historical memoir of the history of Florence, this book contains the stories and diaries of the past people of Florence.
-Hudson, Joshua Hilary. Sketches and reminiscences. Nabu Press, 2010.
This book is published and recommended by the Florence County Museum as it has historically relevant sketches and images throughout the book.
-Imbeau, Stephen A. Florence is our home: The history, the people, the culture. Grand Rapids, MI: Credo House Publishers, 2021.
A book that has recently been endorsed by the Florence County museum, it calls upon the daily lives of Florentine's and how they've watched their city grow.
-King, G. Wayne. Rise up so early: A history of Florence County, South Carolina. Spartanburg, SC: The Reprint Company, Publishers, 2015.
This book again calls upon the richest parts of Florence History, the use of railroads and railways throughout the town. The book features on the short terms gains in Florence during the late 19th century and features a more domestic stance versus country wide about Florence..
-Zeigler, Eugene N. Barnwell Blarney, Colonel Frank Remembered. Florence, SC: Clio Press, 1999.
A biography about "the most interesting man in Florence SC".
-Zeigler, Eugene N. Refugees and remnants: The story of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the pee dee and Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Florence, South Carolina. Spartanburg, SC: Published for Clio Press by the Reprint Co., 2002.
The Religious history of Florence South Carolina and how divisive and tumultuous times were.
-Zeigler, Eugene N. Village to city: Florence, South Carolina, 1853-1893. Spartanburg, SC:Reprint Company, 2008.
This book is a history of no the citizens of Florence, but the city itself. It shows the evolution from land and farms to thriving industrial city to modern day economic success.
-Zeigler, Eugene N. When Conscience and Power Meet: A Memoir. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2008.
This is a memoir from Eugene Ziegler a South Carolina legislature that ran for several congressional seats and his political history of Florence SC
Video
Mars Bluff Incident. PBS Mars Bluff Incident, 2021.
https://www.pbs.org/video/mars-bluff-incident-zxnqtf/
This is short video from PBS about the Mars Bluff Nuclear bomb incident in 1958. An accidental unarmed nuclear bomb fell out of a plane and landed in Mars Bluff, SC which just 7 miles from Florence
