Blacksburg, South Carolina

Blacksburg is a town located in Cherokee County, South Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population within the city limit of 1,880. The population of greater Blacksburg is approximately 7,000. The communities of Cherokee Falls, Kings Creek, Cashion Crossroads, Buffalo, and Mt. Paren are located within or near the town.

Contents

1 A Brief History of Blacksburg, SC 2 Blacksburg Facts 3 Geography 4 Demographics 5 External links

A Brief History of Blacksburg, SC

The present day site of Blacksburg, SC was first settled by a
man by the name of Stark in the late 1700's to early 1800's.
Mr. Stark who had lived in Charleston, SC prior to moving to
Blacksburg, had gotten several people to come with him on his
trip. He had told them that they were going to go to the new
area and plant bananas. When the bananas failed to grow
properly because the climate was not warm enough to support
them, the people who had came with him, laughed him out of the
settlement. Those who stayed behind named the area Stark's Folly.

Around the late 1800's three brothers, with the last name
Black, who lived in Stark's Folly had gotten the
Southern Railway Company to lay track through the town and a depot was
built in the town. The town's name was soon changed to Black's
Station to honor the three brothers and later renamed
Blacksburg in 1888.

In the 1890's large amounts of iron were found in the area and
many people hoping to make a fortune from mining the mineral
flocked to the town. Blacksburg became a boom town and hotels
and saloons were built for the new visitors. The town's name
was changed to Iron City during this time and later changed
back to Blacksburg in 1898. Because of the "iron rush" the town
became quite wealthy and the fist electric street lights in the
state of S.C. were installed in Blacksburg. The city was
incorporated in 1898 as "Blacksburg" but still holds its
nickname "Iron City" to this day.

Blacksburg Facts

Nickname: The Iron City
Mayor: David Houge

Interesting Facts:

• Blacksburg got its nickname "Iron City" for the large amounts of iron ore discovered in the town in the late 1890's.
• Blacksburg was the fist town in South Carolina to have electric street lights.
• The Ed Brown Championship Rodeo attracts an estimated 22,000 people on the first Friday and Saturday of August each year. The town has a "Rodeo Days" Festival with several events including, a parade, car show, and street dance.
• The Blacksburg High School Marching Band has won the state championship for three consecutive years: 2002, 2003, and 2004. Blacksburg Wildcat Marching Band Website (http://www.cherokeeschoolssc.org/bhs/fineart/band/band.htm.com)
• Kings Mountain National Military Park and State Park, commemorating a battle of the Revolutionary War, are located about 5 miles northeast of the town.

Geography

Blacksburg is located at 35°7'14" North, 81°30'59" West (35.120676, -81.516291)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.8 km² (1.9 mi²). 4.8 km² (1.9 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 1,880 people, 785 households, and 503 families residing in the town. The population density is 392.4/km² (1,018.8/mi²). There are 911 housing units at an average density of 190.1/km² (493.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 74.52% White, 23.56% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. 0.53% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 785 households out of which 31.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% are married couples living together, 19.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% are non-families. 32.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 16.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.39 and the average family size is 3.04.

In the town the population is spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 76.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $26,453, and the median income for a family is $35,208. Males have a median income of $27,384 versus $21,207 for females. The per capita income for the town is $16,833. 17.4% of the population and 13.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.3% of those under the age of 18 and 29.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

Blacksburg--The Iron City (http://www.blacksburg.ohgo.com) Template:Mapit-US-cityscale