Ninety Six, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Ninety Six is a town in Greenwood County, South Carolina
, United States
. The population was 1,936 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.8 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,936 people, 820 households, and 560 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,325.1 people per square mile (512.0/km²). There were 904 housing units at an average density of 618.7 per square mile (239.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 76.50% White, 22.73% Black, 0.15% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.21% from other races
, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.52% of the population.
There were 820 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples
living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 81.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $33,423, and the median income for a family was $39,550. Males had a median income of $30,978 versus $25,034 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $15,648. About 7.0% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
sechs," meaning "dry gulch." However, no one is able to confirm that Robert Goudey was Welsh, English, Scottish, or German. An examination of early maps indicates markings such as "30" and "60" and "90" at different points, possibly indicating "chains." Since Ninety-Six was located in Clarendon Parish, could it be possible that Parish linear measurements used in England were used on colonial maps to measure distances in "chains?" In England, according to a British and Welsh booklet designating linear measurements, Parish maps used a rule of "4 chains to the inch." In using that parish rule on an early map of colonial South Carolina, 90 "chains" on a map would probably cover approximately 24 inches, the map distance from "Saxe Gotha" (modern Lexington,S.C.) to Ninety-Six. Using the same measurements for the distance from Ninety-Six to the Savannah River,
the measurement would be approximately 2.5 inches or 6 "chains," hence 96. Even so, the origin of the name, "Ninety-Six," likely remains a mystery.
operates the Ninety Six National Historic Site
at the site of the original settlement.
Ninety Six figured prominently in the Anglo-Cherokee War
and also in the southern campaigns
of the American Revolutionary War
. The first land battle of the revolution south of New England
was fought here in 1775, and in 1780 the British fortified the strategically important frontier town.
From May 22 to June 18, 1781 Major General Nathanael Greene
, with 1,000 American Patriot troops, besieged 550 American Loyalists who were defending Ninety Six. General Greene's chief engineer at the siege was the world renowned Polish hero Colonel Tadeusz Kościuszko
, who was also wounded at the siege. This siege is described in the chapter Ninety-Six of the historic novel of Kenneth Roberts
: Oliver Wiswell, 1940. The American Loyalists survived the siege and moved to Rawdon, Nova Scotia, Canada
.
achieved notoriety for his brutal attack on Massachusetts
abolitionist Senator
Charles Sumner
in the Senate Chamber in 1856 after Sumner delivered a speech comparing slavery to a harlot and slaveholders to those who embraced her, to which Brooks objected violently. Ninety Six honored Brooks with the largest gathering ever in that region. Thousands of canes were presented to Brooks to replace the one he had broken while beating Sumner, who remained incapacitated for years as a result.
Benjamin Mays
, Sixth President of Morehouse College
and mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr.
, was born in the vicinity of Ninety Six. Some biographies place his birthplace in Epworth, South Carolina, roughly six miles to the south.
Orville Vernon Burton
, Professor of History and Sociology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
, was raised in Ninety Six. His book, In My Father’s House Are Many Mansions: Family and Community in Edgefield, South Carolina traces the social history of that region. In 2007 he published a new book, The Age of Lincoln, which has received wide acclaim, including the Heartland Award for Nonfiction.
Bill Voiselle
, pitcher for the New York Giants
, Boston Braves
, and Chicago Cubs
, gained the distinction of being the only baseball player to wear his hometown as a uniform number when he wore "96" in honor of his South Carolina birthplace while with Boston and Chicago. At the time, this was the highest uniform number ever seen in Major League Baseball; it has since been broken by several players wearing 99.
James Augustus Black, (1793–1848), was born in Ninety Six and became a United States Congressman from South Carolina
.
Odean Pope
, (1938–present), jazz tenor saxophonist, was born in Ninety Six but grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Beautiful South
reference the town in the first line of their 2004 song 'This Old Skin
' which masqueraded as a cover version of an original by the imaginary band The Heppelbaums.
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,936 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Ninety Six is located at 34°10′24"N 82°1′18"W (34.173211, -82.021710).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.8 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,936 people, 820 households, and 560 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,325.1 people per square mile (512.0/km²). There were 904 housing units at an average density of 618.7 per square mile (239.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 76.50% White, 22.73% Black, 0.15% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.21% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.52% of the population.
There were 820 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 81.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $33,423, and the median income for a family was $39,550. Males had a median income of $30,978 versus $25,034 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $15,648. About 7.0% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Origin of Name
There is much confusion about the mysterious name, "Ninety-Six," and the true origin may never be known. Speculation has led to a romantic Indian myth; to the mistaken belief that it was 96 miles to the nearest Cherokee settlement of Keowee; to a counting of creeks crossing the main road leading from Lexington, S.C, to Ninety-Six, S.C.; to an estimate of the number of miles from Ninety-Six to the main Indian town near Keowee; to an interpretation of a Welsh expression, "nanty-sechs," meaning "dry gulch." However, no one is able to confirm that Robert Goudey was Welsh, English, Scottish, or German. An examination of early maps indicates markings such as "30" and "60" and "90" at different points, possibly indicating "chains." Since Ninety-Six was located in Clarendon Parish, could it be possible that Parish linear measurements used in England were used on colonial maps to measure distances in "chains?" In England, according to a British and Welsh booklet designating linear measurements, Parish maps used a rule of "4 chains to the inch." In using that parish rule on an early map of colonial South Carolina, 90 "chains" on a map would probably cover approximately 24 inches, the map distance from "Saxe Gotha" (modern Lexington,S.C.) to Ninety-Six. Using the same measurements for the distance from Ninety-Six to the Savannah River,
the measurement would be approximately 2.5 inches or 6 "chains," hence 96. Even so, the origin of the name, "Ninety-Six," likely remains a mystery.
History
Ninety Six was established in the early 18th century. The National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
operates the Ninety Six National Historic Site
Ninety Six National Historic Site
Ninety Six National Historic Site, also known as Old Ninety Six and Star Fort, is a United States National Historic Site located about 60 miles south of Greenville, South Carolina...
at the site of the original settlement.
Ninety Six figured prominently in the Anglo-Cherokee War
Anglo-Cherokee War
The Anglo-Cherokee War , also known as the Cherokee War, the Cherokee Uprising, the Cherokee Rebellion, was a conflict between British forces in North America and Cherokee Indians during the French and Indian War...
and also in the southern campaigns
Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War
The Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War was the central area of operations in North America in the second half of the American Revolutionary War. During the first three years of the conflict, the primary military encounters had been in the north, focused on campaigns around the...
of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The first land battle of the revolution south of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
was fought here in 1775, and in 1780 the British fortified the strategically important frontier town.
From May 22 to June 18, 1781 Major General Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
, with 1,000 American Patriot troops, besieged 550 American Loyalists who were defending Ninety Six. General Greene's chief engineer at the siege was the world renowned Polish hero Colonel Tadeusz Kościuszko
Tadeusz Kosciuszko
Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko was a Polish–Lithuanian and American general and military leader during the Kościuszko Uprising. He is a national hero of Poland, Lithuania, the United States and Belarus...
, who was also wounded at the siege. This siege is described in the chapter Ninety-Six of the historic novel of Kenneth Roberts
Kenneth Roberts
Roberts graduated from Cornell University in 1908, where he wrote the lyrics for two Cornell fight songs, including Fight for Cornell. He was also a member of the Quill and Dagger society...
: Oliver Wiswell, 1940. The American Loyalists survived the siege and moved to Rawdon, Nova Scotia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Notable people
Preston BrooksPreston Brooks
Preston Smith Brooks was a Democratic Congressman from South Carolina. Brooks is primarily remembered for his severe beating of Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the United States Senate with a gutta-percha cane, delivered in response to an anti-slavery speech in which Sumner compared Brooks'...
achieved notoriety for his brutal attack on Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
abolitionist Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner was an American politician and senator from Massachusetts. An academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction,...
in the Senate Chamber in 1856 after Sumner delivered a speech comparing slavery to a harlot and slaveholders to those who embraced her, to which Brooks objected violently. Ninety Six honored Brooks with the largest gathering ever in that region. Thousands of canes were presented to Brooks to replace the one he had broken while beating Sumner, who remained incapacitated for years as a result.
Benjamin Mays
Benjamin Mays
Benjamin Elijah Mays was an American minister, educator, scholar, social activist and the president of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia from 1940 to 1967. Mays was also a significant mentor to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr...
, Sixth President of Morehouse College
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
and mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
, was born in the vicinity of Ninety Six. Some biographies place his birthplace in Epworth, South Carolina, roughly six miles to the south.
Orville Vernon Burton
Orville Vernon Burton
Orville Vernon Burton is a professor of history at Clemson University and Director of the Clemson CyberInstitute. He was formerly Director of the Institute for Computing in Humanities, Arts, and Social Science and professor of History and Sociology at the University of Illinois He is also a...
, Professor of History and Sociology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, was raised in Ninety Six. His book, In My Father’s House Are Many Mansions: Family and Community in Edgefield, South Carolina traces the social history of that region. In 2007 he published a new book, The Age of Lincoln, which has received wide acclaim, including the Heartland Award for Nonfiction.
Bill Voiselle
Bill Voiselle
William Symmes Voiselle was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1942 through 1950, Voiselle played for the New York Giants , Boston Braves and Chicago Cubs . He batted and threw right-handed.While born in Greenwood, South Carolina, Voiselle grew up in the nearby town of Ninety Six...
, pitcher for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, and Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, gained the distinction of being the only baseball player to wear his hometown as a uniform number when he wore "96" in honor of his South Carolina birthplace while with Boston and Chicago. At the time, this was the highest uniform number ever seen in Major League Baseball; it has since been broken by several players wearing 99.
James Augustus Black, (1793–1848), was born in Ninety Six and became a United States Congressman from South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
Odean Pope
Odean Pope
Odean Pope is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Pope was raised in Philadelphia, where he learned from Ray Bryant while young...
, (1938–present), jazz tenor saxophonist, was born in Ninety Six but grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...
reference the town in the first line of their 2004 song 'This Old Skin
This Old Skin
"This Old Skin" is a song by The Beautiful South which appeared on their 2004 covers album, Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs, and was the second single released from the album. It was purportedly written by Bobby Cristiansand and Barry Klein of the band The Heppelbaums, supposedly...
' which masqueraded as a cover version of an original by the imaginary band The Heppelbaums.
Other places with numerical names
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- Twenty, LincolnshireTwenty, LincolnshireTwenty is a small, somewhat remote hamlet, east of the market town of Bourne, in Lincolnshire, England. Agriculture is the major industry.-Location:...
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