Pee Dee
Encyclopedia
The Pee Dee region of South Carolina
is the northeastern corner of the state. It is the area of the lower watershed of the Pee Dee River
, named after the Pee Dee
Native American
tribe. Its center is Florence
. It also encompasses the Grand Strand
, which includes the beaches running from the North Carolina
state line to the Winyah Bay
in Georgetown County in South Carolina.
On the coast, the area is predominantly involved in tourism
and resort
s with beach
es, amusement park
s, 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 and its many golf courses.
Inland is a belt featuring river
s, marsh
es, carolina bay
s and sandy rises where forestry
is predominant, with pine plantation
s and baldcypress
timbering.
Further inland, on higher ground, but still of only slight relief, is an agricultural
belt of tobacco
, cotton
, soybean
s and produce
.
Florence, originally founded as a railroad center is a small, but growing center of production of pharmaceuticals, and other light industry. It is also known as a center of medical and dental care. The Pee Dee Region also produces paper
, steel
, and recreational vehicles.
, WMBF NBC 32
, and WFXB Fox 43
the first two with twin studios at Florence and Myrtle Beach, as well as an educational television
station substation, WHMC-TV, in Conway, 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.
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...
is the northeastern corner of the state. It is the area of the lower watershed of the Pee Dee River
Pee Dee River
The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in North Carolina and South Carolina. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course above the mouth of the Uwharrie River is known as the Yadkin River. It is extensively dammed for flood...
, named after the Pee Dee
Pee Dee (tribe)
The Pee Dee tribe are a nation of Native Americans of the southeast United States, especially the Low Country of present-day South Carolina. Several tribes are recognized by the state, although none has federal recognition. The Pee Dee River and the Pee Dee region of South Carolina were named for...
Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe. Its center is Florence
Florence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
. It also encompasses the Grand Strand
Grand Strand
The Grand Strand refers to a large stretch of beaches on the East Coast of the United States extending from Little River to Georgetown in the U.S. State of South Carolina. It consists of 60+ miles along an essentially uninterrupted arc of beach land, beginning around the Little River and...
, which includes the beaches running from the North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
state line to the Winyah Bay
Winyah Bay
Winyah Bay is a coastal estuary that is the confluence of the Waccamaw River, the Pee Dee River, the Black River and the Sampit River in Georgetown County in eastern South Carolina...
in Georgetown County in South Carolina.
On the coast, the area is predominantly involved in tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
s with beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es, amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
s, shopping, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. The area has become a major retirement center in the United States, in part because of its low cost of living and its many golf courses.
Inland is a belt featuring river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es, carolina bay
Carolina Bay
Carolina bays are elliptical depressions concentrated along the Atlantic seaboard within coastal Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and northcentral Florida...
s and sandy rises where forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
is predominant, with pine plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s and baldcypress
Taxodium distichum
Taxodium distichum is a species of conifer native to the southeastern United States.-Characteristics:...
timbering.
Further inland, on higher ground, but still of only slight relief, is an agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
belt of tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
s and produce
Produce
Produce is a generalized term for a group of farm-produced goods and, not limited to fruits and vegetables . More specifically, the term "produce" often implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as where they were harvested. In supermarkets the term is also used to refer...
.
Florence, originally founded as a railroad center is a small, but growing center of production of pharmaceuticals, and other light industry. It is also known as a center of medical and dental care. The Pee Dee Region also produces paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, and recreational vehicles.
Counties
- Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County, South Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,768 people, 16,557 households, and 11,705 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 18,818 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
- Darlington County
- Dillon County
- Florence CountyFlorence County, South CarolinaFlorence is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was recorded to be 125,761; in 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that its population had reached 131,097. Its county seat is Florence. The county's population is about 60% urban and it comprises part of...
- Georgetown County
- Horry CountyHorry County, South CarolinaHorry County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. This name honored Revolutionary War Hero, Peter Horry. Brigadier General Horry was born in South Carolina sometime around 1743 and started his distinguished military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains the Provincial Congress...
- Marion County
- Marlboro County
- Williamsburg County
Primary Cities
(population figures is from 2008 estimates)- FlorenceFlorence, South Carolina-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
- 31,570 - Myrtle BeachMyrtle Beach, South CarolinaMyrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
- 30,596
Cities with a population of at least 5,000
- BennettsvilleBennettsville, South CarolinaBennettsville is a city in and the county seat of Marlboro County, South Carolina, United States. and home to the Bennettsville Historic District...
- 9,425 - CherawCheraw, South CarolinaCheraw is a town on the Pee Dee River in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 5,524 at the 2000 census and center of an urban cluster with a total population of 9,069. It has been nicknamed "The Prettiest Town in Dixie." The harbor tub USS Cheraw was named in the...
- 9,069 - ConwayConway, South CarolinaConway is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 16,317 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Horry County and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University....
- 15,584 - DarlingtonDarlington, South CarolinaDarlington is a city in and the county seat of Darlington County, in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is a center for tobacco farming. The population was 6,720 at the 2000 census and is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area...
- 6,720 - DillonDillon, South CarolinaDillon, South Carolina, the county seat of Dillon County, was established on December 22, 1888. The name of the city came from James W. Dillon, who was a key component in bringing a railroad through this area of the state, which led to development and formation of the County. Dillon’s population...
- 6,316 - GeorgetownGeorgetown, South CarolinaGeorgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Low Country. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina,...
- 8,950 - HartsvilleHartsville, South CarolinaHartsville is a small city in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,764 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hartsville is located at ....
- 7,556 - Lake CityLake City, South CarolinaLake City is a city in Florence County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 6,478 at the 2000 census...
- 6,478 - MarionMarion, South CarolinaMarion is a city in Marion County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,042 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County...
- 7,042 - North Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle Beach, South CarolinaNorth Myrtle Beach is a coastal resort city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It was created in 1968 from four existing municipalities north of Myrtle Beach, and serves as one of the primary tourist towns along the Grand Strand...
- 15,516
4-year colleges
- Coastal Carolina UniversityCoastal Carolina UniversityCoastal Carolina University is an independent, state-supported, liberal arts university in Conway, South Carolina, USA, located eight miles west of Myrtle Beach. Founded in 1954, Coastal became an independent university in 1993. The University enrolls approximately 8,300 students on its campus...
- Conway - Coker CollegeCoker CollegeCoker College offers a four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the "Best Colleges" in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review...
- Hartsville - Francis Marion UniversityFrancis Marion UniversityFrancis Marion University is a state-supported liberal arts university located six miles east of Florence, South Carolina, USA...
- Florence
2-year or specialized colleges
- Florence-Darlington Technical CollegeFlorence-Darlington Technical CollegeFlorence-Darlington Technical College is a 2-year community college in Florence, South Carolina, U.S.A. The college's president is Charles W. Gould. It is a part of the South Carolina Technical College System....
-Florence - Horry-Georgetown Technical CollegeHorry-Georgetown Technical CollegeHorry-Georgetown Technical College is a 2-year community college in Conway, South Carolina, U.S.A. The college's president is H. Neyle Wilson. It is a part of the South Carolina Technical College System....
- Conway - Northeastern Technical CollegeNortheastern Technical CollegeNortheaster Technical College is a two-year community college in Cheraw, South Carolina with branches in Pageland, Dillon and Bennettsville The college primarily serves Chesterfield, Marlboro and Dillon counties in South Carolina....
- Cheraw - Williamsburg Technical College- Kingstree
- Webster UniversityWebster UniversityWebster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
- Myrtle Beach
Media
The area is served by four commercial broadcast television stations, WBTW CBS 13, WPDE ABC 15WPDE-TV
WPDE-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for South Carolina's Pee Dee and Grand Strand areas licensed to Florence. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 16 from a transmitter on Pee Dee Church Road in Dillon...
, WMBF NBC 32
WMBF-TV
WMBF-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Grand Strand and Pee Dee areas of South Carolina that is licensed to Myrtle Beach. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter in Bucksville. It can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 10 , 120 ,...
, and WFXB Fox 43
WFXB
WFXB is the Fox-affiliated television station for South Carolina's Grand Strand and Pee Dee areas licensed to Myrtle Beach. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 18 from a transmitter in Mullins. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable and HTC Cablevision channel 7...
the first two with twin studios at Florence and Myrtle Beach, as well as an educational television
South Carolina Educational Television
South Carolina Educational Television is the statewide public television and public radio network in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It consists of all the Public Broadcasting Service member [television stations and National Public Radio member radio stations in the state...
station substation, WHMC-TV, in Conway, South Carolina
Conway, South Carolina
Conway is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 16,317 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Horry County and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University....
.
Daily newspapers include The Sun News of Myrtle Beach and The Morning News
The Morning News (American newspaper)
The Morning News is a daily newspaper with a circulation of about 35,000, based in Florence, South Carolina. It is owned by Media General.It was founded as the Farmers' Friend in 1887, and was part of several mergers and name changes...
of Florence. The Georgetown Times
Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Low Country. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina,...
is published five times per week.
Major Highways
- Interstate 20Interstate 20 in South CarolinaInterstate 20 is a major thoroughfare cutting across the state of South Carolina, linking the state with important transportation and business hubs to the north, west and south, including Atlanta, Georgia, Charlotte, North Carolina , Savannah, Georgia and Washington, D.C...
- Interstate 95Interstate 95 in South CarolinaInterstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway, running along the East Coast of the United States from Florida to Maine. In South Carolina, I-95 runs approximately parallel to the Atlantic Ocean shore although about inland, from Hardeeville in the south to Dillon in the northeast.-Route...
- US Highway 1
- US Highway 15
- US Highway 52
- US Highway 76
- US Highway 301
- US Highway 378
- US Highway 401
- US Highway 501
- US Highway 701
- SC Highway 9
- SC Highway 38
- SC Highway 41 & SC Highway 41 ALT
- SC Highway 51
- SC Highway 145
- SC Highway 151
- SC Highway 177
See also
- Early history of Williamsburg, South CarolinaEarly history of Williamsburg, South Carolina-Founding:Williamsburg, named after William of Orange, was one of eleven townships ordered by King George II in 1730 meant to develop the "back country" of the Carolina Province. The township was a part of Craven County, one of the original four counties that encompassed present South Carolina....
- Pee Dee Area Council