Aiken, South Carolina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aiken is a city in Aiken County, South Carolina and is part of the CSRA. The population was 25,337 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Aiken CountyGR6, and is the site of a campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken. Aiken was recognized with the All-America City Award in 1997 by the National Civic League.
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[edit] Geography
Aiken is located at (33.549397, -81.720689)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 41.9 km² (16.2 mi²). 41.9 km² (16.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.06% is water.
[edit] Demographics
Population in 1890, 2,362; in 1900, 3,414; in 1910, 3,911; in 1940, 6,168. As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 25,337 people, 10,287 households, and 6,758 families residing in the city. The population density was 604.6/km² (1,566.3/mi²). There were 11,373 housing units at an average density of 271.4/km² (703.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 66.63% White, 30.30% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population.
There were 10,287 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,172, and the median income for a family was $56,033. Males had a median income of $50,577 versus $26,328 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,172. About 10.1% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Historical events in Aiken
In the spring of 1931, the Nation's attention was rivoted on Aiken when Nicholas Longworth, Republican Speaker of the House came down unexpectantly with pneumnonia and died there on April 9, 1931. He had been visiting the Davises all long-time Republicans and poker-playing friends who had a winter home in town. Nick was married to US President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, who rushed to his side from Cincinnati, Ohio in time for his death.
[edit] Historic places
[edit] Education
- Aiken High School
- South Aiken High School
- Aiken Christian School
- Aiken Preparatory School
- Mead Hall Episcopal School
Colleges and Universities
- University of South Carolina Aiken.
- Aiken Technical College
[edit] Steeplechase racing
The Aiken Steeplechase Association, founded in 1930, [1] hosts the Imperial Cup each March and the Holiday Cup in October, both of which are steeplechase races sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association.
The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1977 as a tribute to the famous flat racing and steeplechase Thoroughbred horses that trained in Aiken.
[edit] Notable residents
In the late 1800s and the first part of the 1900s, Aiken served as a winter playground for many of the country's wealthiest families such the Vanderbilts, Bostwicks, and the Whitneys.
- George H. Bostwick (1909-1982) court tennis player, a steeplechase jockey and horse trainer, and an eight-goal polo player.
- Dwight Filley Davis, 1879 - 1945, an American tennis player and politician who is best remembered as the founder of the Davis Cup international tennis competition, had a summer home in Aiken.
- Robert C. De Large, (1842-1874), born in Aiken, United States Congressman from South Carolina in a contested election [1]
- Thomas Hitchcock and his wife Louise spent a great deal of time at their 3,000 acre estate near Aiken where in 1892 he founded the Palmetto Golf Club. [2]. In 1916, Louise Hitchcock founded the Aiken Preparatory School. The Hitchcocks built a steeplechase training center on their property and trained weanlings imported from England. In 1930, Thomas Hitchcock was one of the founders of the Aiken Steeplechase Association. [3] Fond of fox hunting, they also established the Aiken Hounds and in 1916 received official recognition from the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America. [4].
- Tommy Hitchcock, Jr. (1900-1944), son of Thomas and Louise Hitchcock, was born in Aiken. He is considered one of the greatest polo players of all-time. A veteran of the Lafayette Escadrille in World War I, he was killed in the service of his country in World War II.
- Strom Thurmond
- Refrigerator Perry
- Michael Dean Perry
[edit] References
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- ^ (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The official website of the City of Aiken
- The Aiken Chamber of Commerce
- Aiken South Carolina Explorer
- Aiken High School
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
