Kershaw County, South Carolina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kershaw County, South Carolina | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of South Carolina |
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| Statistics | |
| Formed | 1801 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Camden |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,917 km² (740 mi²) 1,881 km² (726 mi²) 36 km² (14 mi²), 1.89% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
52,647 28/km² |
Kershaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 52,647. Its county seat is Camden6.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,917 km² (740 mi²). 1,881 km² (726 mi²) of it is land and 36 km² (14 mi²) of it (1.89%) is water.
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Lancaster County, South Carolina - north
- Chesterfield County, South Carolina - northeast
- Darlington County, South Carolina - east
- Lee County, South Carolina - southeast
- Sumter County, South Carolina - southeast
- Richland County, South Carolina - southwest
- Fairfield County, South Carolina - west
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 52,647 people, 20,188 households, and 14,918 families residing in the county. The population density was 28/km² (72/mi²). There were 22,683 housing units at an average density of 12/km² (31/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.61% White, 26.29% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 1.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 20,188 households out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.80% were married couples living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.10% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,804, and the median income for a family was $44,836. Males had a median income of $32,246 versus $22,714 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,360. About 9.70% of families and 12.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.90% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] History
Kershaw County was named for Joseph Kershaw (1727-1791), an early settler. Originally part of Camden District, Kershaw County was formed in 1791 from parts of Claremont, Lancaster, Fairfield, and Richland counties. The county seat is Camden, which is the oldest inland city in South Carolina. This site was settled around 1732 by English traders and farmers who moved inland from Charleston.
During the Revolutionary War, the British occupied Camden from June 1780 to May 1781. Fourteen battles took place in the area, including the Battle of Camden (August 16, 1780) and the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill (April 25, 1781).
Kershaw County later produced six men who served in the American Civil War as Confederate generals: Joseph Brevard Kershaw (1822-1894), James Chesnut (1815-1885), James Cantey (1818-1873), Zack Cantey Deas (1819-1882), John Bordenave Villepigue (1830-1862), and John Doby Kennedy (1840-1896). Union troops under Gen. William T. Sherman burned parts of Camden in February 1865.
Statesman and financier Bernard M. Baruch (1870-1965) and labor leader Lane Kirkland were born in Kershaw County, as was the first African-American baseball player in the American League, Larry Doby.
Content from the South Carolina State Library Reference Room
Former South Carolina Governor John C. West was also from Kershaw County.
