Little Mountain, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Little Mountain is a town in Newberry County, South Carolina
, United States
. The population was 255 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Buddy Johnson.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.7 km²), all of it land.
Little Mountain is located on Interstate 26 at Exit 85, its approximately 2 miles (3 km) to the heart of downtown.
of 2000, there were 255 people, 121 households, and 75 families residing in the town. The population density
was 241.3 people per square mile (92.9/km²). There were 132 housing units at an average density of 124.9 per square mile (48.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 86.67% White, 12.94% African American, 0.39% from other races
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.39% of the population.
There were 121 households out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.67.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.8% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,063, and the median income for a family was $49,107. Males had a median income of $30,865 versus $25,833 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $22,159. None of the families and 2.2% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 6.9% of those over 64.
for encouraging local class reunions, the hope being that it would generate interest in the new college. The college experienced a number of set-backs since its organization; misused by Federal troops during the Civil War, moved to Walhalla
in the upper part of South Carolina, and finally back to Newberry, the county seat of Newberry County. Because most people traveled either on two or four feet due to the lack of trains and automobiles, meeting places were selected mainly on the convenience of their location
The Newberry Observer documents that in 1882 this group met first at Corinth Lutheran Church across the Saluda River. It was probably in the next year, or possibly the following year, that the officials decided to try the site at Little Mountain. The event was so successful that it was decided by those present that each year a Newberry College Reunion would be held at the foot of Little Mountain. The even took place on property recently purchased by A. N. Boland from Frederick Henry Dominick. He was quite agreeable to this plan and for many years prepared and sold barbecue, rice and hash, lemonade, and ice-cream to those who attended. For those who wished to bring along their own picnic, tables were erected between trees. Every year, people came riding in on horseback or in buggies, wagons, carts, etc. Then in 1890 when the first train came through Little Mountain, old-timers recall how more coaches were added at reunion time to bring people from Irmo
, Ballentine
, White Rock
, Hilton, Chapin
, Clinton
, Goldville, Kinards
, Prosperity
, Newberry
and Slighs
A typical Little Mountain Reunion afforded not only a time to renew friendships made at school but the time to catch up on political thinking and the state of politics in the Dutch Fork. A welcoming address by the president of Newberry College made everyone feel at home and gave a pretty good idea of the state of the college.
These reunions became a traditional part of the community, situated in the heart of the Dutch Fork area, and were eagerly anticipated by everybody in the area. The simple pleasures afforded here along with the community spirit helped maintain the reunion until the eve of World War II
.
In 1976, the Town of Little Mountain and the Ruritan Club decided to renew the reunion as a bicentennial project. The idea generated a great deal of enthusiasm in the town. The festival was such a success that the Little Mountain Association was formed and the Little Mountain Reunion again became an annual affair.
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 255 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Buddy Johnson.
Geography
Little Mountain is located at 34°11′43"N 81°24′50"W (34.195161, -81.413946).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 1.1 square miles (2.7 km²), all of it land.
Little Mountain is located on Interstate 26 at Exit 85, its approximately 2 miles (3 km) to the heart of downtown.
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 255 people, 121 households, and 75 families residing in the town. 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 241.3 people per square mile (92.9/km²). There were 132 housing units at an average density of 124.9 per square mile (48.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 86.67% White, 12.94% African American, 0.39% 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...
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.39% of the population.
There were 121 households out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% 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, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.67.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.8% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,063, and the median income for a family was $49,107. Males had a median income of $30,865 versus $25,833 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 $22,159. None of the families and 2.2% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 6.9% of those over 64.
History & Culture
The mountain is a monadnock which is an isolated mountain or rock that has resisted the process of erosion and stands alone in an otherwise flat area.Early history
The mountain was referred to as Ruff's Mountain until sometime in the 1800s. It was part of Lexington County until 1917, when the current border was established. Property in this area was not recorded in the Newberry County tax records until some time in the 1920s. The Eastern side of the mountain was once owned by Sam Birge, and later Arthur Kohn. It would change hands between the two several times before coming into the possession of the Derrick family in the 1930s. The other side, including what became the town of Little Mountain, was owned by Abraham N. Boland.The Town
Frederick H. Dominick was appointed as postmaster in May 1852. Abraham Noah Boland was appointed as postmaster of the Little Mountain Post Office in 1888. Boland's farm became the site of the depot when the C. N. & L Railroad (Columbia, Newberry, & Laurens Railroad Company) began operation. The town was incorporated and Boland became the first mayor of the town. Today, Boland is considered the "Father of Little Mountain."Education
In 1892, a school was opened in a tenant house and taught by the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Rev. S. L. Nease. Later a one-room school building was built on an acre of land donated by Noah Boland. Increased enrollment brought a two-room building and finally, in 1908 the plans were made to build the present Little Mountain Elementary School. Several additions and modifications have been made to the building since the original construction.Little Mountain Town Reunion
Every year, the town of Little Mountain hosts the "Little Mountain Town Reunion" during the month of August. The Little Mountain Reunion is one of South Carolina’s oldest folk festivals. It began in 1882, as an effort by a person connected to Newberry CollegeNewberry College
Newberry College is a liberal-arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located on a historic campus in Newberry, South Carolina.The college has 1,025 students and a 19:1 student-teacher ratio...
for encouraging local class reunions, the hope being that it would generate interest in the new college. The college experienced a number of set-backs since its organization; misused by Federal troops during the Civil War, moved to Walhalla
Walhalla, South Carolina
Walhalla is a mountain city in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. It is located from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina and is also located in the Appalachian Mountains of South Carolina. The population was 3,801 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Oconee County...
in the upper part of South Carolina, and finally back to Newberry, the county seat of Newberry County. Because most people traveled either on two or four feet due to the lack of trains and automobiles, meeting places were selected mainly on the convenience of their location
The Newberry Observer documents that in 1882 this group met first at Corinth Lutheran Church across the Saluda River. It was probably in the next year, or possibly the following year, that the officials decided to try the site at Little Mountain. The event was so successful that it was decided by those present that each year a Newberry College Reunion would be held at the foot of Little Mountain. The even took place on property recently purchased by A. N. Boland from Frederick Henry Dominick. He was quite agreeable to this plan and for many years prepared and sold barbecue, rice and hash, lemonade, and ice-cream to those who attended. For those who wished to bring along their own picnic, tables were erected between trees. Every year, people came riding in on horseback or in buggies, wagons, carts, etc. Then in 1890 when the first train came through Little Mountain, old-timers recall how more coaches were added at reunion time to bring people from Irmo
Irmo, South Carolina
Irmo is a town in Lexington and Richland counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina and a suburb of Columbia. It is 12 miles outside of the city center of Columbia and is part of the Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Ballentine
Ballentine, South Carolina
Ballentine is an unincorporated community in Richland County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, White Rock
White Rock, South Carolina
White Rock is an unincorporated community in northwestern Richland County, South Carolina, United States, a few miles north of Lake Murray. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP Code of 29177. The population of the ZCTA for ZIP Code 29177 was 463 at the 2000...
, Hilton, Chapin
Chapin, South Carolina
Chapin, also known as the capital of Lake Murray, is a town located in Lexington County, South Carolina. Chapin was founded by Martin Chapin in 1889. The following year, 1890, the railroad was built to connect Chapin to Columbia, South Carolina and other major regions. The population of Chapin was...
, Clinton
Clinton, South Carolina
Clinton is a city in Laurens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 8,091 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. Clinton was first settled by Scots-Irish immigrants two decades before the American Revolutionary...
, Goldville, Kinards
Kinards, South Carolina
Kinards is an unincorporated community in Laurens and Newberry counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP Code of 29355. The population of the ZCTA for ZIP Code 29355 was 801 at the 2000 census.-References:...
, Prosperity
Prosperity, South Carolina
Prosperity is a town in Newberry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,047 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Prosperity is located at ....
, Newberry
Newberry, South Carolina
Newberry is a city in Newberry County, South Carolina, 43 miles west -northwest of Columbia. The charter was adopted in 1894. In 1890, 3,020 people lived in Newberry, South Carolina; in 1900, 4,607; in 1910, 5,028; and in 1940, 7,510. The population was 10,580 at the 2000 census. It is the county...
and Slighs
A typical Little Mountain Reunion afforded not only a time to renew friendships made at school but the time to catch up on political thinking and the state of politics in the Dutch Fork. A welcoming address by the president of Newberry College made everyone feel at home and gave a pretty good idea of the state of the college.
These reunions became a traditional part of the community, situated in the heart of the Dutch Fork area, and were eagerly anticipated by everybody in the area. The simple pleasures afforded here along with the community spirit helped maintain the reunion until the eve of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In 1976, the Town of Little Mountain and the Ruritan Club decided to renew the reunion as a bicentennial project. The idea generated a great deal of enthusiasm in the town. The festival was such a success that the Little Mountain Association was formed and the Little Mountain Reunion again became an annual affair.