South Carolina Trivia & Tidbits
Looking for South Carolina trivia? Try our list South Carolina little know facts, tidbits and trivia.
—The state’s oldest resident, Leila Bertha Backman Shull of Lexington County, died at age 113 last December. She was believed to be the fourth oldest person in the United States and the seventh oldest in the world.
first appeared: 5/4/2008
—Made in 1756 by an English goldsmith, the South Carolina Mace is the traditional symbol of authority for the House of Representatives. The gloved sergeant at arms or an assistant removes the nearly 11-pound decorative staff from its vault and places it in a special rack before each legislative session.
first appeared: 3/9/2008
—The state has one federally recognized American Indian tribe, the Catawba Indian Nation near Rock Hill (pop. 49,765). The tribe has about 2,600 members.
first appeared: 2/24/2008
—The call letters in WIS-TV in Columbia stand for “Wonderful Iodine State,” adopted because of the state’s abundance of iodine, which led to a low incidence of goiters among the state’s population.
first appeared: 2/10/2008
—When the Saluda River was dammed from 1927 to 1930 to create Lake Murray and a source of hydroelectric power, some 5,000 people had to be relocated, along with churches, schools and graves. Chapin (pop. 628) calls itself the “Capital of Lake Murray.”
first appeared: 1/27/2008
—The Jamison triplets—Christine, Catherine and Calvin—were born in Elgin (pop. 806) on three separate days, Jan. 2-4, 1956, which is the longest recorded interval in the births of triplets. The feat was recognized last year by Guinness World Records.
first appeared: 1/13/2008
—Adopted in 1939, the state’s official tree is the South Carolina palmetto, commonly known as the cabbage palmetto. During the Revolutionary War, colonists built a fort from palmetto logs on Sullivan’s Island where they defeated the British.
first appeared: 12/30/2007
—In 1972, Lillian Ellison (1923-2007), or The Fabulous Moolah, became the first woman to wrestle in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Ellison was born in Tookiedoo.
first appeared: 12/2/2007
—The first railroad in the nation to offer regularly scheduled passenger service was the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Co., which began transporting people between Charleston and Hamburg in 1830. The steam locomotive was dubbed “Best Friend of Charleston.”
first appeared: 11/18/2007
—Huntington Beach State Park at Murrells Inlet (pop. 5,519) is one of the top bird viewing spots in the state. About 300 species of birds have been sighted within the 2,500-acre park.
first appeared: 11/4/2007
—Once known as the National Congress of Mothers, the National Parent Teacher Association this year elected as its president-elect Charles “Chuck” Saylors of Taylors (pop. 20,125), who after serving in that office for two years will become the organization’s first male president.
first appeared: 10/21/2007
—The Charleston Giant, a floating crane that travels to the Charleston area’s marine terminals, can lift cargo weighing up to 900,000 pounds.
first appeared: 10/7/2007
—Jimmy Durante and The Ziegfeld Follies are among legendary performers and shows that have entertained at the 1908 Abbeville (pop. 5,840) Opera House.
first appeared: 9/30/2007
—Founded in 1839 by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Erskine College in Due West (pop. 1,209) is the state’s oldest four-year church-related college.
first appeared: 9/9/2007
—The Eastern tiger swallowtail was designated the state’s official butterfly in 1994. The Garden Club of South Carolina has identified the tiger swallowtail of particular interest to the state because it serves as a pollinator in orchards and gardens.
first appeared: 8/26/2007
—A landmark since the early 1800s, the restored Golden Creek Mill near Easley (pop. 17,754) continues to produce cornmeal and grits with millstones powered by a water wheel.
first appeared: 8/12/2007
—With about 50 miniature golf courses, including elaborate ones with fire-spewing volcanoes and dragons, Myrtle Beach (pop. 22,759) lays claim to the title of “Miniature Golf Capital of the World.”
first appeared: 7/29/2007
—“The Richardson Waltz” was designated the state’s official waltz in 2000. The song’s melody was remembered and handed down by several generations of the Richardson family, descendants of Revolutionary War Gen. Richard Richardson.
first appeared: 7/15/2007
—The Slave Relic Museum in Walterboro (pop. 5,153) is filled with artifacts that were made and used by enslaved African-Americans from 1750 to the mid-1800s, including handmade furniture and rare quilts. Other artifacts document the darker side of enslavement: bills of sale for slaves, shackles and whips.
first appeared: 7/1/2007
—Opened in 1871, Guerin’s Pharmacy in Summerville (pop. 27,752) is the state’s oldest pharmacy and boasts a soda fountain, popular for generations for its chili dogs and freshly squeezed orangeades.
first appeared: 6/17/2007
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