Hartsville S.C.
A Small Town With A Big Heart
By Alexandria Swain
Hartsville, South Carolina is the largest city in Darlington County. “A small town with a big heart” is their town motto. With so many innovative ideas and creators of multiple opportunities among the community, it’s inspiring. It’s the home to numerous visionary leaders in the arts, education and industry.
Origins of Hartsville
Hartsville was once the home to several Native American tribes. They included the Pee Dee, Catawba, Chicora, Edisto, Sane, and Chicora-Waccamaw until European settlers took over the land. In 1817, Thomas Edward Hart built a plantation along Black Creek and his son, John Lide Hart, developed what is now downtown Hartsville. His developments led to creating a carriage factory, steam-powered sawmill, a grist mill and much more. They are in fact the HART in Hartsville.
The Coker Family
James Lide Coker was an early community leader who played quite a large role in the development of Hartsville as well. Initially, Coker wanted to implement new farming methods in the town, but that came to a screeching halt as the Civil War led the country in a different direction. Once the war began, he had to leave for the call of duty as he became a major for the Confederacy. Once he returned home to Hartsville, he found that his land was no longer in good shape or up to par, so he focused on reconstructing his farm and building up the town. The Coker family developed a seed company, fertilizer plant, oil mill, a bank and the famous J.L Coker & Company General Store. Coker also started the Southern Novelty Company now known as a Fortune 500 company called Sonoco Products Company. Maybe you’ve heard of it? The company has expanded to become a global provider of packaging, industrial products and much more. He also established what is now known as Coker University.
Hartsville Railroad
Another large contribution by the Coker family is the Hartsville Railroad. After all that they provided for the community, Coker struggled to convince other business owners to invest in a system, so he took it upon himself to get it started and completed in 1889. The railroad is now part of the South Carolina Central Railroad.
Hartsville Today
The history of Hartsville has allowed the town to thrive today. It is now a center of education, reinvention and industry. Hartsville remains a small town full of innovation through its wide range of recreational facilities to community development opportunities.
A small town with a big heart indeed to help it’s community go further and succeed together. Hartsville may be a small town, but it’s big heart lies within those of its community always wanting to see the town expand its greatness.
References:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartsville,_South_Carolina
https://www.hartsvillesc.gov/visitors/
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