Seneca, the largest city in Oconee County, is located in the northwestern corner of South Carolina, "The Golden Corner of South Carolina." Seneca is bounded by 18,500-acre Lake Keowee to the north, and to the west and south is Lake Hartwell
Seneca is a city in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,652 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Seneca Micropolitan Statistical Area (population 66,215 according to year 2000 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau), an (MSA) which includes all of Oconee County and which is further included in the greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, South Carolina Combined Statistical Area (population 1,185,534 according to year 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates).
Seneca History
The Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate for 2004, former United States Senator from North Carolina, John Edwards, was born in Seneca. The city is the current home of United States Senator Lindsey Graham. It was named for the nearby Cherokee town of Isunigu, known to the English as "Seneca Town"
The Upstate of South Carolina was inhabited by native clans and tribes for thousands of years before the appearance of European settlers. The Cherokee Indians were the last tribe of Native Americans to live in Oconee County in what were known as the "Lower Towns" of the Cherokee. Their villages were almost always located on large streams or rivers to insure a plentiful supply of drinking water, food, and transportation. One of the most important of the Cherokee Lower Towns was Seneca (Esseneca), located at the headwaters of the Savannah River.
In his travels through the South Carolina up country in May 1775, American naturalist William Bartram made this report: "The Cherokee town of Sinica is a very respectable settlement, situated on the East Bank of the Keowee River, though the greatest number of Indian habitations are on the opposite shore, where likewise stands the council-house.. . " During the American Revolution the Patriots built a fort at the site of Seneca town and named it Fort Rutledge, but it came to be called Seneca Fort.
On November 25, 1785, U.S. Treaty Commissioners met with a delegation of Cherokee at Treaty Oak on Hopewell Plantation within sight of the town of Seneca and signed the very first treaty between the new United States of America and the Cherokee Nation.
The modern city of Seneca was founded by Confederate veterans Col. Joseph Norton and Col. Robert Thompson on August 14, 1873. When the new city was named, the tradition established by the naming of our county, and towns in our county was used. The name of the nearby Cherokee village was adopted and the name Seneca continued to be a part of our heritage.
Its location was determined by the junction of the Blue Ridge Railroad and the new Air Line Railroad connecting Charlotte and Atlanta. Governor Wade Hampton signed the charter for the town on March 14, 1874.
In an around Seneca, there are a number of historic buildings and districts that are on the National Register of Historic Places:
Seneca Historic District was listed in 1974. It is located south of the railroad tracks. The district consists of a number of homes and three churches that were built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The houses have architectural styles that were popular in the period. It also includes a log cabin from the mid nineteenth century that was moved from Long Creek, South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional pictures and information, copies of the nomination forms, and a map of the district.
Ram Cat Alley Historic District was listed in 2000. It is a twenty-one building commercial district built in the 1880s to the 1930s. The name of the street came from cats that gathered around a meat market. Many of these buildings have been rejuvenated and now house restaurants, shops, and professional offices.
Newry Historic District was listed in 1982. It is a historic textile mill village near Seneca.
Seneca SC Economic Growth
The economic growth of Oconee County is primarily fueled by its aggressive business community and highly diversified industrial base. The transition from being a predominately agricultural county to becoming a highly industrialized county has taken place over recent years.
At present, there are over sixty (60) industries established in Oconee County producing goods from textiles to metals and plastics with an annual payroll of over $195 million a year. Approximately 30,000 people make up the resident labor force of Oconee County. The School District of Oconee County and the local businesses and industries have a very active partnership in the development of the county.
Major industries located in the Seneca area include: Borg-Warner Automotive, Cryovac Division - Sealed Air Corp., Engelhard Corp., Square D Company, and U.S. Engine Valve.
Seneca SC Places to Visit
Lake Keowee - Constructed by Duke Power Company to generate hydroelectric power and to provide cooling water for the Oconee Nuclear Generating Station, Lake Keowee covers Keowee Town, site of the capital of the Lower Cherokee Nation. Keowee, meaning "Place of the Mulberries," was visited by Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto when he came through the area in 1540. 18,500 acres (75 km²) of water and a 300 mile (500 km) shoreline make the Lake Keowee area a popular place for boating, fishing, water-skiing, swimming, camping and picnicking.
Local Parks with Camping Facilities
South Cove County Park
High Falls County Park
Devils Fork State Park
Oconee State Park
Lake Hartwell State Park
Chau-Ram County Park
Seneca Climate
Seneca has a healthy, invigorating climate well suited for activities as well as comfortable retirement living. The area offers four distinct but mild seasons.
The climate in the Seneca area is temperate with a mean annual temperature of 60°F while the average July temperature is 78°F. The average relative humidity daily is 78% at 1:00 AM; 82% at 7:00 AM; 54% at 1:00 PM; 64% at 7:00 PM.
The mean annual precipitation in the Seneca area is 47.54 inches and the average growing season is 208 days. The elevation of Seneca is 950 feet above sea level
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