District 10 Profile

Dan Cooper represents SC House District 10, which includes a portion of Anderson County, SC. District 10 is a remarkable place to live, work, and play. It includes parts of the city of Anderson and the communities of Piedmont, West Pelzer, Powdersville and Williamston. The entire area offers the benefits of small-town living along with the attractions and business opportunities of larger cities.

Anderson County
Anderson County is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina’s northwestern corner. In an area known as the Upstate, it has a mild climate with four distinct seasons and a thriving economic and cultural community. Anderson County is also home to Lake Hartwell, one of the most popular lakes in the Southeast, which covers nearly 56,000 acres and has more than 900 miles of shoreline.

Anderson County and its county seat Anderson were named for Revolutionary War general Robert Anderson. Occupied by the Cherokee Indians until 1777, the region was ceded by treaty to the state of South Carolina. Most of the early settlers of this area were Scottish-Irish farmers who moved south from Pennsylvania and Virginia in the eighteenth century. Through the innovations of Anderson engineer William Whitner, hydro-electricity could be transmitted by wire to mills throughout the county. The first cotton gin in the world to be operated by electricity was in Anderson County in 1897. Anderson became known as "The Electric City," a nickname that it still carries today.

The community spirit of Anderson and quality of life have earned national recognition. Anderson County, SC was named an “All-America City” in 2000 by the National Civic League.

Piedmont
Located on the Saluda River, Piedmont was called “Big Shoals of the Saluda” by the Indians and early settlers. However, when an Irish immigrant named David Garrison built his grist mill upon the shoals, he gave it a second name -- Garrison Shoals. The name was changed once again when Henry Pinckney Hammett bought the property for his cotton mill. This time the community became Piedmont, which means “Foot of the Mountains.” The new name was added to his charter for Piedmont Manufacturing Company and also as a railroad station. For more information on Piedmont, go to: http://www.piedmontsc.com/

Powdersville
Founded during the Civil War, the town of Powdersville is believed to have received its name because general stores sold gunpowder and the powder could be seen spread around the town. When entering the town, people would say "This must be Powdersville." For more information on Powdersville, go to: http://www.powdersville.com/default.aspx.

West Pelzer
West Pelzer was originally called Frankville and was chartered in 1913 by the original surveyor for the town, John Franks. On September 13, 1918, the name was changed from Frankville to West Pelzer.  Although West Pelzer is less than a quarter of a mile from Pelzer, the small town is incorporated and has its own city government.

Williamston
West Allen Williams, a wealthy planter who lived on what is now the Greenville County side of the Saluda River, was riding through his property on the west side of the river when he stopped to rest.  While asleep, he dreamt of a crystal clear spring with healing qualities that would benefit all the sick and ailing who drank from it. When Williams awakened, he went in search of water. Seeing damp ground, he pushed back the leaves and vines and discovered clear water trickling through the debris.  Williams had the water analyzed and found that it contained minerals of medicinal qualities. As news of the value of the water spread, people came from miles around to try the water.  With the crowds of visitors, Williams realized a town was in the making and set aside part of his property for churches and schools. The town, known for a while as Mineral Springs, was chartered as Williamston by an act of the South Carolina legislature on December 16, 1852. For more information, go to: http://www.williamstonsc.us/.

Links

General Information
Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce
Anderson School District 1
Anderson County South Carolina
Anderson Independent-Mail
City of Anderson
South Carolina Appalachian Council of Governments
Town of Pendleton
US Census Bureau for Anderson County
Williamston Journal

Tourist Information
Anderson Convention and Visitors Bureau
Anderson Jockey Lot and Farmers Market
Anderson Motor Speedway