Darlington County

Some of it’s past & people

Darlington County, South Carolina has a rich history. It’s origins date back to the mid-1800s, however, it’s beginnings came even earlier – in 1785 a region including what is now Darlington County, was divided into three counties, Marlborough, Chesterfield, and Darlington. Originally, Darlington County was bounded by the Great Pee Dee River, Lynches River, and Cedar Creek. Later lands were granted near Lynches River and Jeffries Creek.

Its first village was Long Bluff. Today, towns in Darlington County include Darlington, Hartsville, Society Hill, and Lamar. The county covers approximately 567 square miles with a population exceeding 66,000 people.

From the county’s beginning, it was a “mover & shaker” on so many levels. With many notable people, we thought it’d be cool to share a few, so we did a quick Wikipedia search and here is who we discovered –

• O.D Odell (Carolina King of Comedy) Comedian as seen on Bounce T.V’s “Off the Chain” was born in Darlington.
• Orlando Hudson, former Major League baseball player, was born in Darlington.
• Albert Haynesworth, a professional football player who played primarily for the Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins, was born in Hartsville.
• W. W. Hicks, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Webster Parish, 1900 to 1904, born in Darlington County in 1843
• John Sidney Killen, pioneer farmer, cattleman, and member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Webster Parish in 1871; born in Darlington County in 1826
• Bobo Newsom, MLB pitcher with the Tigers, Senators, Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, Giants, and Red Sox. He compiled a 211–222 record over 20 seasons, including a 21–5 season in 1940. SC 151 in Hartsville is named Bobo Newsom Highway in his honor.
• Jordan Lyles, Major League baseball player, was born in Hartsville.
• William G. Farrow, lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps who participated in the Doolittle Raid. Farrow was born in Darlington, SC in 1918.^[14]
• Harry G. Byrd, an American Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, and Detroit Tigers. He was born in Darlington, South Carolina. SC 151 in Darlington is named Harry Byrd Highway in his honor.
• James E. Williams, a sailor of the United States Navy during the 1950s and 1960s. He was the most highly decorated enlisted man in the history of the United States Navy and a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

No doubt there is much more history we could share and so many more people of note, but we’ll save all that for another time. Maybe for now, it’s time for a road trip… Darlington County, South Carolina.

By Rodney

SOURCES – Wikipedia