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Greenville County
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The origins of the name Greenville County are uncertain, but the county
was probably named for Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene
(1742-1786) or for an early resident, Isaac Green. This part of the
state was the territory of the Cherokee Indians until 1777. Scotch-Irish
and English settlers began moving into the area soon after it was ceded
to the state. Greenville District was created in 1786, but from 1791 to
1800 it was part of the larger Washington District. The county seat was
originally named Pleasantburg, but in 1831 the name was changed to
Greenville. Because of its location in the foothills of the Blue Ridge
Mountains, Greenville County became a popular summer retreat for
lowcountry planters. Encouraged by abundant streams and rivers, textile
manufacturers began operating in the area as early as the 1820s, and
after the Civil War Greenville County became a textile center. Diplomat
and Congressman Waddy Thompson (1798-1868) was a resident of Greenville,
and in more recent years the county has produced baseball player
"Shoeless Joe" Jackson (1887-1951), Nobel Prize winner Charles
Townes, and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.
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