History of Spartanburg, SC

The Cottonwood Trail is a walking trail that runs along part of Lawson’s Fork located on the Edwin M. Griffin Nature Preserve. The trail includes picnic areas, a raised path over an extensive wetlands area and access to sporadic sandbars. It is used frequently by cyclists, joggers and walkers and is located just east of downtown. Since the Lawson's Fork floodplain is not suitable for development, wildlife populate the area. Larger animals that can be found here include white-tailed deer, raccoons, wild turkeys, pileated woodpeckers and snapping turtles.

Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve, located in the midst of an urban environment, is a welcome oasis of natural beauty. The project of a retired social activist, Hatcher Garden has transformed an eroding gully into a thick woods and flower garden and provides a haven for birds and other wildlife.

Early European settlers to this area included French fur trappers, English woodsmen, and Scots-Irish farmers. Few remnants survive from these early pioneering days, but traces can be found in the more rural areas of the county.

Walnut Grove Plantation, an 18th-century farmhouse, has been preserved by the Spartanburg County Historical Association. The site of a locally famous skirmish during the American Revolutionary War, it was the home of the Moore family. The plantation lies south of Spartanburg near the town of Roebuck and is open to the public for tours and during annual festivals.

The Seay House, another 18th-century home, is a more typical representative of a pioneer home. Its single stone fireplace and simple construction were common