Search Area: Kershaw, SC

GPS Coordinates: N34 33.084 W80 35.016

Kershaw, SC. Ever heard of it? I’m not suprised. Most folks haven’t. Kershaw is a small town in upper middle South Carolina. Which puts it right out there just on the other side of the middle of nowhere. Still it’s my home town and I wouldn’t trade it for the world (though I did at one time.) I realized my mistake and came back home when it was time for the wife and I to start a family. A little about Kershaw:

The running joke is that on the other side of this sign it says now leaving Kershaw.

Kershaw was not always Kershaw it originaly started as Welsh’s Station. Here’s a bit on that.

James made his way home on foot in the summer
of 1865. During the Reconstruction years he worked
at farming and store keeping and then turned to
lumbering operations on the site which was to be
Kershaw, a large sand bed covered with black oaks
and pines in its pristine state. The former private, by
this time “Captain,” convinced the Charleston, Cin-
cinnati, and Chicago Railroad, which in 1877 was
building a line from Camden to Marion, North Caro-
lina, that a station in the vicinity of his saw mill
would be profitable. To do this took some convincing,
as the route was planned originally to pass several
miles away, so the Captain offered tempting bait: he
proposed to have a town laid out, to give the land
needed for the streets, and to give every other lot
in the business section to the railroad company. The
railroad officials succumbed; a station was built, and
the village of Welsh’s Station came into being.
After some months Captain Welsh decided that he
wished to honor a man he admired greatly, General
Kershaw, whom he claimed as friend and in whom
he saw what he considered many of the best qualities
of the Southern character. He took the lead in the
business of changing the name of the growing town,
and Kershaw was incorporated in 1888.

Kershaw might have a population of about 2000 people. I say might because the census in 2000 boasted a little over 1800. It’s a quiet place, nothing much happens here. We have th occasional crime, but nothing major.

If you like to eat we have you covered. One of the local eating places used to boast a gentleman that was a chef for the Emporer of China (or so it’s told.) We have everything from Chinese to Greek to Southern Cookin’ to fast food.

Local legends run from Crybaby Creek Bridge to several haunted houses that I won’t disclose the location of. Not that I don’t want you to find them, I haven’t been able to do the story yet and don’t want you to scoop me!

We have enough churches to save 10 towns worth of people. A couple of local doctors, dentists, the hardware store, two drug stores. You know what? As I write this, I am starting to realize that I might just have everything that I need right here. I wouldn’t ever think of shopping for food other than at the IGA here in town. They have great prices for a local chain. And for that matter I’ve never had a piece of meat from that paticular grocery store that I didn’t like. And Doctor Ingram took care of me when my mouth hurt so bad I could have passed out. And Doctor Mac always took care of the town whether you could afford it or not. There’s one who was a Doctor first and worried about the money second. The local doctors now do a great job as well! (Sorry guys, it’s hard to live up to Dr. Mac. At least in my eyes.)

Strange thing is, we’re a mill town. Problem is we have no mill. Springs Industries pulled out of here years ago. What do think the folks here did when they closed?

NO WAY! They found jobs. These are folks that take care of their families come what may. And most didn’t leave town. They get up and go to work in the morning and return to the town they love at night to families that are glad to live here in relative peace.

The old General Kershaw Motel.

We can even boast a Motorsports park here in Kershaw County.

Carolina Motorsports Park – Kershaw, SC
Alan Wilson has laid the track out to form two separate courses, which can be used simultaneously. The West track (0.988 miles) was specifically designed to be very technical and quite slow to serve as a prime venue for race schools. The East track (1.18 miles) is much faster. Combined, the two courses become very fast, technical, challenging and extremely interesting 2.235 mile national standard track.

Yeah, now that I think about it, Kershaw ain’t a bad place to live. Matter of fact, look forward to more story and pics later.

Scott