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"S" is for Springdale

South Carolina From A to Z
SC Public Radio

"S" is for Springdale (Lexington County; 2010 population: 2,635). One of the youngest towns in the Midlands, until World War II this was a farming community with daily life dominated by crops, weather, seasons, church activities, and classes at Long Branch School. In 1955, reacting to fears of annexation by nearby West Columbia and Cayce, residents informed state officials of tentative plans to establish the town of Sherwood. In the ensuing election, voters were asked to do three things: approve or reject incorporation; if approved, the form of government; and name the new town. Springdale was one of three choices and the one selected by the voters. At the time of its incorporation, Springdale had only three hundred inhabitants. In 1995, a thirty-six page History Book celebrated Springdale’s fortieth birthday and contains interesting nuggets of local lore.

Dr. Walter Edgar has two programs on South Carolina Public Radio: Walter Edgar's Journal, and South Carolina from A to Z. Dr. Edgar received his B.A. degree from Davidson College in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1969. After two years in the army (including a tour of duty in Vietnam), he returned to USC as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Archives, assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens.