Revolutionary battle sites in SC ready for tourism bump in 2026

By Mike Switzer

Published February 19, 2026 at 6:30 AM EST

Rick Wise, executive director of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust in Camden, SC

As the nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, our state, which played a significant role in the revolution, is doing the same. Which should mean a sizable bump in tourism business. Mike Switzer interviews Rick Wise, executive director of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust in Camden, SC. Resources: Liberty Trail and SC 250th Commission

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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