"E" is for Edgefield County [502 square miles; population 24,595]. Edgefield County was created in 1785 out of the southern portion of Ninety Six Judicial District. Originally, the county encompassed 1,702 square miles and was the largest in the state—really more a region than a county. Some of the state's earliest industries were located here: textiles in the Horse Creek Valley and pottery in Pottersville.
After the Civil War, the county lost more than two-thirds of its territory to Aiken, Saluda, Greenwood, and McCormick counties. The has producied a large number of the state's political leaders—including ten governors, and five lieutenant governors. During most of the 20th century, Edgefield County suffered a decline in population, but in recent years, it has begun to grow, in part because of the emphasis upon heritage tourism.
