This Month’s Day Trippin’ is a trip up I-26 to Clinton, South Carolina. Clinton is a small town with a population of around 8,000 located in Laurens County, at the split of I-26 and I-385. Like many small towns in the upstate, Clinton was founded as a railroad town in 1852 and still has a Norfolk and Southern railroad track running through downtown, and the town square is just off the tracks. Clinton was home to Textile Mills the first of which opened in 1896 with the last facility closing in 2001.
A very nice park with a Veterans Memorial and a covered bandstand with a city parking lot is located next to the tracks. An old railroad warehouse has been turned into an large event space with a gazebo park next door.
The Historic Downtown has beautiful tree lined streets is classified as a National Historic Register. The downtown has a collection of shops and restaurants, with the Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy is located withing walking distance of the Business district. The downtown area has a beautiful railroad mural leading to its meticulously landscaped downtown streets. Just a few blocks from downtown is a very nice playground with a picnic area for families to enjoy. Presbyterian Colleges main campus is located just a few blocks from downtown.
Clinton is also located very close to the site of the Battle of Musgrove Mill. The Musgrove Mill Historic Site is a state park and located on the Enoree River just a few miles out of town. The American Revolutionary War battle took place on August 19, 1780. This battle was a major turning point during the Revolutionary War. Park staff are available to explain not only the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill, but also the brutal frontier warfare that took place throughout upstate South Carolina during the American Revolution.
Clinton was also home to a number of well know South Carolinians, Arthur Smith, singer and songwriter and host of the Arthur Smith Show, author and film critic Jackie K. Cooper, actor Carl Payne from the Cosby Show and Martin, and several Major League baseball players are from Clinton, Cal Cooper, Claude Crocker, Johnny Riddle are just a few of the notables.
Clinton has a number of festivals, The annual Rhythm on the Rails Festival is the signature event of the town celebrating the towns railroad heritage. We were in town for a Hometown Hero’s event. There are a number of town within a few minutes of Clinton. The towns of Laurens and Newberry are close by to see a show at the Newberry Opera House or check out some dirt track racing at the Laurens speedway.
Clinton is about 2 hours away, it’s worth the trip.
