As one of the 13 original colonies, South Carolina has a rich history. There's something interesting to learn in each region of the state, and there are plenty of museums in South Carolina with fascinating tales and artifacts to explore. For all of our trivia nerd friends, we've put together a list of fun facts about South Carolina you may have never heard before. Test your state knowledge!
1. The first European settlement on the North American continent was in South Carolina, and we're not talking about Charleston.
In 1526, San Miguel de Guadalupe was founded near present-day Georgetown by Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón. The colony only survived three months.
2. The Palmetto tree, South Carolina's state tree, served as a "secret weapon" during the Revolutionary War.
Fort Moultrie was constructed out of palmetto tree trunks on top of sand walls. The cannonballs shot by the British in the first major naval battle of the war bounced off of Fort Moultrie due to the spongey consistency of palmetto trunks, leading to a Patriot victory!
3. The highest concentration of champion trees in America is found right here in South Carolina.
Those trees are found in one of America's least visited national parks, Congaree National Park. This alone makes it bucketlist-worthy, yet, there are many other reasons to visit this hidden gem.
4. Golf in America began in South Carolina.
In 1739, Charleston welcomed the first documented shipment of golf clubs, which came from Scotland, and in 1786, the first golf club in the country was founded in Charleston, the South Carolina Golf Club. Harleston Green was the first golf course, located somewhere between Calhoun and Beaufain streets near the Ashley River. Myrtle Beach is considered the mini golf capital of the world, home to more than 50 mini golf courses and the U.S. Pro Mini Golf Association Master's National Championship course.
5. The Shag was designated the official state dance in 1984.
It's believed to have originated along the Grand Strand (Myrtle Beach area) where the National Shag Dance Competition is held, the longest continuously running shag dance contest in the country. In Edisto Beach, an end of summer festival is held each year known as the Edisto Beach Shag Festival, featuring shag lessons for those who would like to learn the dance.
6. A campaign by third graders led to the designation of an official state amphibian, the spotted salamander, the only amphibian indigenous to the whole state.
The third graders attended Woodlands Heights Elementary School in Spartanburg and led their campaign during the 1998-1999 school year. The law was signed by Governor Jim Hodges on June 11, 1999.
7. The poinsettia plant is named after South Carolinian Joel Roberts Poinsett, born in 1779 in Charleston and who served as the United State's first ambassador to Mexico.
He introduced the poinsettia, known in Spanish as the “flor de nochebuena,” or flower of Christmas Eve, to the country when he sent samples of it to his greenhouse in South Carolina in 1825.
8. In 1969, it rained non-dairy creamer in the small town of Chester.
The Borden Cremora plant had a problem with its exhaust vents. When the vents clogged, puffs of non-dairy creamer would spew into the air. The problem was fixed, but the company was fined $4,000 for “releasing Cremora beyond plant boundaries”.
9. Award-winning cheese was first created in South Carolina's longest tunnel.
Clemson Blue Cheese was rated among the best in the nation at the 15th biennial United States Championship Cheese Contest in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Most people don't know that it was born in the beautiful Stumphouse Tunnel!
So how many of these facts did you already know? Want more South Carolina trivia? Check out this book: The University of South Carolina Trivia Book.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!