Laurens County (SC) (Images of America)

In the years following the Revolutionary War, Americans delved deeper into their new homeland and found an unequaled grace in the landscape of what is now known as Laurens County. Named after Henry Laurens, a famed war hero and South Carolina native, the county is nestled in the state's piedmont region, with short distances to both the mountains and beaches. Small-town charm lingers in the area, even as the county's towns grow to include extraordinary opportunities in business, the arts, and education.

In this volume of vintage, black-and-white photographs, readers are fortunate to experience a Laurens County of a different era. The rhythmic patter of horse hooves and squeak of wooden wagons meant people were hard at work, and the ringing of a bell called students to a one-room schoolhouse. The landscape encompassed patchworks of farms and bustling mill villages before the region found the conveniences of modern technology. Some of those who fashioned the area into its present state-where pride in culture and heritage stand at the forefront-take center stage in this pictorial history. Laurens County will spark the memories of those who lived its history while illustrating the tales with images for future generations.

Local residents Libby Coats Rhodes, writer, and Carol McMahan Chambers, graphic artist, both affiliated with the Laurens County Advertiser, have combined historic photographs, culled from local collections and family albums, with detailed descriptions of the county. This book's singular quality will delight longtime residents and newcomers alike, while assisting the area by preserving its history for future generations.