Sumter, South Carolina


Sumter is a city in and the county seat of Sumter County, South Carolina, United States. Known as the Sumter Metropolitan Statistical Area, the namesake county adjoins Clarendon and Lee to form the core of Sumter-Lee-Clarendon tricounty area of South Carolina that includes three counties straddling the border of the Sandhills, Pee Dee, and Lowcountry regions. The population was 39,643 at the 2000 census, and it rose to 40,524 at the 2010 census.

History

Incorporated as Sumterville in 1845, the city's name was shortened to Sumter in 1855. It has grown and prospered from its early beginnings as a plantation settlement. The city and county of Sumter bear the name of General Thomas Sumter, the "Fighting Gamecock" of the American Revolutionary War.
During the Civil War, the town was an important supply and railroad repair center for the Confederacy. After the war, Sumter grew and prospered, using its large railroad network to supply cotton, timber, and by the start of the 20th century, tobacco to the region.
During the 20th century, Sumter grew into a major industrial center. Starting with the opening of Shaw Air Force Base in 1941, industry grew, especially after World War II. Sumter became increasingly known for textiles, manufacturing, biotech industries, a thriving retail environment, and medical center of its region in addition to agricultural products, which makes it a hub for business in the east-central portion of South Carolina.
Local sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places include:
Known as the Gamecock City, Sumter lies near the geographic center of the state of South Carolina at . Sumter is 100 miles west of Myrtle Beach's Grand Strand and 175 miles east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Columbia, the state capital, is about 45 miles to the west, and Charleston is around 100 miles to the south. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.8 square miles, of which 26.6 square miles are land and 0.2 square mile is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, 40,541 people, 16,232 households, and 10,049 families resided in the city. The population density was 575.6/km². The 16,032 housing units averaged 232.8/km². The racial makeup of the city was 47.07% Caucasian, 47.03% Black, 0.23% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.37% of the population.
Of the 14,564 households,h 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were not families. About 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city, the population was distributed as 27.8% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,590, and for a family was $38,668. Males had a median income of $27,078 versus $22,002 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,949. About 13.0% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.

Crime

The following table shows Sumter's crime rate in six crime classifications that Morgan Quitno uses in its calculations for "America's most dangerous cities" rankings, in comparison to the national average. The statistics provided are for the number of crimes committed per 100,000 residents.
CrimeSumter, SC National Average
Murder46.9
Rape1032.2
Robbery89195.4
Assault575340.1
Burglary545814.5
Automobile Theft119526.5

According to the Congressional Quarterly Press 2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, Sumter Statistical Metropolitan Area ranks as having the fifth highest overall crime rate out of 338 statistical metropolitan areas in the United States.

Government

Sumter adopted the council-manager form of government on June 11, 1912. The city council appoints a city manager to serve as chief administrative officer to run the day-to-day business of the city. This individual serves at the pleasure of the council. A mayor is elected to serve as the chairman of the city council; both the mayor and the councilmen serve four-year terms.
Six councilmen, who are not subject to term limits, are elected by ward, whereas the mayor is elected at-large. Sumter City Council is responsible for making policies and enacting laws, rules, and regulations to provide for future community and economic growth. The council is also responsible for providing the necessary support for the orderly and efficient operation of city services.
Martha Priscilla Shaw, who was Sumter's first female mayor from 1952 to 1956, was also the first woman to serve as a mayor in South Carolina.

Education

On July 1, 2011, Sumter School Districts 2 and 17 combined to form the newly consolidated Sumter School District.
Sumter is home to Crestwood High School, Lakewood High School, and Sumter High School. The last is one of the largest high schools in the Midlands and the fifth-largest in the state, located on the southwest side of Sumter.
The schools in this district have each received national recognition as Blue Ribbon Schools, producing students who annually earn large scholarship awards, and employing award-winning teachers and administrators. Each public school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the State Department of Education.
The area includes many award-winning private institutions, including Thomas Sumter Academy, Wilson Hall, Sumter Christian School, St. Anne Catholic School, St. Francis Xavier High School, Berea Junior Academy, and Westside Christian Academy.

Higher education

Sumter is home to several collegiate institutions. The area is served by Morris College, a private, four-year liberal arts college, Central Carolina Technical College, a public two-year technical college, and the University of South Carolina Sumter. Saint Leo University, Troy University, and Webster University all offer courses and degree programs at Shaw Air Force Base.

Library

Sumter has a public library, which consists of three branches of the Sumter County Library.

Shaw Air Force Base

Sumter is home to Shaw Air Force Base, headquarters of the United States Air Forces Central Command, United States Army Central, 9th Air Force, the 20th Fighter Wing, and many other tenant units. Since World War II, it has been a major source of federal and civilian employment in the area.
Shaw's fighter planes consist of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which is a versatile multirole fighter. F-16s dispatched from Shaw were the primary fighters used in the Gulf War. In response to the city's service, presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower through Barack Obama have visited Sumter to express their gratitude. The base was named in honor of 1st Lieutenant Ervin David Shaw, one of the early Americans to fly combat missions in World War I.

Mass transit

The Santee-Wateree Regional Transit Authority is responsible for operating mass transit in greater Sumter area. The transit department is in connection with Shaw Air Force Base. SWRTA operates express shuttles and a bus service serving Sumter and the communities within the county. The authority was established in October 2002 after SCANA released ownership of public transportation back to the City of Sumter. Since 2003, SWRTA provides transportation for more than 10,000 passengers, has expanded route services, and introduced 15 new ADA accessible buses offering a safer, more comfortable means of transportation. In recent years, SWRTA added natural gas-powered buses to its small fleet, and has plans to expand.

Roads and highways

Interstates

is the only public park in the United States containing all eight known species of swan. The lake is dotted with islands and wildlife. The park is also home to some of the nation's most intensive plantings of Japanese Iris, which bloom yearly in mid to late May and last until the beginning of June. The garden is also planted with camellias, azaleas, day lilies, and Japanese magnolias. A Braille Trail enables the sight-impaired to enjoy the scents and sensations of the gardens.
This area was first developed in 1927 as a private fishing retreat by Hamilton Carr Bland, a local businessman. At the same time he was developing the of swamp on what is now the north side of West Liberty Street, he was landscaping the grounds of his home with Japanese iris. They failed miserably, and after consulting expert horticulturists from as far away as New York, he ordered his gardener to dig up the bulbs and dump them at the swamp. The following spring, they burst into bloom. The accidental garden, referred to by Southern Living magazine as a "lovely mistake", has since been developed into a botanical garden.
The park is host to events and festivals throughout the year, including the annual "Iris Festival" which is held every Memorial Day weekend in May. The gardens also host a Christmas event with the nighttime Fantasy of Lights display, featuring more than 1,000,000 varicolored lights. It also hosts an annual Earth Day celebration.

Sports

is a 2,000 seat stadium primarily used for baseball, and was the home of Sumter Braves, a Single A Atlanta Braves affiliate that competed in the South Atlantic League. Riley Park was home to the Braves from 1985 until 1990, when the team left Sumter for Macon, Georgia. Notable Sumter Braves who went on to Major League success include Tom Glavine, David Justice, Kevin Brown, Mark Wohlers, Ryan Klesko, and Vinny Castilla. The Braves were replaced by the Sumter Flyers in 1991, a Single A Montreal Expos affiliate. The Flyers, however, left Sumter after one season. No professional baseball team has competed in Sumter since the end of the 1991 season.
Riley continues to be the home of the P-15s, an American Legion baseball team with a long history of success. The P-15s have won 15 state titles including in 1940, 1950, 1952, 1962, 1977, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2011. They advanced to the 2006 American Legion World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where they finished fourth nationally. The P-15s made a return trip to the American Legion World Series hosted by Shelby, NC in 2008 and 2009.
Palmetto Tennis Center is a new state-of-the-art tennis court in Palmetto Park. The tennis center has 24 official size tennis courts. It hosts numerous youth, collegiate, and professional tournaments each year. Sumter Memorial Stadium is home to Sumter High School's Gamecocks, Marvin Montgomery Field at Donald L. Crolley Memorial Stadium is home to the Crestwood High School Knights, and Dr. J. Frank Baker Stadium is home to the Lakewood High School Gators.
In the 1950s, Sumter was very strong in table tennis state champions, and in 1951, produced an All-American Table Tennis Tournament national men's champion Oliver Hoyt Stubbs.
New York Yankees former second baseman Bobby Richardson is from Sumter. The town built and named a youth baseball park in his honor. Sumter is also the home of pro basketball star Ray Allen, who had an 18-year career in the NBA.
Jordan Blackmon Montgomery, nicknamed "Gumby", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He made his MLB debut in 2017. Before his professional career, Montgomery played college baseball for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the University of South Carolina.

Notable people