Although founded in 1787, the courthouse village of Spartanburg was without any independent town or city government until 1831, when the little town of a few hundred residents received its official incorporation from the state government. At that point, eligible citizens within one mile of the courthouse were able to elect an Intendant and four wardens, who …
Moving Image Research Collections’ holdings of amateur films and home movies documents family life, holiday celebrations, vacation travel and much more. These films, created in many locations across the United States and across the globe as well, represent a period of time spanning from the early 20th century to the 1970’s.
Stories of desegregation often focus on the urban schools that were in the spotlight thanks to their media coverage or the conflicts surrounding them, from Little Rock to Boston. Much less attention is paid to schools in rural communities, outside the media glare. In addition, the period before integration is often neglected, or discussed solely …
Kline Iron and Steel Company (1923-2003), known for its high quality products and services, had a reciprocal reputation of loyalty and respect between employees and owners. Through the thirty-plus oral history interviews in this collection, narrators share their stories of family, community, friendship, and work. As recalled by many, working with Kline was like being …
This collection highlights the lives and experiences of American veterans who now call South Carolina home. Most major military conflicts including World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan are represented in the collection, as are all branches of the U.S. military. The veteran interviewees range …
Black history in the Spartanburg area remains obscured by the biases and scarcity of early records. By 1790, the first year with a reliable population estimate, Spartanburg County was home to 866 black slaves and 27 “free persons not white,” representing about 10% of the total population. At the time of emancipation, some 8,300 African-Americans lived in Spartanburg County, around 30% …
The Local Television News Collections at Moving Image Research Collections (MIRC) comprise approximately 1.5 million feet of 16mm motion picture film outtakes dating from the late 1950s to the early 1980s, donated by several South Carolina television stations. These outtakes document over two decades of local people and events, as well as reportage surrounding significant …
The collection contains seven million feet of nitrate motion picture film and four million feet of safety motion picture film documenting the national and global politics and culture from 1919 through 1934 and from September 1942 through August 1944. Paper holdings provide detailed notes generated by original camera crews as well as ephemera related to …
Indexes of enslaved persons’ names pulled from probate records across the Upstate of South Carolina.
Meeting minutes of African American women’s social clubs including lists of members, dues collected, and programs sponsored.