Clinton is a city in Laurens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 8,490 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Greenvilleâ€"Mauldinâ€"Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. Clinton is the home of Presbyterian College.
History
Clinton was first settled by Scots-Irish immigrants two decades before the American Revolutionary War. It incorporated as a town in 1852, and was named after Henry Clinton Young, a lawyer from Laurens, who helped lay out the first streets.
The Clinton Commercial Historic District, Duncan's Creek Presbyterian Church, and Thornwell-Presbyterian College Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
Clinton is located at 34°28′17″N 81°52′30″W (34.471257, -81.875023).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.1 square miles (24Â km2), of which, 9.1 square miles (24Â km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26Â km2) of it (0.55%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census taken in 2000, there were 8,091 people, 2,683 households, and 1,666 families residing in the city. The population density was 889.7 people per square mile (343.7/km²). There were 3,011 housing units at an average density of 331.1 per square mile (127.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.31% White, 37.98% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population. A 2009 census estimate placed the population at 8,923.
There were 2,683 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.7% were married couples living together, 21.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city, the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 19.0% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,620, and the median income for a family was $31,842. Males had a median income of $27,409 versus $20,821 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,933. About 21.5% of families and 23.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.3% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
South Carolina School District 56 covers the southern part of Laurens County, including the town of Clinton. Eastside Elementary, Clinton Elementary, Joanna-Woodson Elementary, Clinton Middle School, and Clinton High School serve the town's students.
Both Clinton Middle School (formerly Bell Street Middle School) and Clinton High School have gained statewide and national attention for their Science Olympiad programs, with the middle school winning 17 of the 32 South Carolina Science Olympiad Division B competitions, winning two in 1986-1987 and all fifteen competitions since 2003. The high school has won eight of the last nine State tournaments, from 2009-14 and 2016-17.
Clinton is also home of Presbyterian College and Thornwell Orphanage. Both institutions were founded by Presbyterian minister and philanthropist William Plumer Jacobs while he was Minister at First Presbyterian Church of Clinton.
Media
WPCC (1410 AM) is a radio station that broadcasts local, regional, and national sports programs. The Clinton Chronicle was founded in 1900 and publishes weekly. The town also hosts the Laurens County Community Access Channel, ACCESS 15, a Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable tv channel which broadcasts news, sports, and shows of local interest on Charter Cable channel 15.
Notable people
- Chick Galloway (1896â€"1969), Major League Baseball shortstop
- Charlie Wilson (1905â€"1970), MLB shortstop, third baseman
- Johnny Riddle (1905â€"1998), MLB player
- Cal Cooper (1922â€"1994), MLB pitcher
- Claude Crocker (1924â€"2002), MLB pitcher
- Arthur Smith (1921-2014), guitarist and songwriter
- Vandy Reynolds (1956 - present), IATSE, Mortician, bourbon connoisseur
Government
According to Clinton's official website, the city "operates under the councilâ€"manager form of government". The incumbent Mayor is Robert T. "Bob" McLean; he was re-elected to a second term in March 2015. The City Manager is Dale Satterfield, who was appointed to the position by the Mayor.
References
External links
- City of Clinton
- ACCESS 15, Laurens County Community Access Channel