This marker is located on the south side of Gateway Park and points out the history of a local…read morecitizen's bravery. The marker reads, "Lt. Samuel I. Parker. One of two North Carolinians awarded Medal of Honor for valor in World War I (France, 1918). Born 1 block southeast." Online, there is more information. "Robert L. Blackwell of Hurdle Mills in Person County and Samuel I. Parker of Monroe in Union County were the only North Carolinians to receive the Medal of Honor for service in World War I. The award, the military's highest, is for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty." Since the medal's creation during the Civil War, over 3,400 men and one woman have been so cited, thirty-three from North Carolina and eight of those in World War II." "Samuel Iredell Parker (nicknamed Si for his initials), a descendant of Supreme Court Justice James Iredell and Governor Abner Nash, attended the University of North Carolina, leaving for military service just prior to graduation in 1917. Part of the First Infantry Division of the American Expeditionary Force, he served on the front lines in France." "The deed for which Parker was cited took place on July 18, 1918, near Soissons, when he advanced directly into machine gun fire, killing the gunner with his pistol. During World War II he trained troops at Fort Benning, penned a manual entitled Follow Me, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Upon retirement in 1956, Parker moved from New York to Concord, his wife's hometown. He died on December 1, 1975, and is buried in Concord's Oakwood Cemetery." https://www.yelp.com/biz/oakwood-cemetery-concord?hrid=-QMFGcjN_VroHWLEfgrZtw [Review 15472 overall, 976 of 2021, number 3016 in North Carolina.]

This marker stands at the street in front of the Fish School and provides some context. There is…read moreeasy parking here though I would not recommend visiting when school is letting out or in the morning when students are arriving. The front reads, "This was the site of Fort Mill's longest operating school dedicated to African Americans. Built on a 4-acre parcel acquired in 1925, the brick school opened in 1926 and cost $12,200, a portion of which was paid by the Julius Rosenwald Fund. The school was named for George Fish (1868-1933), a white mill manager who supported its construction. African Americans were previously taught at the old Fort Mill Academy building 1 mi. SW." And the reverse, "The design of the George Fish school followed the Rosenwald Fund's six teacher floor plan and included six classrooms, an auditorium stage, and library. By the 1930s, the school enrolled grades 1-8 before adding a ninth grade and, by 1941, a high school. It remained a segregated school for African Americans until 1968, when it integrated and became Fort Mill Jr. High. The school was sold in 1986 and later demolished." This is marker number 46-68 and it was erected in 2019 by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, sponsored by Fort Mill School District. [Review 52 of 2025 - 1241 in South Carolina - 23621 overall]

With Fishing Creek winding nearby as it feeds into Fishing Creek Lake, this marker points out a…read moresignificant Revolutionary War skirmish that took place. The marker is along US-21 and there is room to stop to read it. The marker reads, "At this site on August 18, 1780 General Thomas Sumter camped with captured booty and 800 men. He was surprised and defeated by Lt. Col. Tarleton and 160 soldiers. The disaster followed only two days General Gate's defeat by Lord Cornwallis at Camden. The patriots lost 150 men killed and many captured, but Sumter escaped and soon rallied another large force." It is marker number 12-3 and it was erected in 1974 by the Chester County Historical Society. Sumter's men had halted to rest after days of marching in brutal summer heat, unaware that Tarleton had crossed the Catawba River and was closing in on their position. Tarleton launched a surprise attack while the Americans were scattered, many bathing, sleeping, or tending to captured supplies, and the result was a swift and overwhelming British victory. More than half of Sumter's force was killed or captured, though Sumter himself narrowly escaped the chaos. The defeat temporarily halted his campaign against British outposts and further strengthened Tarleton's reputation as Cornwallis's most aggressive field commander. [Review 185 of 2026 - 1380 in South Carolina - 25374 overall]

I came all the way across the country to see the Lancaster County Courthouse. Well, maybe not. I…read moreactually came all this way to visit family. It just so happens that they live in the area. And so we all took a drive to Lancaster, SC to check this place out. We parked in the 3 hour street parking area and walked around outside first. There are some cool monument/memorials on the front side and back side of the old courthouse that we checked out. It was overcast, cool and breezy on this day and so we didn't waste anymore time getting into the museum. We were promptly greeted at the entrance. The lady who appeared to be the lead docent asked us to sign in and began telling us a little but of the history of the courthouse. She was on her way out, though, and so she passed along to a couple of other docents. They were all very friendly and knowledgable. They stayed nearby to answer questions and point out certain facts as we made our way from room to room. We were then guided up stairs to the actual court room. That was used until an arsonist tried burn his criminal record in 2008 nearly destroying this almost 200 year old courthouse. This museum tells the history of the area dating way back to the revolutionary days of the late 1700s. It is dedicated to more than simply the courthouse. So if you too are in the area and if you appreciate American history, stop on by. Visit for a spell. Talk to the friendly docents who can tell you more than the history but act as guides for the area. Locals know the best lunch spots ;)

This beautiful historic structure is a national historic landmark since 1976. After an arsonist…read moreattempted to destroy the building in 2008, it has been renovated and restored to its original glory. Today, it houses the Lancaster County Welcome Center and the county's Historical Museum. Built 1825-1828 and designed by Robert Mills of Charleston SC, America's first native-born professionally-trained architect, State Civil and Military engineer and is best known as the designer of the Washington Monument. Stop in when they're open and learn about the history of this area! [Review 13086 overall, 403 of 2020.]

This highway marker is not far from Andrew Jackson State Park, on the west side of 521 at Rebound…read moreRoad. It reads, "Stephen Decatur Miller. After his graduation from South Carolina College in 1808 and his admission to the bar in 1811, Miller practiced law for many years. He was one of South Carolina's foremost leaders of the states' rights movement, which culminated in the ordinance of nullification, 1832. 'A Diary From Dixie' is based upon diaries kept by his daughter, Mary Boykin Chesnut." I'm not sure why the marker is here of all places. [Review 13076 overall, 393 of 2020.]

You need to check out this hidden gem first to learn more about your community and the history of…read morethe area! Be sure to check for the open hours, or if planning well in advance the will open for you if they have staff available Then go back multiple time with family and friends to see more and more! The volunteer staff is different on every visit we have had---but they are such a wealth of knowledge, some on more recent events and others going back many generations!. Please consider a visit

Very cool urban "archaeological" find...nobody but locals "in the know" seem to be aware it's even…read morethere! Found out about it from the very nice & informative bartender at Dust Off Brewing (check out doing to the YoCo Brew Trail; check into 6 breweries on the app & get a t-shirt). He couldn't quite remember how to get to it, but after some intensive research, found the geo coordinates. That was honestly the only way to find this place, plus a little guts & guesswork. You can quasi see some portion of the rockwork of the ruinous remains from the paved Riverwalk trail. The "easiest" way to get to the ruins is to follow the Riverwalk Piedmont Medical Center Trail to just before mile marker 1.25; you will see this steep wooden thing with awkwardly placed planks. You basically have to rock-wall climb your way up. From there you are on a mountain biking trail. Follow the arrows for just over a quarter mile and you will see some indicators of the ruins before they open up in front of you. You will most likely have the place to yourself. Really cool to wander around and take it all in. Just be careful with holes and don't walk on or within the actual ruins as they are pretty sketch & unsteady. There are spiders, snakes, and flying insects galore, so put on repellent and stay vigilant cuz it is deep woods! You can either get back down the way you came; I found this gray rock slope that I found easier to navigate than sliding down the wood thing I climbed up. Either way, really neat find and I'm so glad I explored to find it! The paved walkway along the Catawba is also a nice walk to and from!

Amazing to see all the history that happened so long ago. They have so much information displayed…read moretelling the story of the Buford Massacre of 1780. You can walk through the park to get the story, but they also have some walking trails that show certain routes of different historical figures involved in this event. We took one of the shorter trails as it had just started to rain, but we will be back to take the other trails. Trails were not mowed, but they were obvious walking trails. There are some markers to show trails as well. Great place to check out of you like history or nature!

Most of the markers in the South are to do with the Civil War aka "The War of Northern…read moreAggression.". So I was surprised to come across this marker that is all about a famous battle from the Revolutionary War. If you've seen the movie The Patriot, some of it is loosely based on this story. There is a tall granite marker that is now behind a fence because it has been damaged by vandals in the past. It reads, "Erected to the memory and in honor of the brave and patriotic American soldiers who fell in the battle which occurred at this place on the 29th of May, 1780 between Col. Abraham Buford who commanded a regiment of 350 Virginians and Col. Tarelton of the British Army with 350 cavalry and a like number of infantry. "Nearly the entire command of Col. Buford were either killed or wounded. Gallant soldiers are buried in this grave that left their homes for the relief of Charleston, hearing at Camden of the surrender of that city were returning. Here their lives were ended in the service of their country. "The cruelty and barbarous massacre committed on this occasion by Tarleton and his command after the surrender of Col. Buford and his regiment originated the war cry 'Remember Tarleton's Quarters' a British historian confesses at this battle the virtue of humanity was totally forgot." A terrible tragedy but there is now an appropriate monument to their sacrifice. The area is shaded and there are several captions that map the battlefield and the incident. There is also a picnic table and parking. [Review 13103 overall, 420 of 2020.]