Important history here that provides some context to the Confederate Memorial and it is next to the…read morecounty jail. This is marker number 44-20 and it was erected in 2020 by the Union County Community Remembrance Project and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. It has text on both sides because there's a story to tell. On the front, "In 1871, one of the worst waves of white supremacist violence in S.C. history unfolded in Union County. During two raids in Jan. and Feb. of that year, twelve Black men were forcibly taken from this jail by the Ku Klux Klan while awaiting trial. Most were members of the S.C. militia accused of killing a white man. Eleven men are known to have been killed in the two attacks or soon after. The fate of the other one is unknown." And on the reverse, "National press described the lynchings as "outrages" and "inhumane barbarities." These murders and other acts of intimidation and violence aimed at disenfranchising Blacks led President Ulysses S. Grant to declare a state of rebellion in Union and eight other S.C. counties. Danger and inequities led some Black families to leave Union Co., while others remained and built community institutions." Street parking is free here and there is also a parking lot across the street. [Review 20336 overall - 1102 in South Carolina - 1314 of 2023.]

This marker in downtown Union near the courthouse points out a medical facility that is no longer…read morethe community hospital since 1975. The front of the marker reads, "Union Community Hospital served the black community of Union and nearby areas from 1932 to 1975. Built as a house ca. 1915, it was converted into a hospital by Dr. L. W. Long in 1932 with the support of several local churches. The building was covered in brick veneer in the 1930s, and a rear addition was built in 1949. The hospital was listed in the National Register of Historical Places in 1996." On the reverse, "Dr. Lawrence W. Long (1906-1985), a native of Union County, was educated at Howard University and Meharry Medical College before returning to Union and founding this hospital. Long also hosted annual clinics attended by doctors from S.C. and the Southeast 1934-1975. A lifelong leader in medicine and public health who was also active in civic affairs in Union, Long was named S.C. Doctor of the Year in 1957 and National Doctor of the Year in 1958." The marker is in a large parking lot so there is a place to park while you read the marker and view the area. [Review 2010 of 2024 - 1146 in South Carolina - 23032 overall]

Located on the courthouse grounds of (ironically?) Union County South Carolina in the city of…read moreUnion, this tall obelisk is a memorial to those who fought and died in the Civil War, or as they likely called it, "The War of Northern Aggression." As a native New Yorker who now lives in the South, I'm just reporting the news here. The obelisk stands about 30 feet tall and unlike others I've seen (see my Yelp Collection), there is no Confederate soldier standing guard on top (usually with his back to the north). It is in very good condition with no wear and if there has ever been graffiti, it was cleaned well. The site is surrounded by a short fence. The inscription reads, "These were men who gave their lives and fortune to home and country, in vindication of those sacred rights reserved to the states and guaranteed by the Federal Constitution as adopted and ratified by South Carolina, May 23, 1788." There is plenty of parking, especially late on a weeknight after county offices were closed. [Review 20334 overall - round number 1100 in South Carolina - 1312 of 2023.]

Part of the South's dark history, this marker stands across the street from the Union County…read moreCourthouse which does still have a Confederate obelisk memorial on the grounds. The front of the marker reads, "During the Reconstruction period that followed emancipation in 1865, thousands of Black people were lynched by white people intent on maintaining racial hierarchy. Federal officials ended Reconstruction in 1877 when they ceded political control of the South back to Confederate veterans and largely abandoned efforts to protect Black people in the region. In the era of racial terror that followed, emboldened white leaders opposed to racial equality continued to re-establish white supremacy through intimidation and violence. Between 1877 and 1950, white mobs lynched at least 4,400 Black people. Lynchings included the hanging, shooting, burning, torture and mutilation of Black people, sometimes in front of crowds numbering in the thousands. Although armed and responsible for protecting those in their custody, law enforcement frequently failed to protect Black individuals and communities from lynch mobs, and white people regularly kidnapped Black victims from jails, prisons, and courtrooms. The impact of lynchings resulted in injustice that continues today. Although the names of many victims may never be known at least 189 racial terror lynchings have been documented in South Carolina, with at least 19 known to have taken place in Union County between 1865 and 1950. The names included here represent the lives stolen and promise lost." And the reverse, "Lynchings by white mobs continued for decades as a tool of racial terrorism to maintain white supremacy. On June 26, 1889, a white mob lynched Andrew McKnight in a Black church cemetery near Kelton, after he was accused of making inappropriate comments towards white women. In January of 1900, Rufus Salter, a young prosperous Black farmer accused of arson, was lynched at his home near West Springs. Weeks later, a Governor's proclamation implied he was innocent. In June 1906, Mose Hughes was lynched and his bound body was thrown into the Tyger River near Delta. One of the lynchers later declared, "This looks like a white man's country now." In 1930, law enforcement failed to prevent the lynching of Dan Jenkins, a 23-year-old Black man. Mr. Jenkin's body was riddled with 500 bullets on Santuc Road, after a white woman accused him of assault, despite no investigation or fair trial. Black people faced a presumption of guilt after any allegation of wrongdoing and were frequently deprived of equal protection under the law. Public officials, media, and the legal system allowed white people to kill with impunity, intending to create an atmosphere of terror. Black leaders like Rev. A.A. Sims and Dr. L.W. Long organized resistance including establishing a Black high school, a Black community hospital, and Black businesses in response to racial inequities. Churches became the cornerstone for Black resilience and still are to this day." The marker was erected in 2021 by the Union County Community Remembrance Project. There is a parking lot available. [Review 21129 overall - 1118 in South Carolina - 92 of 2024.]

South of Union, this marker points out the property of a former British loyalist and the lesson…read morehere is that you don't want your loyalties to be on the losing side of a war. The front of the marker reads, "Fair Forest, named for nearby Fair Forest Creek, was the plantation of Col. Thomas Fletchall (d.1789), prominent militia officer before the Revolution and Loyalist during it. Captured in 1775 and briefly jailed, Fletchall moved to Charleston in 1780, then to Jamaica when the war ended; he died there in 1789. After the Revolution his plantation was confiscated and sold at auction." And on the reverse, "Emslie Nicholson House. Col. Thomas Brandon (1741-1802), who bought Fair Forest about 1785, had been a Patriot militia officer and was a longtime state representative and state senator. The Tudor Revival house built in 1923 near the site of the plantation house was designed by Robert & Co. of Atlanta. It was built for Emslie Nicholson (1863-1939), president of textile mills in Union, Lockhart, and Monarch." The marker was erected in 2008 by the Union County Historical Society and is state marker number 44-15. There is room on the side of the road to pull over and if you have the time, consider checking out the plantation. [Review 20341 overall - 1104 in South Carolina - 1319 of 2023.]

Located along State Road 49 (which continues north to Charlotte and beyond), this marker is in…read morefront of a small church and cemetery. It points out some of the Colonial Era history of the area. It reads, "1.5 miles SW stood the original Fairforest Baptist Church. The members, led by the Reverend Philip Mulkey, came from North Carolina to Broad River about 1759. In 1762, the church moved to Fairforest where, as the first Baptist church in the up country, it established other churches. During the American Revolution, it was in a Tory controlled area." This is marker number 44-4 and it was erected in 1975 by the Congregation of Lower Fairforest Baptist Church and the South Carolina Baptist Historical Society. There is room to pull over to view the marker. [Review 2011 of 2024 - 1147 in South Carolina - 23033 overall]

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