Pumpkintown, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Pumpkintown is an unincorporated community
in Pickens County, South Carolina
, United States
on State Highway 8
northwest of Greenville
.
who was born at Loch Lomond
and as a child had immigrated to Brunswick County
, Virginia, to later move with his wife Juda and a daughter into this frontier area of the Carolinas.
The local natives, of Cherokee
stock, already had a small village on nearby Uwharrie Mountain. Their chief was named Woolenoy, whence the name of the Oolenoy Valley. From this man Cornelius Keith peacefully acquired, by selling one of his ponies, a piece of land where the village was to grow.
The unique name of the place comes, obviously, from the pumpkin
s that already grew wild, and in large numbers, in the valley. As locals put it, the name was later chosen by the settlers, while arguing over the issue, by following the quick suggestion "of a half-drunk Irishman".
To this day, every month of October, the town hosts a Pumpkin Festival, raising money for the mainteinance of the Oolenoy Community Building and the Pumpkintown Volunteer Fire Department.
Cornelius Keith went on to live a very long life, dying in 1808.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Pickens County, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on State Highway 8
South Carolina Highway 8
South Carolina Highway 8 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It runs from US 25 in Ware Place to US 276 in northern Greenville County.- Route description :...
northwest of Greenville
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
.
Geography
Pumpkintown is located at 35°00′10"N 82°39′10"W (35.002896, -82.6529075). It lies 958 feet (292 m) above sea level.History
The first white settler, in 1745, was 30-years old Cornelius Keith, a Scottish HighlanderScottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
who was born at Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
and as a child had immigrated to Brunswick County
Brunswick County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,419 people, 6,277 households, and 4,312 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile . There were 7,541 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
, Virginia, to later move with his wife Juda and a daughter into this frontier area of the Carolinas.
The local natives, of Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
stock, already had a small village on nearby Uwharrie Mountain. Their chief was named Woolenoy, whence the name of the Oolenoy Valley. From this man Cornelius Keith peacefully acquired, by selling one of his ponies, a piece of land where the village was to grow.
The unique name of the place comes, obviously, from the pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
s that already grew wild, and in large numbers, in the valley. As locals put it, the name was later chosen by the settlers, while arguing over the issue, by following the quick suggestion "of a half-drunk Irishman".
To this day, every month of October, the town hosts a Pumpkin Festival, raising money for the mainteinance of the Oolenoy Community Building and the Pumpkintown Volunteer Fire Department.
Cornelius Keith went on to live a very long life, dying in 1808.