Page 11 - 2022 Clemson Guide

Engineers, conductors, and telegraph
operators brought their families.
Finding the refreshing climate and
friendly people to their liking, they
built homes and settled down.

On March 17, 1875, Central was
incorporated as a town. The town
extended one-half mile in each
direction from the Air-Line Depot.

When the Southern Railway
moved its headquarters from
Central to Greenville, Central
citizens were left dazed. Trains no
longer stopped to change engines
and the shops and offices closed.
Families that had built their homes and Recently, the town has announced its On land that once belonged to the Cherokee
settled down were uprooted. Houses were participation in the Main Street South Nation, Six Mile was signed over to South
vacant and business was at a standstill. Carolina Program. Through a combination Carolina in a treaty in 1777, but the region
of community engagement, market analysis, was not settled until about 1800 when Scots-
Over the 20th century, Central again and organizational positioning, Central Irish, Dutch-German, and English pioneers
experienced prosperity and an increase in will establish a series of key, market-driven gradually moved in, cleared the land, and
population due to the opening of a textile strategies designed to elevate and focus planted crops.
mill and the establishment of Central
Wesleyan College, now called Southern the community’s resources and capacity The community was incorporated in 1910.
Wesleyan University (SWU). During the on building a sustainable, competitive Six Mile was chiefly a farming community
1990s, Central grew rapidly. Today it has advantage downtown. In 2021, Central’s until World War II when many men went
approximately 5,000 permanent residents Main Street program introduced a new overseas to fight and still others moved to
and serves as a home to students from SWU, Farmer’s Market.
Clemson University, and Tri-County bigger cities to obtain jobs. Historical sites
Technical College. Six Mile in Six Mile include Dr. Peek’s hospital and
The name for the small town of Six Mile nursing school downtown and the nearby
Central is a warm and inviting community is linked to the local legend of Issaqueena, Issaqueena Bombing Range.
that welcomes visitors and neighbors to join an Indian maiden. As the story goes,
them in its annual festivals – the Central Issaqueena set out on horseback to warn Descendants of the original settlers still
Railroad Festival in the fall, Christmas her lover, an English trader named Francis populate the town along with many new
Parade, and Spring Car Show. The town is Allen, of an impending Cherokee attack. As residents as well.
also becoming known for its recreational she rode, Issaqueena numbered the creeks
options, such as having Clemson University’s and landmarks she crossed on her 96-mile Year-round the Six Mile community comes
“home” disc golf course, and seven miles of journey, hence Six Mile. together for annual events including Memorial
trails for mountain biking. Day, Independence Day, Christmas celebrations,
Six Mile’s Main Street approximates a and the Community Trick or Treat. In the spring,
section of the Cherokee Trading Path. the downtown has a weekly farmer’s market. Town of Six Mile
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