Spartanburg’s German Connection

Spartanburg’s German Connection

Raise your hand if, when you think of Germans in Spartanburg, you think BMW? Me too—so I was surprised to learn that there are 27 German manufacturing companies in Spartanburg County and that the German community here predates BMW by decades, going back to the days when textiles were king of the manufacturing landscape. In the 1960s, part of Spartanburg’s strategy for keep

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A New Spin on History – Renovated Textile Mills

A New Spin on History – Renovated Textile Mills

By Brad Wright, produced in cooperation with the HubCity Writers Project. For anyone who doesn’t know, Spartanburg takes its nickname of “Hub City” from the town’s history as a crossroads for multiple regional rail lines. The engine that propelled the commerce supporting those tracks was the then thriving textile industry. Spartanburg boasted numerous textile mills th

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Railroads in Spartanburg – Creating the Hub City

Railroads in Spartanburg – Creating the Hub City

By Sharon Purvis, produced in cooperation with the HubCity Writers Project. Hub City Farmers Market, Hub City Writers Project, Hub-bub, Hub Diggity, the Culinary Hub—it’s impossible not to notice that an awful lot of businesses around Spartanburg have “hub” or “hub city” in the name. To find out why, I paid a visit to the Hub City Railroad Museum on Magnolia Stree

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Spartanburg Taking to the Skies

Spartanburg Taking to the Skies

By Sharon Purvis, produced in cooperation with the HubCity Writers Project. When Charles Lindbergh visited South Carolina on his tour of the 48 states following his historic Atlantic crossing in 1927, he came to Spartanburg for the simple reason that it was, at the time, the only airport in the state. I had flown into and out of Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport

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Grist for the Mill

Grist for the Mill

By Meredith Hardwicke, produced in cooperation with the HubCity Writers Project. For those with a love of history in their blood, it’s no secret that Spartanburg is abundant in centuries-old treasures. And because Spartanburg is a community intent on preserving its heritage, there is no shortage of efforts here to preserve our historical landmarks for the next generatio

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An African-American Tour of Spartanburg

An African-American Tour of Spartanburg

By Bea Hill, produced in cooperation with the HubCity Writers Project. For tourists interested in seeing African-American history and culture spots in Spartanburg, there are some great places to visit. Black history in Spartanburg County goes back at least 225 years. At the Regional History Museum (200 East Saint John Street), you will find materials related to the Civil Righ

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