I wish I could settle this question for once and for all. My memory of South Carolina History tells me there are 7 counties in the actual Pee Dee Region. This is confirmed by some sources.
The Pee Dee Region of South Carolina is traditionally made up of seven counties:
“This seven-county region, named for the original Native American Pee Dee Indians who inhabited long ago and subsequently the Pee Dee Rivers, still offers the natural wonfers that attracted the Native Americans and early settlers.” Pee Dee Tourism.
Darlington
Dillon
Florence
Lee
Marion
Marlboro
Williamsburg
I see a lot of reference to Horry and Georgetown, but that is not the traditional designation for the area called the Pee Dee. Discover South Carolina does not include them in “Pee Dee Country.”
Wikipedia claims Horry and Georgetown but Wikipedia is written by anyone who wants to write and is the least reliable source out there. SCNow has a past article that says “the seven counties traditionally considered to be the Pee Dee.”
I need the SC History book– was that seventh grade or eighth grade? Any middle school teachers out there? I will check my copy of South Carolina- A History by Walter Edgar as soon as I get home.
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Since the mouth of the Pee Dee is in Georgetown, and the Little Pee Dee makes up the Marion/Horry county line, I’d personally have to agree w/ the Wikipedia article, and include Horry and Georgetown counties…
So Marlboro County gets included but Chesterfield County doesn’t? That should surprise a lot of folks in the Cheraw area. The Pee Dee River simply divides Marlboro from Chesterfield. It doesn’t make much sense to include one without the other.
Bill– Sciway has Chesterfield. http://www.sciway.net/photos/pee-dee-sc/#more
However, it only lists Florence, Darlington, Chesterfield, Marlboro, and Dillon counties. Every website seems to have a different interpretation.
I looked in both of Walter Edgars’ books, and he does not list a region – only as defined by the river.
I have emailed Dr. Edgar… maybe I will get a response!
I think it depends on whom you ask. Council of Governments lists Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, and Williamsburg counties. Pee Dee Tourism Commission was set up legislatively to include all but Chesterfield. The new Pee Dee Tourism Product Development Area set up by SCPRT brings Chesterfield into the Pee Dee. Northeastern Strategic Alliance includes Horry and Georgetown but leaves out Lee county. Traditionally, I believe it was to include all counties bordering the Great Pee Dee and Little Pee Dee Rivers.
I think a question that needs to be asked is when did the name “Pee Dee” come to refer to that particular region of SC. I did a cursory search on google and wikipedia, but couldn’t find the answer. The question is important because Lee County did not exist before 1902. (c.f http://www.familyhistory101.com/research-facts/sc.html). It was formed from parts of Darlington, Kershaw, and Sumter Counties, according to that site. I always thought is was just split off of Sumter, but I am no expert. So maybe the only part of Lee County that is in the Pee Dee is that part that was split off of Darlington County.
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