Business View Magazine | March 2019

177 FLORENCE South Carolina FULL LIFE. FULL FORWARD. I n March 2017, the City of Florence, South Carolina and Florence Down- town Development, a non-profit organization devoted to revitalizing and restoring civic pride in Downtown Florence, released a new community brand: “Full Life. Full Forward.” This new tagline was chosen to reflect a city that is full of energy and potential; a progressive and diverse com- munity that is attracting new industry and residents, and providing more op- portunities and amenities for its population of 40,000. Situated in the historical “Pee Dee” region of northeast South Carolina, early settlers in the area practiced subsistence farming and produced indigo, cot- ton, naval stores, and timber, which were shipped down the Great Pee Dee River to the port at Georgetown and exported. In the mid-19th century, the town became the junction of three major railroad systems: the Wilmington and Manchester, the Northeastern, and the Cheraw and Darlington. Gen. W. W. Harllee, the president of the W&M, built his home at the junction, and named the community “Florence” after his daughter. During the Civil War, the town was an important supply and railroad repair center for the Confederacy. After the war, Florence grew and prospered, using the railroad to supply its cotton, timber, and by the turn of the century, to- bacco. The City of Florence was chartered in 1871 and incorporated in 1890. During the 20th century, industry grew, especially after World War II, when