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58-587: The Florence—Robbins Line began in Florence, South Carolina at a junction with the Atlantic Coast Line's Main Line. From Florence, it ran west-southwest to Sumter , which was a hub for the company and a connection with some of their other lines. From Sumter, the line continued southwest to Denmark and Cope before coming to an end at Robbins (just east of Augusta, Georgia ), where it connected with

116-417: A city manager to serve as chief administrative officer to run the day-to-day business of the city. This individual serves at the pleasure of the council. A mayor is elected to serve as the chairman of the city council; both the mayor and the councilmen serve four-year terms. Six councilmen, who are not subject to term limits , are elected by ward, whereas the mayor is elected at-large. Sumter City Council

174-674: A court decision to remand the approval of the merger on May 13, 1965, citing the Clayton Antitrust Act . Following another round of court decisions in 1966, the merger was allowed to proceed, and did so on July 1, 1967. The result was the creation of the Seaboard Coast Line . The backbone of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was its main line, which ran nearly 900 miles from Richmond, Virginia to just south of Tampa, Florida . By 1952,

232-443: A household in the city was $ 31,590, and for a family was $ 38,668. Males had a median income of $ 27,078 versus $ 22,002 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 16,949. About 13.0% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over. Sumter adopted the council–manager form of government on June 11, 1912. The city council appoints

290-815: A hub for business in the east-central portion of South Carolina. Local and nearby sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places include: On September 17, 2024, the National Park Service announced that the City of Sumter and Sumter County were jointly named a World War II Heritage City . Known as the Gamecock City, Sumter lies near the geographic center of the state of South Carolina at 33°55′37″N 80°21′49″W  /  33.92694°N 80.36361°W  / 33.92694; -80.36361 (33.926942, -80.363541). Sumter

348-673: A regulatory climate in Virginia that was better suited to the company than that in other states, the ACL of Virginia took control of the other lines and subsequently shortened its name to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company. In 1898, Petersburg Railroad and the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad formally merged, and two years later the combined company took control of the ACL's routes south of Virginia and

406-647: A return trip to the American Legion World Series hosted by Shelby, NC in 2008 and 2009. Palmetto Tennis Center is a new state-of-the-art tennis court in Palmetto Park. The tennis center has 24 official size tennis courts. It hosts numerous youth, collegiate, and professional tournaments each year. Sumter Memorial Stadium is home to Sumter High School's Gamecocks, Marvin Montgomery Field at Donald L. Crolley Memorial Stadium

464-522: A safer, more comfortable means of transportation. In recent years, SWRTA added natural gas-powered buses to its small fleet, and has plans to expand. Swan Lake Iris Gardens is the only public park in the United States containing all eight known species of swan . The lake is dotted with islands and wildlife. The park is also home to some of the nation's most intensive plantings of Japanese Iris , which bloom yearly in mid to late May and last until

522-529: A youth baseball park in his honor. Sumter is also the home of pro basketball star Ray Allen , who had an 18-year career in the NBA. Jordan Blackmon Montgomery (born December 27, 1992), nicknamed "Gumby", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2017. Before his professional career, Montgomery played college baseball for

580-570: Is 100 miles west of Myrtle Beach's Grand Strand and 175 miles east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Columbia , the state capital, is about 45 miles to the west, and Charleston is around 100 miles to the south. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 33.06 square miles (85.6 km ), of which 32.86 square miles (85.1 km ) is land and 0.20 square miles (0.52 km ) (0.60%)

638-549: Is a city in and the county seat of Sumter County, South Carolina , United States. The city makes up the Sumter, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area . Sumter County, along with Clarendon and Lee counties, form the core of Sumter–Lee–Clarendon tri-county (or East Midlands) area of South Carolina that includes three counties straddling the border of the Sandhills (or Midlands ), Pee Dee , and Lowcountry regions. The population

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696-546: Is held every Memorial Day weekend in May. The gardens also host a Christmas event with the nighttime Fantasy of Lights display, featuring more than 1,000,000 varicolored lights. It also hosts an annual Earth Day celebration. Riley Park is a 2,000-seat stadium primarily used for baseball , and was the home of Sumter Braves, a Single A Atlanta Braves affiliate that competed in the South Atlantic League. Riley Park

754-577: Is home to several collegiate institutions. The area is served by Morris College (a historically black (HBCU) private, four-year liberal arts college); Central Carolina Technical College (a public two-year technical college ); and the University of South Carolina Sumter . Sumter has a public library system that includes three branches of the Sumter County Library network. Sumter is home to Shaw Air Force Base , headquarters of

812-566: Is home to the Crestwood High School Knights, and Dr. J. Frank Baker Stadium is home to the Lakewood High School Gators. In the 1950s, Sumter was very strong in table tennis state champions, and in 1951, produced an All-American Table Tennis Tournament national men's champion Oliver Hoyt Stubbs. New York Yankees former second baseman Bobby Richardson is from Sumter. The town built and named

870-487: Is in connection with Shaw Air Force Base. SWRTA operates express shuttles and a bus service serving Sumter and the communities within the county. The authority was established in October 2002 after SCANA released ownership of public transportation back to the City of Sumter. Since 2003, SWRTA provides transportation for more than 10,000 passengers, has expanded route services, and introduced 15 new ADA accessible buses offering

928-696: Is now CSX's Orangeburg Subdivision . It is still connected to CSX's A Line (the former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad main line ) via the Lane Subdivision . The line's former designation, the Augusta Subdivision , is now used for the former Charleston and Western Carolina Railway from Augusta to Yemassee . The Creston Branch is still in service and is now CSX's Creston Subdivision . It connects with Norfolk Southern Railway 's SC Line at Pregnall. Sumter, South Carolina Sumter ( / ˈ s ʌ m t ər / SUM -tər )

986-709: Is one school district— Sumter School District —which serves both the City of Sumter and the rest of Sumter County. Sumter is home to Crestwood High School, Lakewood High School , and Sumter High School . Each public school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the State Department of Education. The area also includes the private institutions of Thomas Sumter Academy, Wilson Hall, Sumter Christian School, St. Anne Catholic School, St. Francis Xavier High School, Berea Junior Academy, and Westside Christian Academy. Sumter

1044-475: Is responsible for making policies and enacting laws, rules, and regulations to provide for future community and economic growth. The council is also responsible for providing the necessary support for the orderly and efficient operation of city services. Martha Priscilla Shaw , who was Sumter's first female mayor from 1952 to 1956, was also the first woman to serve as a mayor in South Carolina. There

1102-403: Is water. As of the 2020 census , there were 43,463 people, 15,605 households, and 9,925 families residing in the city. At the 2010 census , 40,541 people, 16,232 households, and 10,049 families resided in the city. The population density was 575.6 people/km (1,491 people/sq mi). The 16,032 housing units averaged 232.8 units/km (603 units/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city

1160-762: The Charleston and Western Carolina Railway (an Atlantic Coast Line subsidiary). The line's Creston Branch ran from the line at Creston east along the Santee River to Eutawville . From there, it turned south to Pregnall where it connected to the South Carolina Railroad . The first segment of the Florence—Robbins Line was built from Florence to Sumter by the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad in 1853. From Sumter to Denmark, it

1218-536: The Civil War , the town was an important supply and railroad repair center for the Confederacy . After the war, Sumter grew and prospered, using its large railroad network to supply cotton, timber, and by the start of the 20th century, tobacco to the region. During the 20th century, Sumter grew into a major industrial center. Still a unique business founded in 1923, Palmetto Pigeon Plant has grown into one of

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1276-588: The Gulf War . In response to the city's service, presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower through Barack Obama have visited the city and base. The base was named in honor of 1st Lt. Ervin David Shaw , one of the early Americans to fly combat missions in World War I . The Santee-Wateree Regional Transit Authority (SWRTA) is responsible for operating mass transit in greater Sumter area. The transit department

1334-708: The Louisville and Nashville Railroad as well as the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway , though the two were never merged into the ACL and were operated independently. The ACL acquired the East Carolina Railway in 1935, running south from Tarboro to Hookerton , although the 12-mile extension to Hookerton was abandoned in 1933. The ACL's last major acquisition was the Atlanta, Birmingham and Coast Railroad , which it purchased in 1927, though

1392-568: The Norfolk and Carolina Railroad , which operated from Norfolk, Virginia to Tarboro, North Carolina . These mergers created an ACL system reaching from southern Virginia to South Carolina and Georgia. Other small acquisitions took place in 1901, and in 1902 the ACL took over the Plant System , which operated numerous lines within Florida and Georgia. This same year the ACL took control of

1450-899: The Pennsylvania Railroad north of Washington, D. C., then via the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad from Washington to Richmond. Tampa/St. Petersburg trains used ACL rails south of Richmond all the way to their destinations. Trains for Miami ran on the Florida East Coast Railway from Jacksonville to Miami, but after passenger service on the FEC effectively ended with a long-lasting strike in 1963, ACL transferred its Miami-bound trains to Seaboard rails at Auburndale, Florida . New York-Florida routes: Midwest-Florida routes: Other routes: In Preston Sturges' 1942 comedy The Palm Beach Story , main character Gerry Jeffers ( Claudette Colbert ) boards

1508-788: The Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL). After the merger, the line from Florence to Augusta operated as their Augusta Subdivision. By 1971, only freight trains were operating on the line. In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System , creating the CSX Corporation . The CSX Corporation initially operated the Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation . In

1566-578: The United States Air Forces Central Command , United States Army Central , 15th Air Force , the 20th Fighter Wing , and many other tenant units. Since World War II, it has been a major source of federal and civilian employment in the area. Shaw's fighter planes consist of the F-16 Fighting Falcon , which is a versatile multirole fighter. F-16s dispatched from Shaw were the primary fighters used in

1624-480: The 1920s the railroad's main line from Richmond, Virginia to Jacksonville, Florida had been double-tracked, which benefited the railroad during the 1920s when Florida boomed. In 1928 the ACL completed a line between Perry, Florida and Drifton, near Monticello, Florida , the last link of the new " Perry Cutoff ". This created a more direct route between Chicago and Florida's west coast and bypassing Jacksonville, one which passed through Macon, Albany, and Thomasville,

1682-478: The 1920s the two largest shop sites were at South Rocky Mount, North Carolina and Waycross, Georgia , each of which employed about 2,000 workers. To handle extensions into Florida, in 1926 the ACL established the Uceta shops and yard outside of Tampa, Florida at a cost of $ 2 million. By the early 1900s the railroad had largely reached its final configuration and began to focus on upgrading its physical plant. By

1740-639: The 1950s, the ACL acquired some 13,000 new freight cars, to be used on high-speed trains offering reduced running times compared to earlier equipment. This allowed the railroad to remain competitive in the face of competition from the Interstate highway system . The ACL's passenger traffic consisted almost entirely of Florida-bound traffic, largely from the Northeast, but also from the Midwest via trains that were operated by multiple railroads and handled by

1798-432: The 1980s, CSX abandoned the line at the south end from just north of Robbins to Cope . Further north, CSX abandoned the line from Timmonsville to Lynchburg in 1989, which severed it as a through route from Florence to Sumter. Two years later, it was abandoned from Florence to Timmonsville. The segment from Sumter to Lynchburg was abandoned in 1992. Today, the line is still in service from just north of Sumter to Cope. It

Florence—Robbins Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

1856-595: The AB&;C was not merged into the ACL until 1945. Upon the formal incorporation of the ACL in 1900, an assessment was made of its repair and maintenance facilities. The oldest inherited shop site was at Wilmington, North Carolina , which dated to 1840. The shops in Florence, South Carolina were a bit more modern, having been upgraded in 1883. However, the sprawling ACL system needed larger and more modern facilities to handle locomotive overhauls and freight car building. By

1914-635: The ACL at their southern ends. In 1939, in response to the Seaboard's popular new streamliner, the Silver Meteor , the ACL launched its first streamlined train, the all-coach Champion . ACL invested heavily in its passenger fleet after World War II but passenger revenue fell from $ 28.5 million in 1946 to $ 14.1 million in 1959. Until its 1967 merger the railroad continued to maintain and improve its passenger service, even replacing old stations with new. All of ACL's New York - Florida trains ran on

1972-578: The Depression. During World War II ACL's passenger traffic increased 200% and freight traffic 150%. The railroad provided a submarine-proof alternative to coastal shipping, and it also served the fast-emerging military industry in the Southeast. In 1942, Champion McDowell Davis (nicknamed "Champ") became president of the ACL after starting with the railroad in the 1890s as a messenger boy. He immediately began an improvement program that finished in

2030-551: The K Line, which then became known as the Florence—Spartanburg Line . The two daily passenger trains, one daily through freight, and other local freight trains continued to run from Florence to Augusta through the 1960s with separate freight trains running from Augusta to Spartanburg. The Atlantic Coast Line became the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL) in 1967 after merging with their rival,

2088-547: The South Carolina Gamecocks of the University of South Carolina. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ( reporting mark ACL ) was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967, it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad . Much of

2146-575: The W&;W and the W&M (renamed the Wilmington, Columbia & Augusta) began using the Atlantic Coast Line name to advertise the two lines. An investor from Baltimore, William T. Walters , gained control of these separate railroads after the Civil War , and operated them as a network of independent companies. In 1897–98, most of the South Carolina lines in Walters' system were consolidated under

2204-404: The beginning of June. The garden is also planted with camellias, azaleas, day lilies, and Japanese magnolias. A Braille Trail enables the sight-impaired to enjoy the scents and sensations of the gardens. This area was first developed in 1927 as a private fishing retreat by Hamilton Carr Bland, a local businessman. At the same time he was developing the 30 acres (12 ha) of swamp on what is now

2262-575: The company operated over 5,000 miles of track including the main line and numerous secondary lines and branch lines. The network extended as far west as Birmingham, Alabama and as far south as Everglades City, Florida at its height. During its early years, the ACL handled mostly seasonal agricultural products, but by World War II its freight traffic had become more diverse. During the 1950s, around 44% of all freight traffic consisted of manufactured and miscellaneous items, while bulk traffic like coal and phosphates also expanded during this time. During

2320-499: The end of 1960 was 5,570 not including A&WP, CN&L, East Carolina, Georgia, Rockingham, and V&CS. In 1960, ACL reported 10,623 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 490 million passenger-miles. The earliest predecessor of the ACL was the Petersburg Railroad between Petersburg, Virginia , and a point near Weldon, North Carolina , founded in 1830. A route between Richmond, Virginia , and Petersburg

2378-527: The end of the 1991 season. Riley continues to be the home of the P-15s, an American Legion baseball team with a long history of success. The P-15s have won 15 state titles including in 1940, 1950, 1952, 1962, 1977, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2011. They advanced to the 2006 American Legion World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where they finished fourth nationally. The P-15s made

Florence—Robbins Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

2436-557: The largest producers of squab , poussin (chicken), cornish game hen , and silkie chickens in the world. Starting with the opening of Shaw Air Force Base (now home to the 9th Air Force, 20th Fighter Wing, and United States Army Central) in 1941, industry grew, especially after World War II. Sumter became increasingly known for textiles , manufacturing , biotech industries, special chemistry (Branch of Swiss-based Ems-Chemie ), thriving retail environment, and medical center of its region in addition to agricultural products, which makes it

2494-536: The line from Denmark south to connect with Charleston and Western Carolina Railway (C&WC) at Robbins. The C&WC was owned by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and operated as a subsidiary. By then, the Atlantic Coast Line classified the line from Florence to Robbins as their K Line and trains would continue from Robbins on the C&;WC to Augusta, Georgia . By 1949, the Atlantic Coast Line operated two daily passengers trains and two daily through freight trains on

2552-520: The line from Florence to Augusta. Additional local freight trains also ran the line from Florence to Sumter and from Sumter to Augusta as well. Local freight trains ran the Creston Branch six days a week at this time as well. In 1959, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad fully merged the Charleston and Western Carolina Railway into its network. The Atlantic Coast Line then annexed the former C&WC from Robbins to Spartanburg, South Carolina to

2610-493: The mid-1950s, including the rebuilding of several hundred miles of track, the installation of modern signaling systems and improvements to freight yards . The railroad spent at least $ 268 million in upgrading its physical plant during this period. On June 30, 1955, the railroad retired its last steam locomotive. In 1956 the railroad moved its headquarters, which had been sited at and adjacent to Wilmington, North Carolina's Union Station to Jacksonville, Florida . Jacksonville

2668-483: The name of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of South Carolina. In 1898, as the companies moved towards combining themselves into a single system, the lines in Virginia were combined into the new Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of Virginia, and the lines in North Carolina underwent a similar process in 1899, becoming the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of North Carolina. In 1899 or 1900, due to

2726-424: The north side of West Liberty Street, he was landscaping the grounds of his home with Japanese iris . They failed miserably, and after consulting expert horticulturists from as far away as New York, he ordered his gardener to dig up the bulbs and dump them at the swamp. The following spring, they burst into bloom. The park is host to events and festivals throughout the year, including the annual "Iris Festival" which

2784-570: The original ACL network has been part of CSX Transportation since 1986. The Atlantic Coast Line served the Southeast , with a concentration of lines in Florida. Numerous named passenger trains were operated by the railroad for Florida-bound tourists, with the Atlantic Coast Line contributing significantly to Florida's economic development in the first half of the 20th century. At the end of 1925, ACL operated 4,924 miles of road, not including its flock of subsidiaries; after some merging, mileage at

2842-508: The potential unified system. The results showed that the merger could save considerable money through savings incurred and reduced expenditures to the amount of $ 38 million annually. On August 18, 1960, the merger was approved by shareholders of both railroads. In 1963, a merger between the two companies was approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission , however, petitions for reconsideration were filed leading to

2900-626: The route followed by ACL's passenger train Southland from December 1928 to 1957 when it was rerouted to Jacksonville. During the Great Depression ACL's freight traffic declined by around 60%, but the railroad survived the 1930s without declaring bankruptcy; its success in this regard has been attributed to its leadership and careful financial practices, as well as owning the Louisville and Nashville, which remained strong through

2958-607: The time it was complete in 1889, the Manchester and Augusta Railroad, along with the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad and the Charleston, Sumter and Northern Railroad, were all considered to be part of the group of independent railroads known as the Atlantic Coast Line. The lines were formally merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1898. On June 30, 1899, the Atlantic Coast Line extended

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3016-478: Was 43,463 at the 2020 census , making it the 9th-most populous city in the state. Incorporated as Sumterville in 1845, the city's name was shortened to Sumter in 1855. It has grown and prospered from its early beginnings as a plantation settlement. The city and county of Sumter bear the name of General Thomas Sumter , the "Fighting Gamecock" of the American Revolutionary War . During

3074-529: Was 47.07% Caucasian, 47.03% Black, 0.23% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.37% of the population. Of the 14,564 households,h 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were not families. About 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who

3132-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14. In the city, the population was distributed as 27.8% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males. The median income for

3190-608: Was built by the Manchester and Augusta Railroad . The Manchester and Augusta Railroad was chartered in 1870, but it was not completed until 1899. The Creston Branch was chartered and built by the Eutawville Railroad in 1885. The Manchester and Augusta Railroad gained ownership of the Eutawville Railroad in 1887 and by 1890, its name was changed to the Charleston, Sumter and Northern Railroad . By

3248-537: Was built by the Richmond & Petersburg Railroad , which was founded in 1836. In 1840 the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad , at the time known as the Wilmington and Raleigh and renamed in 1855, completed a route between Weldon and Wilmington, North Carolina . From Wilmington, the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad began operations in 1853 to Florence, South Carolina , where the Northeastern Railroad operated to Charleston, South Carolina . In 1871,

3306-652: Was home to the Braves from 1985 until 1990, when the team left Sumter for Macon, Georgia . Notable Sumter Braves who went on to Major League success include Tom Glavine , David Justice , Kevin Brown (right-handed pitcher) , Mark Wohlers , Ryan Klesko , and Vinny Castilla . The Braves were replaced by the Sumter Flyers in 1991, a Single A Montreal Expos affiliate. The Flyers, however, left Sumter after one season. No professional baseball team has competed in Sumter since

3364-403: Was selected from three candidate cities, the other two being Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina . Construction of the new office complex was finished in July 1960, with the move from Wilmington completed over the following weeks. As early as October 1958 the ACL and competitor Seaboard Air Line Railroad had discussed the possibility of a merger, initiating extensive studies on

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