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Clover, South Carolina, is a town in York County

Convenient to Both Charlotte NC, and Lake Wylie SC,

Legend has it that the “Clover” town name originated from the spilling of water from a 5,000-gallon train depot water tank that resulted in a clover patch growing. As a result, the train crews referred to the stop as “Clover Patch,” and it was eventually shortened to just “Clover.”

Clover was chartered on December 24, 1887, by the South Carolina General Assembly.

Town Motto: “The Town with Love in the Middle”

Per the 2010 United States Census, the Town of Clover is 4.46 square miles.

Per the 2020 United States Census, the population of Clover was 6,671.

Per the 2010 United States Census, the population of Clover was 5,094.

Clover is located within the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia Metropolitan Statistical Area or MSA. These are determined by the United States Office of Management and Budget or OMB. A Metropolitan Statistical Area is an urban area with a population of 50,000 or greater. The Metropolitan Statistical Area, at a minimum, must be comprised of at least one urbanized area. The purpose of Metropolitan Statistical Areas is to bring together related areas, typically counties and cities, into defined geographic ranges to calculate population and statistical data related to that population.

The counties that comprise the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia Metropolitan Statistical Area in South Carolina are Chester, Lancaster, and York counties. In North Carolina; Anson: Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, and Union counties. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia Metropolitan Statistical Area population was 2,660,329. This was an increase of 416,369 people from the 2010 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia MSA U.S. Census, which totaled 2,243,960. Based on just population, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia Metropolitan Statistical Area is the 23^rd largest in the United States and the largest within North Carolina and South Carolina.

York County was established in 1785. York County had a population of 282,090 per the 2020 U.S. Census. This is an increase of 56,017 from the 2010 U.S. Census of 226,073. In one-hundred-year comparisons, the 1820 U.S. Census, the population was calculated at 14,936. In the 1920 U.S. Census, the population calculation totaled 50,536.

The York County seat is the City of York, and per the 2020 U.S. Census, the City of York’s population was 8,503. The largest municipality within York County is Rock Hill, and per the 2020 U.S. Census, Rock’s population was 74,372.

A Brief Historical Overview of Clover and York County

Early Inhabitants

Archaeological sites throughout the region have uncovered evidence of Native Americans inhabiting the rich lands of the Catawba-Wateree River Basin dating back more than 5,000 years. The Catawba-Wateree River Basin, because of the fertile land and abundant wildlife, was home to thousands of Native Americans through the millenniums.

It is believed that Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto’s 1540 expedition may have traveled through present-day York County. The exact route of his expedition is not known for certain, however, de Soto was heading in a northern direction searching for a large Cherokee village called Guaquili believed to have been in present-day Catawba County, North Carolina. Since the beginning of European exploration, the Catawba Indians were the predominantly Native American people found within York County. So, there is a high likelihood that the expedition came through the area, if not present-day York County.

The chroniclers of Spanish explorer Juan Pardo’s 1567 expedition documented the expedition’s encounter with the Catawba people near the Catawba River in present-day York County. As with de Soto’s route, Pardo’s exact route is not certain. Nonetheless, more can be gleaned from the written record. The written record is found in Vandera’s narratives of Pardo’s expedition.

The Spanish were unsuccessful in gaining a permanent foothold in the North American Continent other than present-day Florida. However, Spanish-led and sponsored raids were continued on colonial settlements; Charles Town (Charleston, South Carolina) was unsuccessfully attacked in 1706 by combined Spanish and French forces.

Colonial Period

York County was formed in 1785 from the Camden District. Could the area that makes up present-day Clover, South Carolina, have once been in North Carolina? Clover is located in the top quadrant of York County. The boundaries of North Carolina and South Carolina have been fluid since the initial separation of the Carolina colony in 1712. Initially, the northern section of present-day York County was part of the mega North Carolina Bladen County (1734 to 1750). Bladen County was so massive at that time it spanned over three hundred miles to the present-day Tennessee border.

The same present-day northern section of York County was considered to be in Anson County, North Carolina. In 1750, Bladen County was divided, and Anson County was created (1750 to 1762). Anson County was reduced in size in 1762, and a larger than present-day Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, was formed, including that present-day northern York County.

In 1768, Tryon County, North Carolina, was established, which comprised all of North Carolina west of the Catawba River and south of Rowan County. The upper present-day North York County would be part of Tryon County until 1779, when Tryon County was abolished. South Carolina counties were officially established in 1785. The North Carolina and South Carolina border was not totally resolved for the “first time” until 1815. Ironically, state boundary disputes between North Carolina and South Carolina have been in the news as recently as five years ago.

The actual boundaries or how far south into York County these border claims went is up for historical debate. However, Clover is only three miles south of the current North Carolina state line, so there is a likelihood that it was within the border claims of one of the North Carolina counties during the 1700s.

The American Revolution

Kings Mountain National Military Park is around five miles to the west of Clover. The American Revolutionary Battle of Kings Mountain was an important strategic victory for Patriot forces in the south. As with many revolutions, they devolve into quasi-civil wars, with neighbors settling old scores and utilizing extreme brutality to accomplish this score-settling. Atrocities were committed by both sides in the conflict, which led to a great deal of mutual animosity between the combatants and the citizenry.

Major Patrick Ferguson, commanding a British force of around 1,100 men, was considered one of Lord Cornwallis’ top officers. His force of around 1,100 was comprised of around 125 Loyalist Militia, meaning probably limited military training. The balance of his force were Loyalist supporters who probably had firearms and probably knew how to use their firearms. However, not necessarily in all cases.

Ferguson and his force were patrolling in the western part of South Carolina and North Carolina. These patrols were in attempts to pacify the citizenry. In all likelihood, this pacification was attempted by showing force and intimidating Patriot supporters. When Loyalists were encountered on these patrols, Ferguson attempted to harden their spirits and recruit men to join his patrol.

As a part of this “pacification program,” Ferguson spread the word to the Patriot citizenry that the Patriots must lay down their arms or suffer severe consequences. Legend has it that Ferguson was threatening to come over the Appalachian Mountains and burn homes and crops of Patriots if they did not comply. This resulted in the “Overmountain Men,” the frontiersmen who Ferguson was referencing, to not only band together, but legend has it that many of these Overmountain Men ran all the way to Kings Mountain to avoid missing the coming battle.

When Ferguson realized he had stirred up a hornet’s nest, he began to fall back toward Cornwallis’ main force now in Charlotte. By this time, a Patriot force comprised of between 1,100 to 1,600 men had been raised and were in close pursuit of Ferguson and his force. The Patriot forces were comprised primarily of militiamen from North Carolina; however, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee Militiamen were well represented. The majority of these Virginia and Tennessee Militiamen were Overmountain Men.

Loyalist spies informed Ferguson that the Patriot forces would be catching up with his forces, and he realized he needed to find a defendable position. He elected the top of Kings Mountain to make his stand; this was October 7, 1780. Kings Mountain provided high ground for the Loyalist forces, which is generally advantageous. However, the slopes were forested, which provided cover for advancing Patriot forces.

While the slopes of Kings Mountain had an abundance of trees, the summit was relatively long and flat, void of trees or other cover. This lack of cover on the summit and this abundance of cover on the slopes proved pivotable to the Patriot victory. Major Patrick Ferguson was killed, and momentum quickly went to the Patriot forces. Of the Loyalist Militia and Loyalists, 157 were killed, 163 were seriously wounded, and 698 were captured. The Patriot force lost 28 killed with 64 seriously wounded. Shortly after the battle, nine Loyalists were summarily hanged.

Early Settlers

The area that would become York County was first settled in the 1750s. For the most part, these settlers from Pennsylvania were arriving via the “Great Wagon Road.” The Great Wagon Road originated in Philadelphia with a relatively direct route through Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and concluding in Georgia as the road developed. These original settlers of European descent were mostly Scotch-Irish from Pennsylvania and were Presbyterians. The Scotch-Irish of York County during the American Revolution were known as fervent Patriots. It is said in York County, “a Tory (British Loyalist) was a rare bird.”

The vast majority of York County’s early settlers were subsistence farmers on small farms. York County did have around twenty plantations at one time. The future Clover area was, for the most part, rural and undeveloped as compared to the eastern and the southern areas of the county before and after the American Revolution.

Like so many towns and cities in the 1800s, Clover came into existence because of the railroad. The Chester & Lenoir Narrow Gauge Railroad arrived in Clover in 1874. This train stop brought economic development to Clover and the surrounding area. The railroad establishing a stop in the future Clover is reported due to a man named William Beatty Smith. W.B. Smith constructed a train depot at his own expense and became the station master. Around this time, W.B. Smith constructed a general store at Main Street and Kings Mount Street.

The railroad provided farmers with new markets for their crops and the ability to grow cash crops such as cotton. Cotton cultivation was a major cash crop in York County in the 1800s into the early 1900s. Harvesting timber was a major activity in York County, and the railroad played a major role in making this activity profitable.

The Railroad

Clover capitalized as the halfway point between Gastonia, North Carolina, and Chester, South Carolina. Clover received its first post office in 1884. Clover’s first U.S. Census in 1880 calculated the population at 73. Within twenty years, the 1900 U.S. Census calculated the population at 961.

W.B. Smith established the Clover Cotton Manufacturing Company in 1898. This was the first industry in Clover and helps to explain the population increase in the 1900 U.S. Census. American Thread and Bowling Green Spinning Mill soon followed the opening of Clover Cotton Manufacturing. Former cotton farmers were leaving the farm to come work in the cotton mills.

The 20^th Century

Two more major textile mills were established in Clover in the early 20^th century. Hawthorn Spinning Mill was established in 1916. The Hampshire Spinning Company was established in 1922 in Clover.

The Clover Presbyterian Church was founded in the early 1900s. A two-story public school was constructed on Kings Mountain Street and Church Street around the turn of the century. This was the first school in Clover. Another larger school was completed in 1910 to accommodate population growth. An addition was added to this school in 1921 to address the growing population.

Textiles had been the economic driver of Clover from the turn of the 20^th century. This is all began to change in the 1970s and 1980s when low-cost imported textile products began competing with American produce textile products. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed into law in 1993 was a trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. NAFTA quickened the deterioration of domestic textile production. Labor demand for textile workers had already been happening for decades because of automation within the textile industry; however, NAFTA hastened this trend.

As the Clover economy moved away from textiles, other industries moved to the area. The four largest employers in Clover are Performance Friction, Cap Yarns, Honeywell, and the Clover School District. Clover has also turned into a bedroom community for some larger towns in the area.

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