Union in Union County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Lynching in America
⎯⎯⎯
Lynching in Union County after 1877

Community Remembrance Project

Lynching in America<br>(<i>west side of marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, April 21, 2022

1. Lynching in America
(west side of marker)

Inscription. Lynching in America During the Reconstruction period that followed emancipation in 1865, thousands of Black people were lynched by white people intent on maintaining racial hierarchy. Federal officials ended Reconstruction in 1877 when they ceded political control of the South back to Confederate veterans and largely abandoned efforts to protect Black people in the region. In the era of racial terror that followed, emboldened white leaders opposed to racial equality continued to re-establish white supremacy through intimidation and violence. Between 1877 and 1950, white mobs lynched at least 4,400 Black people. Lynchings included the hanging, shooting, burning, torture and mutilation of Black people, sometimes in front of crowds numbering in the thousands. Although armed and responsible for protecting those in their custody, law enforcement frequently failed to protect Black individuals and communities from lynch mobs, and white people regularly kidnapped Black victims from jails, prisons, and courtrooms. The impact of lynchings resulted in injustice that continues today. Although the names of many victims may never be

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known at least 189 racial terror lynchings have been documented in South Carolina, with at least 19 known to have taken place in Union County between 1865 and 1950. The names included here represent the lives stolen and promise lost.

Lynching in Union County after 1877 Lynchings by white mobs continued for decades as a tool of racial terrorism to maintain white supremacy. On June 26, 1889, a white mob lynched Andrew McKnight in a Black church cemetery near Kelton, after he was accused of making inappropriate comments towards white women. In January of 1900, Rufus Salter, a young prosperous Black farmer accused of arson, was lynched at his home near West Springs. Weeks later, a Governor’s proclamation implied he was innocent. In June 1906, Mose Hughes was lynched and his bound body was thrown into the Tyger River near Delta. One of the lynchers later declared, “This looks like a white man’s country now.” In 1930, law enforcement failed to prevent the lynching of Dan Jenkins, a 23-year-old Black man. Mr. Jenkin’s body was riddled with 500 bullets on Santuc Road, after a white woman accused him of assault, despite no investigation or

Lynching in Union County after 1877<br>(<i>east side of marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, April 25, 2022

2. Lynching in Union County after 1877
(east side of marker)

fair trial. Black people faced a presumption of guilt after any allegation of wrongdoing and were frequently deprived of equal protection under the law. Public officials, media, and the legal system allowed white people to kill with impunity, intending to create an atmosphere of terror. Black leaders like Rev. A.A. Sims and Dr. L.W. Long organized resistance including establishing a Black high school, a Black community hospital, and Black businesses in response to racial inequities. Churches became the cornerstone for Black resilience and still are to this day.

Erected 2021 by Union County Community Remembrance Project, Equal Justice Initiative.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Law Enforcement • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Lynching in America series list. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1900.

Location. 34° 42.895′ N, 81° 37.539′ W. Marker is in Union, South Carolina, in Union County. It is on West Main Street (South Carolina Route 49) west of South Herndon Street, on the left when traveling

Lynching in America image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, April 21, 2022

3. Lynching in America

(looking east • Main Street on left • Union County Courthouse in left background)

west. Located directly south across West Main Street from the Union County Courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Union SC 29379, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate

and in the Olde English District. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Reconstruction Era Lynchings in Union County / Union County Jail Raid Massacre (here, next to this marker); John Pratt (a few steps from this marker); Union Community Hospital (within shouting distance of this marker); Union County Lynchings of 1871 (within shouting distance of this marker); Union County Jail (within shouting

Lynching in Union County after 1877 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, April 25, 2022

4. Lynching in Union County after 1877

(looking northwest • Main Street on right)

distance of this marker); Union County Confederate Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Union County Revolutionary War (within shouting distance of this marker); Union Mill (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Union.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . . Union County Community Remembrance Project.

Current research has documented a staggering 18 confirmed victims of lynching in Union County – from the Union County Jail Raid in 1871 which was one of the largest Klan jail raids in the southeast through lynchings as late as 1934. We have placed 3 historical markers to lynching victims in downtown Union so that the truth of this traumatic history is accurately represented and acknowledged by the public.

(Submitted on April 25, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Lynching in America Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, April 21, 2022

5. Lynching in America Marker

(looking southeast • showing related marker on right)

Lynching in Union County after 1877 Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

6. Lynching in Union County after 1877 Marker

“A Replica marker of one side is located at the Equal Justice Initiatives' National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. The Equal Justice Initiative supports efforts to locally memorialize documented victims of racial violence and to educate communities about the history of racial injustice.” Mark Hilton

Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 24, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 915 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 24, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 6. submitted on October 14, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.

Lynching in America⎯⎯⎯Lynching in Union County after 1877

Community Remembrance Project

Lynching in America
⎯⎯⎯
Lynching in Union County after 1877