Editing Lexington, South Carolina (section)

==History==
===Colonial Period===
[[File:Lexington, SC Main Street 1916.jpg|thumb|Lexington, SC Main Street (1916)]]
[[File:Lexington, SC 2019 Christmas Parade.jpg|right|thumb|Lexington 2019 Christmas Parade]]
In 1735, the colonial government of [[George II of Great Britain|King George II]] established 11 townships in backcountry South Carolina to encourage settlement and to provide a buffer between [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes to the west and colonial plantations in the [[Lowcountry]]. The townships included one named Saxe Gotha, which flourished with major crops of corn, wheat, tobacco, hemp, and flax as well as beeswax and livestock, and its residents were primarily of [[Germany|German]] and [[Switzerland|Swiss]] heritage.<ref name="Lexington History" />  Two major Native American trails existed in the area: the [[Cherokee Path]], primary route of English and Scots traders from [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charlestown]] to Native Americans in the [[Appalachian Mountains]], and the [[Trading Path|Occaneechi Path]], which connected natives from the [[Chesapeake Bay]] region to [[North Carolina]], [[South Carolina]], and [[Georgia (United States)|Georgia]].<ref name="Lexington History" />

In 1785, the name Saxe Gotha was replaced with Lexington County in commemoration of the [[Battles of Lexington and Concord]] in [[Massachusetts]]. In 1781, the Battle of Muddy Springs was fought to the south of the present-day town and the Battle of Tarrar Springs was fought within the present-day town limits.<ref>{{cite web |title=The American Revolution in South Carolina |url=https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/sc_revolution_engagements_lexington_county.html |website=carolana.com |access-date=July 25, 2022}}</ref>

===Post-revolution===
Until 1820, [[Granby, South Carolina|Granby]] was the county seat of Lexington County, but chronic flooding forced the local government to move the courthouse to its present location in Lexington. The area was known by locals as the "Lexington Courthouse" and was not incorporated as the Town of Lexington until 1861.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.carolana.com/SC/Towns/Lexington_SC.html|title=A History of Lexington}}</ref><ref name="Lexington History">{{cite web |title=Lexington History |url=https://www.lexsc.com/329/Lexington-History |website=lexsc.com |publisher=Town of Lexington |access-date=July 25, 2022}}</ref>

During [[Sherman's March to the Sea]] in the [[American Civil War]], much of the town of Lexington was destroyed by Union forces as they protected [[William Tecumseh Sherman|William Sherman's]] western flank as Union troops attacked Columbia. Most of the town of Lexington, including the courthouse, were torched and burned. Like much of the South after the Civil War, Lexington struggled economically, but local farms and the lumber industry helped stabilize the economy after [[Reconstruction Era|Reconstruction]]. Many current brick buildings were built in the aftermath of severe fires in 1894 and 1916.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lexsc.com/lexington_history_index.htm |title=Town of Lexington - History |access-date=January 1, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207105127/http://www.lexsc.com/lexington_history_index.htm |archive-date=December 7, 2014 }}</ref> By the 1890s, the Columbia to Augusta Railroad and the Lexington Textile Mill prompted the town to grow.

With the advent of the automobile in the 1920s and its mass production in the 1940s and 1950s, Lexington continued to grow as a suburb of [[Columbia, South Carolina|Columbia]]. Additionally, the creation of [[Lake Murray (South Carolina)|Lake Murray]] in 1930 encouraged many to move to Lexington. Between the 1990 Census and the 2000 Census, Lexington's population increased by 198%, and by 83% between the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]] and the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]].

===Recent history=== 
[[File:Welcome Sign, Lexington, SC.png|thumb|left|Welcome Sign, Lexington, SC off of Highway 378]]
[[File:Gibson Pond -- Lexington, SC.jpg|thumb|Gibson Pond &ndash; Lexington, SC]]
{{main|Move Over Law}}

The "move over law", a law that requires drivers to change lanes when there is a stopped emergency vehicle on the side of the road, originated in Lexington. James D. Garcia, a [[paramedic]], was struck and injured at an accident scene on January 28, 1994, after attempting to assist a driver that had slid off of the road. The [[South Carolina Highway Patrol]] listed Garcia at fault, leading to his work to create this law. The [[South Carolina General Assembly]] passed the "move over law" (SC 56–5–1538) 1996 and was revised in 2002 to increase the ease of enforcement and fines.<ref>{{cite web |title=ERSI MEMBER LEADS MOVE OVER LAW BATTLE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND WINS! |url=https://www.respondersafety.com/news/news/2008/03/ersi-member-leads-move-over-law-battle-in-south-carolina-and-wins/ |website=respondersafety.net |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lawserver.com/law/state/south-carolina/sc-code/south_carolina_code_title_56_chapter_5|title=South Carolina Code > Title 56 > Chapter 5 - Uniform Act Regulating Traffic On Highways - LawServer|work=LawServer}}</ref> A version of the "move over law" is now in effect in all fifty U.S. states and the [[District of Columbia]]; [[Hawaii]] was the last to pass legislation in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jenkins |first1=Scott |title=What Is the Move Over Law, and Which States Have It? |url=https://www.motorbiscuit.com/move-over-law-states/ |website=Motorbiscuit |date=June 25, 2021 |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref>

On August 16, 1994, Lexington was struck by an F-3 tornado, generated from the remnants of [[Tropical Storm Beryl (1994)|Tropical Storm Beryl]], resulting in over 40 injuries and $50 million in damages. From the same tropical storm, 21 other tornados were reported throughout the state, including six in Lexington County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/ClimateData/1994_tornado_stats.php|title=South Carolina State Climatology Office|date=July 17, 2018|work=SC.gov}}</ref>

A Murphy Express gas station on [[U.S. Route 1 in South Carolina|Augusta Highway]] in Lexington sold a $400 million winning [[Powerball]] ticket on September 18, 2013. At the time, it was the fifth largest winning ticket of any United States lottery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/19/studentnews/powerball-jackpot/index.html|title=$400 million Powerball lottery ticket sold in South Carolina - CNN.com|author=Saeed Ahmed and Chuck Johnston, CNN|date=September 19, 2013|work=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/19/winning-ticket-powerball-jackpot/2835103/|title=Winner of $400M Powerball may remain anonymous|date=September 19, 2013|work=USA TODAY}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/23471822/winning-powerball-ticket-sold-in-lexington-sc|title=Winner of $399M Powerball ticket sold in Lexington unknown|author=Casey Vaughn|date=September 19, 2013}}</ref>

In 2015, remnants from [[Hurricane Joaquin]] brought historic flooding to South Carolina. In Lexington, extreme flooding resulted in the destruction of Gibson Park Dam, which led to the subsequent failure of the Old Mill Dam. Gibson Park Dam (pictured right) was reconstructed and opened to the public in 2021; Old Mill Dam was reconstructed in 2022. The flooding additionally resulted in the destruction of several roads and businesses in the town.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lexington dams close to being repaired after 2015 flood |url=https://www.wltx.com/article/news/local/lexington-dams-nearing-end-of-reconstruction-following-2015-flood-south-caroina/101-871d07fa-49b5-4c5b-a7fd-d8e9229ce368 |website=WLTX |date=May 25, 2022 |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lexington celebrates reopening of Gibson Park with community cookout |url=https://www.wltx.com/article/news/local/lexington-celebrates-reopening-of-gibson-park/101-c0fabaff-eaee-4a7e-af7a-43b92089264e |website=WLTX |date=November 9, 2021 |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref> {{see also|October 2015 North American storm complex#Impact}}

===National Register of Historic Places===
[[File:Ballentine-Shealy House.jpg|thumb|The [[Ballentine-Shealy House]] c. 1870.]]
Buildings listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] include:<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* The [[Ballentine-Shealy House]]
* [[Bank of Western Carolina]]
* [[W. Q. M. Berly House]]
* [[William Berly House]]
* [[Lemuel Boozer House]]
* [[C.E. Corley House]]
* [[Fox House (Lexington, South Carolina)|Fox House]]
* [[Gunter-Summers House]]
* [[James Harman Building]]
* [[Ernest L. Hazelius House]]
* [[John Solomon Hendrix House]]
* [[John Jacob Hite Farm]]
* [[Home National Bank]]
* [[Lexington County Courthouse]]
* [[Henry Lybrand Farm]]
* [[Maj. Henry A. Meetze House]]
* [[Old Batesburg-Leesville High School]]
* [[Charlton Rauch House]]
* [[David Rawl House]]
* [[Simmons-Harth House]]
* [[James Stewart House (Lexington, South Carolina)|James Stewart House]]
* [[Vastine Wessinger House]]
{{Div col end}}