Editing Little Mountain, South Carolina

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Lead too short|date=November 2021}}{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Little Mountain, South Carolina
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Little-Mountain-RR-tracks-sc.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Railroad tracks and Church Street
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = SCMap-doton-LittleMountain.PNG
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Little Mountain, South Carolina
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[South Carolina]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in South Carolina|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Newberry County, South Carolina|Newberry]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = Jana W. Jayroe
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref  = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='45'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_sq_mi         = 1.52
|area_land_sq_mi          = 1.52
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
|population_total         = 249
|population_density_sq_mi = 163.82

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name="GR3"/>
|elevation_ft             = 614
|coordinates              = {{coord|34|11|43|N|81|24|50|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 29075
|area_code                = [[Area codes 803 and 839|803, 839]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 45-41965<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1231486<ref name="GR3">{{GNIS|1231486}}</ref>
|website                  = [http://www.littlemountainsc.com/ www.littlemountainsc.com]
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
|area_total_km2 = 3.94
|area_land_km2 = 3.94
|area_water_km2 = 0.00
|population_density_km2 = 63.25
}}
'''Little Mountain''' is a town in [[Newberry County, South Carolina|Newberry County]], [[South Carolina]], United States. The population was 291 at the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]]. The town took its name from nearby [[Little Mountain (South Carolina)|Little Mountain]]. <ref>{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n187 188]}}</ref>

==History==

[[Little Mountain (South Carolina)|The mountain]] is a monadnock, which is an isolated mountain or rock that has resisted the process of erosion and stands alone in an otherwise flat area.

The [[Little Mountain Historic District]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2003. <ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

===Early history===
The mountain was referred to as Ruff's Mountain until sometime in the 1800s. It was part of [[Lexington County, South Carolina|Lexington County]] until 1917 when the current border was established. Property in this area was not recorded in the Newberry County tax records until some time in the 1920s. The Eastern side of the mountain was once owned by Sam Birge, and later Arthur Kohn. It would change hands between the two several times before coming into the possession of the Derrick family in the 1930s. The other side, including what became the town of Little Mountain, was owned by Abraham N. Boland.

===The Town===
Frederick H. Dominick was appointed as postmaster in May 1852. Abraham Noah Boland was appointed as postmaster of the Little Mountain Post Office in 1888. The town was founded around a railroad station in 1890:<ref name="Brown">{{cite news |last = Brown|first = Robbie|title = One-Stoplight Town Seeks Just One Mayor|work = [[The New York Times]]|location = [[Manhattan]], [[New York (state)|New York]]|date = December 27, 2012|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/28/us/one-stoplight-town-is-looking-for-someone-anyone-to-be-mayor.html?_r=0|access-date = December 28, 2012}}</ref> Boland's farm became the site of the depot when the C. N. & L Railroad (Columbia, Newberry, & Laurens Railroad Company) began operation. The town was incorporated and Boland became the first mayor of the town. Today, Boland is considered the "Father of Little Mountain."

[[File:Partial Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024 - Little Mountain, SC.jpg|thumb|alt=Partial Solar Eclipse, Little Mountain, 2024|Partial Solar Eclipse seen from Little Mountain, SC on April 8, 2024]]
Early residents were farmers of corn, cotton and grain. The town has become a [[Commuter town|bedroom community]] for [[Columbia, South Carolina|Columbia]], the state capital, 30 miles to the southeast. <ref name= "Brown" />

===Education===
In 1892, a school was opened in a tenant house and taught by the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Rev. S. L. Nease. Later a one-room school building was built on an acre of land donated by Noah Boland. Increased enrollment brought a two-room building and finally, in 1908 the plans were made to build the present Little Mountain Elementary School. Several additions and modifications have been made to the building since its original construction.

==Geography==
Little Mountain is located at {{coord|34|11|43|N|81|24|50|W|type:city}} (34.195161, -81.413946).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 1.1&nbsp;square miles (2.7&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}), all land.

Little Mountain is located on Interstate 26 at Exit 85, which is approximately {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} from the heart of downtown.

===Climate===
{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = Little Mountain, South Carolina, 1981-2010 normals, extremes 1894-present
|single line = Y
| Jan high F = 51.9
| Feb high F = 56.5
| Mar high F = 63.8
| Apr high F = 71.9
| May high F = 79.4
| Jun high F = 85.8
| Jul high F = 88.9
| Aug high F = 87.0
| Sep high F = 81.4
| Oct high F = 72.2
| Nov high F = 63.4
| Dec high F = 54.3
|year high F = 
|Jan mean F = 42.3
|Feb mean F = 46.1
|Mar mean F = 52.8
|Apr mean F = 60.9
|May mean F = 68.9
|Jun mean F = 76.0
|Jul mean F = 79.1
|Aug mean F = 77.6
|Sep mean F = 71.7
|Oct mean F = 61.7
|Nov mean F = 53.0
|Dec mean F = 44.6
|year mean F =
| Jan low F = 32.7
| Feb low F = 35.8
| Mar low F = 41.9
| Apr low F = 49.9
| May low F = 58.3
| Jun low F = 66.2
| Jul low F = 69.2
| Aug low F = 68.3
| Sep low F = 62.0
| Oct low F = 51.2
| Nov low F = 42.6
| Dec low F = 35.0
|year low F = 
|Jan record high F = 84
|Feb record high F = 82
|Mar record high F = 92
|Apr record high F = 97
|May record high F = 103
|Jun record high F = 107
|Jul record high F = 108
|Aug record high F = 107
|Sep record high F = 106
|Oct record high F = 103
|Nov record high F = 91
|Dec record high F = 81
|year record high F = 
|Jan record low F = -2
|Feb record low F = -4
|Mar record low F = 9
|Apr record low F = 24
|May record low F = 33
|Jun record low F = 45
|Jul record low F = 53
|Aug record low F = 50
|Sep record low F = 39
|Oct record low F = 24
|Nov record low F = 13
|Dec record low F = 2
|year record low F = 
|precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 4.12
| Feb precipitation inch = 3.96
| Mar precipitation inch = 4.30
| Apr precipitation inch = 2.96
| May precipitation inch = 2.88
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.22
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.60
| Aug precipitation inch = 4.68
| Sep precipitation inch = 3.65
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.52
| Nov precipitation inch = 3.33
| Dec precipitation inch = 3.68
|year precipitation inch = 45.90
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 9.4
| Feb precipitation days = 8.7
| Mar precipitation days = 8.6
| Apr precipitation days = 7.7
| May precipitation days = 7.2
| Jun precipitation days = 8.8
| Jul precipitation days = 9.6
| Aug precipitation days = 9.8
| Sep precipitation days = 6.7
| Oct precipitation days = 6.3
| Nov precipitation days = 7.1
| Dec precipitation days = 8.4
| year precipitation days = 
|source 1 = NOAA<ref>{{cite web
|url = ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/products/station/USC00385200.normals.txt
|title = Station Name: SC LITTLE MTN
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = March 5, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web 
|url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=cae
|title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = March 5, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 283
|1910= 440
|1920= 399
|1930= 244
|1940= 251
|1950= 213
|1960= 238
|1970= 240
|1980= 282
|1990= 235
|2000= 255
|2010= 291
|2020= 249
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:45&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
}}
According to the United States Census Bureau https://www.census.gov/popest in 2013 population in town was estimated to be 292 people and 142 households. The median household income in the town is $56,250 with 2.9% of residents living below the poverty line. This compares to the South Carolina average median household income of $44,779. The education of town residents is 93.8% with at least a high school degree compared to South Carolina's average of 84.5%.

[[Image:LittleMountainWaterTower.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Photo of the [[water tower]] in Little Mountain, SC]]

== Government ==

The Town of Little Mountain has a mayor-council form of government. On March 15, 2013, Jana Jayroe was sworn in as the mayor.<ref name=Netzel>{{cite news|last=Netzel|first=Natalie|title=Little Mountain welcomes Jayroe as mayor|url=http://www.newberryobserver.com/view/full_story/21984898/article-Little-Mountain-welcomes-Jayroe-as-mayor|access-date=April 17, 2013|newspaper=Newberry Observer|date=February 27, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629235821/http://www.newberryobserver.com/view/full_story/21984898/article-Little-Mountain-welcomes-Jayroe-as-mayor|archive-date=June 29, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Jayroe has been a resident of the town for twenty years and served previously as mayor pro tem and as a member of the town council. Jana Jayroe's term as mayor of Little Mountain expires on December 31, 2024. The members of the council as of January 2021 are Marty Frick, John "Steve" White, Laura McLeod and David Bowers. Cindy Z. Farr is the town clerk.

==Little Mountain Town Reunion==
Every year, the town of Little Mountain hosts the "Little Mountain Town Reunion" during the month of August. The Little Mountain Reunion is one of South Carolina’s oldest folk festivals. It began in 1882, as an effort by a person connected to [[Newberry College]] for encouraging local class reunions, the hope being that it would generate interest in the new college. The college experienced a number of setbacks since its organization; misused by Federal troops during the Civil War, moved to [[Walhalla, South Carolina|Walhalla]] in the upper part of South Carolina, and finally back to Newberry, the county seat of [[Newberry County, South Carolina|Newberry County]]. Because most people travelled either on two or four feet due to the lack of trains and automobiles, meeting places were selected mainly on the convenience of their location.

The Newberry Observer documents that in 1882, this group met first at Corinth Lutheran Church across the Saluda River. It was probably in the next year, or possibly the following year, that the officials decided to try the site at Little Mountain. The event was so successful that it was decided by those present that each year a Newberry College Reunion would be held at the foot of Little Mountain. The event took place on property recently purchased by A. N. Boland from Frederick Henry Dominick. He was quite agreeable to this plan and for many years prepared and sold barbecue, rice and hash, lemonade, and ice cream to those who attended. For those who wished to bring along their own picnic, tables were erected between trees. Every year, people came riding in on horseback or in buggies, wagons, carts, etc. Then in 1890, when the first train came through Little Mountain, old-timers recall how more coaches were added at reunion time to bring people from [[Irmo, South Carolina|Irmo]], [[Ballentine, South Carolina|Ballentine]], [[White Rock, South Carolina|White Rock]], Hilton, [[Chapin, South Carolina|Chapin]], [[Clinton, South Carolina|Clinton]], Goldville, [[Kinards, South Carolina|Kinards]], [[Prosperity, South Carolina|Prosperity]], [[Newberry, South Carolina|Newberry]] and Slighs

A typical Little Mountain Reunion afforded not only a time to renew friendships made at school but also the time to catch up on political thinking and the state of politics in the Dutch Fork. A welcoming address by the president of Newberry College made everyone feel at home and gave a pretty good idea of the state of the college.

These reunions became a traditional part of the community, situated in the heart of the Dutch Fork area, and were eagerly anticipated by everybody in the area. The simple pleasures afforded here along with the community spirit helped maintain the reunion until the eve of [[World War II]].

In 1976, the Town of Little Mountain and the [[Ruritan Club]] decided to renew the reunion as a bicentennial project. The idea generated a great deal of enthusiasm in the town. The festival was such a success that the Little Mountain Association was formed and the Little Mountain Reunion again became an annual affair.

The 2012 Reunion was cancelled, reportedly due to contract and liability issues between the Little Mountain Town Council and the Little Mountain Reunion Association.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.newberryobserver.com/view/full_story/18544856/article-Reunion-Association-debating-reunion%E2%80%99s-fate |author= Netzel, Natalie |date= 2012 |title= Reunion Association debating reunion's fate |publisher= Newberry Observer |access-date= January 20, 2013 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130216131848/http://www.newberryobserver.com/view/full_story/18544856/article-Reunion-Association-debating-reunion%E2%80%99s-fate |archive-date= February 16, 2013 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

During the August 2013 Town Council meeting, the council voted to have the Little Mountain Reunion brought back starting August 2014. Mayor Jana Jayroe led the movement to solve the problems between the town and the Little Mountain Reunion Association.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070411135333/http://www.littlemountainsc.info/ Town of Little Mountain]

{{Newberry County, South Carolina}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Newberry County, South Carolina]]
[[Category:Towns in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Columbia metropolitan area (South Carolina)]]