About the City of Pickens
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The City of Pickens maintains the small-town qualities of beauty,
friendliness, quaint charm, and family orientation, while encouraging planned economic growth. Pickens City Hall is located on the corner of Pendleton and Johnson Streets and is governed by a Mayor and six Council members. Located inside City Hall are the Business License, Municipal Clerk of Court, Fire, Planning, Police and Water Departments. The Police and Fire Departments have well trained full-time staffs outfitted with some of the latest technological equipment. The Police Department has 13 officers and 4 reserve officers. The Pickens Fire Department employs 3 full-time and 3 part-time fire fighters, supplemented by 20 volunteer fire fighters. The Water Department provides water service to 4,400 customers within a 16-mile area, providing 4 million gallons of water per day. Sewage treatment facilities have a capacity of 950,000 gallons per day. |
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Recreation
Recreational opportunities for residents of all ages are available in Pickens. The YMCA of Pickens County has a beautiful facility with pool programs, youth teams, and a full fitness studio. Senior citizens enjoy many activities in our local Senior Center and through the Pickens County Seniors Unlimited programs. Our City Recreation Department has a full program of children’s sports teams and volunteer opportunities for the sports minded adult.
The Playground of Promise is a perfect example of the “volunteer spirit” in Pickens. Funded in part by local industry and grants, it was the hundreds of volunteers working together that built the playground to give endless hours of enjoyment to the children of Pickens.
The Town Creek Trail is located adjacent to the Pickens Playground of Promise on Homestead Road. The Trail offers beautiful vistas along Town Creek and a nice leisurely stroll through the woods. An easy 2.5 mile walk, the trail showcases native plant and animal life as well as picturesque shoals in the creek. Parking for the trail is on West Jones Avenue off Hwy. 178 North.
The new Pickens Recreation Center was opened in March 2005 to the delight of the citizens of Pickens and surrounding areas. The center consists of Recreation Department offices, two full size gyms, meeting rooms and a full service concession area. The Recreation Center is funded by a 2% hospitality tax in the City of Pickens.
The Doodle Trail: a 7.5 mile rails-to-trails partnership between the City of Easley and the City of Pickens opened Memorial Day Weekend 2015. The multi-use trail is open from dawn to dusk for biking, walking, running and rollerblading. Unauthorized mopeds or motorized vehicles are not permitted on the trail.
The Playground of Promise is a perfect example of the “volunteer spirit” in Pickens. Funded in part by local industry and grants, it was the hundreds of volunteers working together that built the playground to give endless hours of enjoyment to the children of Pickens.
The Town Creek Trail is located adjacent to the Pickens Playground of Promise on Homestead Road. The Trail offers beautiful vistas along Town Creek and a nice leisurely stroll through the woods. An easy 2.5 mile walk, the trail showcases native plant and animal life as well as picturesque shoals in the creek. Parking for the trail is on West Jones Avenue off Hwy. 178 North.
The new Pickens Recreation Center was opened in March 2005 to the delight of the citizens of Pickens and surrounding areas. The center consists of Recreation Department offices, two full size gyms, meeting rooms and a full service concession area. The Recreation Center is funded by a 2% hospitality tax in the City of Pickens.
The Doodle Trail: a 7.5 mile rails-to-trails partnership between the City of Easley and the City of Pickens opened Memorial Day Weekend 2015. The multi-use trail is open from dawn to dusk for biking, walking, running and rollerblading. Unauthorized mopeds or motorized vehicles are not permitted on the trail.
History
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On June 15, 1869, a handbill distributed in South Carolina’s Upcountry advertised the "Last Sale of Town Lots" for the new county of Pickens.
The ad stated, "The location is most desirable, one situated on a beautiful plateau and surrounded by a fertile region, with thrifty inhabitants and the village rapidly growing." The town of Pickens was founded in 1868 and named for the Revolutionary War hero General Andrew Pickens. Scottish-Irish settlers were the original inhabitants of the Pickens area, with a few traders who lived among the Cherokees. When the new Pickens was being created, Elihu Griffin offered 40 acres of his land for the courthouse; it was this land being offered for sale in the 1869 handbill. |
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Much of the city's past is present today, giving a glimpse of its rich and fascinating heritage. Pickens County is proud to have the most Medal of Honor recipients per capita in the nation. This mixture of past and present is one of the factors which makes Pickens a place of historical interest and significance.
For more History of Pickens City and County visit Pickens County’s Website and the Pickens County Cultural Commission. |
Mayfair Mills Pickens Plant Softball Team of 1977
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