Boykin, Kershaw County, South Carolina

Boykin is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. Its population was 100 as of the 2010 census.^[2] Boykin is located on South Carolina Highway 261, 9 miles (14 km) south of Camden. It is named for John Boykin, an early resident.^[4]

Boykin, South Carolina
Census-designated place
Boykin Show map of South Carolina Boykin Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 34°07′01″N 80°34′53″W
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
County	Kershaw
Area [1]
• Total	7.069 sq mi (18.31 km2)
• Land	6.881 sq mi (17.82 km2)
• Water	0.188 sq mi (0.49 km2)
Elevation	164 ft (50 m)
Population  (2010)[2]
• Total	100
• Density	14/sq mi (5.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code(s)	803, 839
GNIS feature ID	1246960[3]

History

On May 5, 1860, at least two dozen individuals drowned in the Boykin Mill Pond when a flatboat they were enjoying an excursion on sank after it struck a stump, began taking on water and those onboard panicked and moved toward one end of the boat. It tipped, dumping the more than 50 people on the flatboat into the water.^[5]

The Battle of Boykin's Mill was fought in Boykin on April 18, 1865. It marked the last battle of the American Civil War fought in South Carolina and was the site of the last Union officer killed in action during the conflict.^[6] Boykin's Mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Midfield Plantation was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.^[7]

Arts and culture

South Carolina's state dog, the Boykin Spaniel, was originally bred in Boykin in the 1900s, after Whit Boykin experimented with crossbreeding, for which the dog is named after him. September 1 is Boykin Spaniel Day in South Carolina.

Every December, the Boykin Christmas Parade takes place downtown.

References

1. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
3. "Boykin". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
4. Federal Writers' Project (1941). Palmetto Place Names. Sloane Printing Co. p. 28.
5. "Remembering the Boykin Mill Pond Tragedy 150+ Years Later", Cotton Boll Conspiracy, March 2, 2016
6. "Last Union Officer Killed in Civil War Shot by 14-Year-Old Boy", Cotton Boll Conspiracy, April 17, 2015
7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.