[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 120 (Thursday, September 5, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO THE TOWN OF NINETY SIX, SC

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                         HON. LINDSEY O. GRAHAM

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 4, 1996

  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to pay 
tribute to and congratulate the town of Ninety Six, SC, which is having 
is 1996 centennial celebration on Friday, September 6, 1996.
  The town of Ninety Six, located in Greenwood County has a distinctive 
history dating from the mid-1700's. During colonial times, the trading 
settlement began to grow around the 96th milepost on a trail from the 
Lower Cherokee capital, Keowee, thus giving this town its name.
  Noted for its historical significance, Ninety Six played an important 
role in the Revolutionary War. It was the site of the first 
revolutionary battle in the South on November 19-21, 1775. The British 
overtook this settlement and fortified it as an important strategic 
fort. This settlement existed until after a second battle for the area 
that was ultimately won by the British. Shortly after the attempted 
siege of the fort, the British abandoned the area. The town grew and 
was renamed Cambridge after the College of Cambridge which was built 
after the Revolutionary War. During the 1800's, the village became a 
ghost town. In 1852, the town assumed its original name, when the 
second railroad in South Carolina was built through the area.
  Ninety Six is also historic in the States rights debate. In 1856, 
10,000 citizens came out to honor Congressman Preston S. Brooks with a 
dinner in vindication of his assault on Charles Sumner of Massachusetts 
on the Senate floor for a speech insulting to South Carolina and 
Senator Butler of South Carolina.
  Today, Ninety Six is comprised of a population of 2,200 with industry 
ranging from retail firms to manufacturing plants and textiles. Located 
near Lake Greenwood and Ninety Six National Park Historic Site, Ninety 
Six provides many opportunities to enjoy this area's natural beauty.
  It is my pleasure to honor this historic town and its people on this 
day.

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