Upstate (SC) History Museum

On Saturday afternoon, Jeff, Heather and I visited our local Upstate History Museum. This was something that we had intended to do since it opened a few months ago, but have not had the opportunity to do so. We walked in and this was the first thing we saw:


Hmmmmm, a pig farmer isn't necessarily how I think of my state, but okay, I'll go with it. We went into the auditorium and found 4 people with a 60s music PowerPoint presentation. Upon their invitation, we went in and it turned into an impromptu session of karoke. I can't carry a tune at all, but we certainly had fun singing such classics as "Leaving on a Jet Plane", "Carolina In My Mind" and "Puff the Magic Dragon".

The museum itself is top-notch and they did a great job with the exhibits and left available space for future exhibits. The walking tour took patrons from 1778 to the present time. South Carolina has transitioned from a rural country village to a booming industrial mill area to home to many North American auto headquarters.
We have had many famous residents - Jessie Jackson, Edwin McCain, and most famously Shoeless Joe Jackson. Two years ago, Greenville obtained a new minor league baseball team, the farm affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. A large debate ensued to pick the name of the team. The most popular name was "Greenville Joes" and everyone loved it. However, apparently the ban in baseball did not end upon Shoeless Joe's death, and we were unable to use this chosen name. Do I think that's fair or right? No, absolutely not! But, I don't make the rules. So, the team is the Greenville Drive and they play in a stadium that is constructed to look like a mini Fenway Park. (I'll be there Sunday and will share some pics with you).

So, we finished our museum tour and each of learned new things about the town that we love so much. This was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.