McBee, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
McBee, South Carolina
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Town
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McBee Railroad Depot, built in 1914
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Location of McBee, South Carolina
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Chesterfield |
| Founded | October 8, 1901 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.31 sq mi (3.40 km2) |
| • Land | 1.31 sq mi (3.40 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 479 ft (146 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 758 |
| • Density | 578.18/sq mi (223.22/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
29101
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| Area code(s) | 843, 854 |
| FIPS code | 45-43495 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1231526 |
McBee /ˈmækbi/ is a town in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. In 2020, about 758 people lived there. McBee is located about 36 miles (58 km) northwest of Florence and 62 miles (100 km) northeast of Columbia. It is also the hometown of professional golfer Grant Sellers.
Contents
History of McBee
How McBee Got Its Name
The town of McBee was named after a railroad leader named V.E. "Bunch" McBee. He was born in Greenville County, South Carolina, in 1849. Bunch McBee was very important in building railroads in South Carolina. He helped create the railroad line that goes through McBee, connecting Columbia to Hamlet, North Carolina. He even used to be in charge of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.
McBee in the 1900s
In 1900, McBee got its first railroad station, called a depot. The town officially became a town on October 8, 1901. The first church in McBee, the McBee Presbyterian Church, was built in 1901. Six years later, the McBee Methodist Church was built in 1907.
After the railroad line from Columbia to Cheraw was finished in 1900, McBee grew very quickly. A new, bigger depot was needed. In 1914, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad built a second depot in McBee. This depot was used for both passengers and cargo until it closed in 1971. Today, it is the McBee Depot Library and Railroad Museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. The railroad company later changed its name to CSX Transportation in 1986.
In 1945, U.S. Route 1 through McBee was named the Blue Star Memorial Highway Number 6. This was a special way to honor people who served in the armed forces.
McBee Rescue started in 1962 with Jefferson Rescue. They worked together to provide ambulance services. Before this, people had to use their own cars or a funeral home hearse to get to the hospital. About a year later, McBee and Jefferson each got their own ambulance and rescue teams.
In 1973, the town bought a second fire engine for the McBee Fire Department. In 1986, the Alligator Fire District joined with the McBee Fire Department to help keep the area safe.
McBee in the 2000s
In 2001, McBee celebrated its 100th birthday! That same year, McBee Elementary School was updated. In 2005, McBee High School also got a remodel.
In 2012, McBee built a new sports complex. It has four baseball fields, a football field, a soccer field, and a walking trail. In 2013, McBee launched its official website. A company called Nestle Waters opened a bottled water factory in McBee in 2016, creating 27 new jobs for the town.
Geography and Climate
McBee is located in the southwestern part of Chesterfield County. It is in an area called the Sandhills. U.S. Route 1 goes through the middle of town. This road leads southwest to Camden and northeast to Cheraw. South Carolina Highway 151 also crosses US 1 in McBee. It goes northwest to Jefferson and southeast to Hartsville.
The town of McBee covers an area of about 1.3 square miles (3.3 km2). All of this area is land.
McBee has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters. Rain doesn't change much throughout the year. July is usually the hottest month, with temperatures often reaching above 91°F. January is the coldest month, with average low temperatures below 32°F. The hottest temperature ever recorded in McBee was 106°F. The coldest was -2°F. Even though McBee is near the coast, hurricanes are not a big problem, but they can happen.
| Climate data for McBee, South Carolina | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 48 (9) |
54 (12) |
65 (18) |
74 (23) |
80 (27) |
88 (31) |
90 (32) |
89 (32) |
83 (28) |
73 (23) |
58 (14) |
48 (9) |
71 (22) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28 (−2) |
32 (0) |
42 (6) |
48 (9) |
58 (14) |
68 (20) |
70 (21) |
70 (21) |
64 (18) |
52 (11) |
38 (3) |
30 (−1) |
50 (10) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.64 (118) |
3.97 (101) |
5.04 (128) |
3.33 (85) |
3.42 (87) |
4.33 (110) |
4.12 (105) |
3.88 (99) |
4.68 (119) |
3.80 (97) |
3.59 (91) |
3.52 (89) |
48.32 (1,229) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.1 (5.3) |
1.9 (4.8) |
1.6 (4.1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.9 (2.3) |
6.9 (18) |
| Average precipitation days | 11.2 | 9.3 | 10.8 | 8.6 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 | 9.6 | 7.9 | 6.5 | 8.6 | 10.0 | 113.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.3 in) | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 4.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 173.6 | 180.8 | 235.5 | 270.0 | 291.4 | 288.0 | 291.5 | 272.8 | 240.0 | 229.4 | 177.0 | 167.4 | 2,817.4 |
| Source: http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/fitness/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/29101 | |||||||||||||
Population of McBee
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 187 | — | |
| 1920 | 417 | 123.0% | |
| 1930 | 514 | 23.3% | |
| 1940 | 587 | 14.2% | |
| 1950 | 420 | −28.4% | |
| 1960 | 512 | 21.9% | |
| 1970 | 540 | 5.5% | |
| 1980 | 623 | 15.4% | |
| 1990 | 715 | 14.8% | |
| 2000 | 714 | −0.1% | |
| 2010 | 867 | 21.4% | |
| 2020 | 758 | −12.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 Census Information
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 434 | 57.26% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 254 | 33.51% |
| Native American | 1 | 0.13% |
| Asian | 1 | 0.13% |
| Other/Mixed | 31 | 4.09% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 37 | 4.88% |
In 2020, there were 758 people living in McBee. There were 365 households and 275 families.
2010 Census Information
In 2010, McBee had 867 people living there. There were 282 households and 195 families. The town had about 613 people per square mile.
The people living in McBee were mostly White (53.36%) and African American (45.52%). A small number were Native American or from two or more races. Less than 1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 26.1% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in McBee was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were about 83.5 males.
Education
McBee's public schools are part of the Chesterfield County School District. The district runs McBee Elementary School and McBee High School.
McBee Elementary School teaches students from kindergarten to 6th grade. It is on the west side of McBee, near Highway 1. About 401 students attend McBee Elementary. There are about 15 students for every teacher. It is one of six elementary schools in the Chesterfield County Public School District.
McBee High School teaches students from 7th to 12th grade. It is also on the west side of McBee, near where Highways 151 and 1 meet. About 600 students go to McBee High. It is one of four high schools in the Chesterfield County Public School District.
McBee also has a public library. It is a part of the Chesterfield County Library System.
Transportation
Roads and Highways
South Carolina Highway 151 is a state road that goes through McBee. It runs from northwest to southeast. McBee is about halfway between Charlotte and Myrtle Beach.
U.S. Route 1 also goes through McBee. This major road stretches all the way from Fort Kent, Maine, to Key West, Florida. In 1945, the part of U.S. Route 1 in McBee was named a Blue Star Memorial Highway.
Railroads
- On January 1, 1900, the railroad reached McBee! Construction had started in Cheraw in September 1899. The railroad companies that built these lines later joined to form the Seaboard Air Line Railway in 1901.
- In July 1902, McBee became the starting point for building the Columbia, Monroe, and Charlotte Railroad. This line was completed in 1903. It was used for 38 years but was not very profitable. It was taken apart in 1945.
- On March 30, 1910, McBee was also the starting point for building the South Carolina Western Railway. This line opened in January 1911 and went to Hartsville. This company also joined the Seaboard Air Line. This line has been used until recently and is planned to be taken apart in 2024.
Arts and Culture
McBee hosts several fun events throughout the year:
- The Taste of McBee - held in mid-March
- Sandhills Classic Band Invitational - held in late September
- McLeod Farms Strawberry Festival - held in early May
- McLeod Farms Peach Festival - held in early July
- McLeod Farms Fall Festival - held in late October
- McBee Homecoming Parade - held in late October
- McBee Christmas Parade - held in early December
Notable People
- Don King, a defensive tackle in the NFL
- Noah O. Knight, who received the Medal of Honor
See also
In Spanish: McBee para niños
