Woodruff, South Carolina Facts for Kids

Woodruff is a city located in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, in the United States. In 2020, about 4,212 people lived there. The city is part of a larger area called the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Combined Statistical Area. This means it's connected to the economies of nearby bigger cities.

Where is Woodruff Located?
A Look Back: Woodruff's History
Learning in Woodruff
Woodruff's Radio Station
Who Lives in Woodruff?
Famous People from Woodruff
See also

Where is Woodruff Located?

Woodruff is found at a specific point on the map: 34.740530 degrees North and -82.032580 degrees West.

The United States Census Bureau says the city covers about 3.7 square miles (9.6 square kilometers). A very small part of this area, about 0.04 square miles (0.1 square kilometers), is water.

A Look Back: Woodruff's History

Woodruff has a long and interesting history, starting way back in the 1700s.

Early Beginnings

In 1787, a man named Joseph Woodruff and his family were important members of a local church. This church was first called the Church of Christ at Jamey’s Creek. Later, it became the Woodruff Baptist Church.

Around 1789, Joseph Woodruff bought 200 acres of land. This land included the spot where Woodruff stands today. By 1825, a post office named Woodruff and a place called Woodruff’s Tavern were important spots in the area. The post office was named after Thomas Woodruff, who was Joseph’s son and the postmaster.

Growing as a Trade Center

Woodruff was in the middle of an area that grew a lot of cotton. Because of this, it became a busy place for trade. Farmers from nearby communities would come to Woodruff to buy and sell goods.

By the 1850s, the town held big fairs. People would trade livestock and handmade goods there. Woodruff officially became a town in 1874. At that time, about 150 people lived there.

The Railroad Arrives

A big change happened in 1885 when the railroad came to Woodruff. This helped the town grow a lot. By 1886, the population had jumped to about 1,600 people. Woodruff was the end of the rail line for a while. It even had a special turntable to turn trains around to go back to Augusta, Georgia.

Fairs and New Industries

A fair that started in the 1870s became a huge yearly event by the 1890s. People would travel from as far away as North Carolina to visit it. During the 1880s and 1890s, many new buildings went up along Main Street. The Leatherwood Hotel was a very popular place.

Industry came to Woodruff in 1898 with the Woodruff Cotton Oil Company. Just three years later, the Woodruff Cotton Mill started operating. By 1907, another mill, the W.S. Gray Cotton Mill, opened. These mills brought more jobs and homes to the town.

Before World War II, growing peaches was another big business in the area. There were more than 200,000 peach trees nearby!

Modern Growth

In the 1950s, many industries started moving to bigger cities. Woodruff saw a small drop in its population. However, things changed in 1962 when the Jeffery Manufacturing Company opened a new plant. This plant cost about $2.5 million back then. This helped Woodruff's industries grow and become more diverse. New jobs brought more people to the town. By 1970, Woodruff's population reached 4,576.

Learning in Woodruff

The Spartanburg County School District 4 serves Woodruff and the areas around it. About 2,800 students attend schools in this district. The superintendent is Dr. W. Rallie Liston.

The district has four schools:

Woodruff Primary School
Woodruff Elementary School
Woodruff Middle School
Woodruff High School

Woodruff High School is well-known for its successful sports teams, especially football. Coach W. L. Varner led the school's sports programs to win many state championships.

Woodruff also has the Project Fun Homeschool Co-op. This group helps students who are homeschooled from several nearby counties. The city also has a lending library, which is part of the Spartanburg County Public Library system.

Woodruff's Radio Station

Woodruff has its own radio station called WQUL. You can find it at 101.7 F.M. This station plays oldies music. It also broadcasts local sports games and keeps the community updated on local events.

Who Lives in Woodruff?

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	254	—
1890	380	49.6%
1900	596	56.8%
1910	1,880	215.4%
1920	2,396	27.4%
1930	3,175	32.5%
1940	3,508	10.5%
1950	3,831	9.2%
1960	3,679	−4.0%
1970	4,690	27.5%
1980	5,171	10.3%
1990	4,365	−15.6%
2000	4,229	−3.1%
2010	4,090	−3.3%
2020	4,212	3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

The 2020 United States census showed that 4,212 people lived in Woodruff. There were 1,577 households and 891 families.

Here's a quick look at the different groups of people living in Woodruff in 2020:

About 60.61% of the people were White (not Hispanic).
About 22.29% were Black or African American (not Hispanic).
About 10.64% were Hispanic or Latino.
Smaller numbers of people were Native American, Asian, or from other mixed backgrounds.

Famous People from Woodruff

Woodruff has been home to several notable people:

Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson – A former Major League Baseball player. He is also a well-known TV broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox.
Sammy Taylor – Played major league baseball from 1958 to 1963. He played for teams like the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets.
Tony Rice (American football) – A quarterback for the University of Notre Dame. He helped them win the NCAA Football National Championship in 1988. He also played in the Canadian Football League.
Wilson Casey – Holds a Guinness World Record for trivia. He is an entertainer and speaker. He writes a newspaper column that appears in over 500 newspapers.
Willie Varner (1926-2009) – Inducted into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Tory Dandy – A sports agent.

Woodruff, South Carolina facts for kids

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