South Carolina has endured through some pretty tough times, including the Great Depression. The quality of life has greatly improved since the 1930s when times were so hard. But folks here in the Palmetto State are still willing to lend a hand to our neighbors in need. Here are some photos of the Great Depression in South Carolina from around the state that show what life was like back then.

1. The cook on a fishing boat in Charleston peeling potatoes for Christmas dinner. 1938.
Marion Post Wolcott/Library of Congress LC-USF34-050619
2. Three girls in Port Royal pose for a photo - a novelty back then. Around 1920.
Mrs. Richey
3. Everyone here has a smile - in spite of the hard times. Lady's Island near Beaufort, SC. 1936.
Carl Mydans/Library of Congress LC-DIG-fsa-8b26557
4. Children near Manning bring in tobacco from the field in 1939.
Marion Post Wolcott/Library of Congress LC-USF33-030499
5. And everyone lent a helping hand around the farm. Manning, 1939.
Marion Post Wolcott/Library of Congress LC-USF34-051912
6. This woman from St Helena Island paid her taxes in 1938 with oranges she grew on her land.
Marion Post Wolcott/Library of Congress LC-USF34-051954
7. This home in Summerville, SC has a cane grinder in the front yard. 1939.
Marion Post Wolcott/Library of Congress LC-USF34-050463
8. At the time this photograph was taken in 1938, this Chesnee man had 45 children.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress LC-USF34-018135
9. In this photo, a family sorts tobacco on this farm near Hartsville in 1938. They farmed 6 acres and made $900 that year, but only got to keep half.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress LC-USF34-018716
10. This mother of 14 children is the grandmother of 54 children. Spartanburg, SC 1937.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress LC-USF34-018129

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11. A sharecropper's children near Chesnee, SC. 1937.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress LC-USF34-018102
12. An FSA Rehabilitation client in Manning, SC in 1939. The FSA (Farm Security Administration) grew out of Roosevelt's "New Deal" as an effort to help impoverished rural families.
New York Public Library/Flickr
13. Back then, doctors made house calls. In this photo a public health doctor is giving malaria medicine to a family in Columbia. 1939.
Marion Post Wolcott/Library of Congress LC-USF33-030425
14. Children in Summerton, SC. 1939.
Marion Post Wolcott/Library of Congress LC-USF33-030495
15. During the Great Depression shoes were a luxury to many people, like this tenant sharecropper near Columbia. 1939.
Marion Post Wolcott/Library LC-USF33-030529
16. These cows were owned by C.N. Morgan who lived on the Maverick Estate in Pendleton, SC. 1937.
Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress LC-USF34-005815
17. A storefront in Charleston's historic district in 1936. No place in the state went unaffected by the Great Depression.
Walker Evans/Library of Congress LC-USF342-T01-008046
18. In this image, a family is rendering lard in Laurens, SC. 1936.
Library of Congress LC-USF34-015433
19. Children of a sharecropper in Manning, SC. 1939.
Marion Post Wolcott/Library of Congress LC-USF33-030499
20. A sharecropper plows a field near Chesnee in 1937.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress
21. A child, a cat and canned food on the porch near Gaffney in 1937.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress LC-USF34-018113

 

For those of us who weren’t around during the Great Depression, these photos give us insight into the hard life our parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents endured in the 1930s. Folks lost their homes and their jobs but they had each other.

Today in the Palmetto State we still have each other. Because at the end of the day family is what’s most important.

What did you think of the photos? Here is some incredible video footage of South Carolina from the 1930s that will show you the history in motion.

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More to Explore

Photos Of The Great Depression In South Carolina

Leah | August 14, 2020

Where can I find more of the best photos of South Carolina?

If you enjoy looking at historic photos of South Carolina, there is plenty more to see. To see what life was like back in the day, look at these vintage candid photographs from South Carolina. From fisherman to farmers, there's a bit of everything in that gallery - mostly from the 1930s. Go back further in time to South Carolina's cotton mill history. These 23 rare photos of South Carolina's cotton mills showcase what work was like in the mills and how often child labor was used - in fact, it was rare to see adults working in the mills.

What are the best little known historic attractions in South Carolina?

You can experience South Carolina history in person by visiting historic places. While Charleston is popular for the history that can be seen all throughout the city, there are parks, museums, and more that are lesser-known but worth visiting. Tour one of the many historic plantations in South Carolina, such as the beautiful Hopsewee Plantation in Georgetown. The 200-year-old Poinsett Bridge has a fascinating history as well as gorgeous scenery surrounding it, tucked away in the forest.

What are the oldest businesses in South Carolina?

You might wonder if any of the old businesses in all of these old photos of South Carolina are still around. There are some places that have been around for decades. The oldest restaurant in South Carolina is Villa Tronco in Columbia. This Italian restaurant was opened in 1940 and is said to have been the place to introduce pizza to South Carolina. One of the oldest stores in the entire United States is located here, called the Lenoir Store. This general store has been standing there since the 1800s and certainly looks the part. It's been owned by the same family for generations and you can find just about everything you need there. It is located in Horatio, SC.

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