William Harllee
William Wallace Harllee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 49th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina | |
| In office December 14, 1860 – December 17, 1862 | |
| Governor | Francis Wilkinson Pickens |
| Preceded by | M. E. Carn |
| Succeeded by | Plowden Weston |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 29, 1812 Marion County, South Carolina, US |
| Died | April 29, 1897 (aged 84) Florence County, South Carolina, US |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Martha Sarah Shackleford |
| Children | 7 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Branch/service | South Carolina National Guard |
| Rank |  General |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
William Wallace Harllee (July 29, 1812 – April 29, 1897) was an American lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 49th lieutenant governor of South Carolina.[1]
Biography
[edit]Harllee was born in 1812 in Marion County, South Carolina and married in 1840. He practiced law in Marion and became a brigadier general in the South Carolina Militia. He served two non-consecutive terms in the South Carolina House of Representatives, elected once in 1836 and again in 1848.
He became the founder and president of Wilmington and Manchester Railroad;[2] he oversaw the construction of the railroad across eastern South Carolina. Along the tracks, a small village was established. Harllee named this village after his daughter, Florence.[3] Gen. W. W. Harllee, the president of the W & M, built his home at the junction, and named the community "Florence", after his daughter.[3] The city of Florence, South Carolina had a population of 39,899 in the 2020 census.[4]
In 1860, Harllee was elected lieutenant governor and assumed office December 14, 1860, six days before the state seceded from the United States. Harllee was one of the signers of South Carolina's declaration of secession.[5] He served one term until 1862.[6] Harllee was elected the president of the South Carolina Bar Association in 1885.[1]
Legacy
[edit]In 2022, the Florence County council voted 5–4 to publicly display a statue that depicts him and his daughter, Florence, on the grounds of the county library.[7] The sculpture was created by Alex Palkovich in 2017.[2] The decision provoked backlash from the community because of Harllee's support of slavery, which led the county to reverse its decision.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Who Is William W. Harllee?". vipmagsc.com. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ a b "LETTER TO THE EDITOR: To all who love the city of Florence". scnow.com. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ a b "Florence, South Carolina – Great American Stations (Amtrak)". Greatamericanstations.com. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
- ^ United States Census Bureau (December 29, 2022). "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". Federal Register.
- ^ "William W. Harllee". hmdb.org. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ "LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS OF SOUTH CAROLINA 1730–2021" (PDF). scstatehouse.gov. South Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Frank. "Statue honoring Confederate-era leader going on public display in SC county". The Post and Courier. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Tonya. "Public backlash led to Florence Co. Council rescinding vote to place monument at museum". wpde.com. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1812 births
- 1897 deaths
- 19th-century American lawyers
- 19th-century American railroad executives
- American city founders
- Businesspeople from South Carolina
- Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
- Lieutenant governors of South Carolina
- People from Florence County, South Carolina
- People from Marion County, South Carolina
- People of South Carolina in the American Civil War
- South Carolina Democrats
- South Carolina lawyers
- 19th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly