93 miles NW of Columbia
Named after the Spartan Rifles, a Revolutionary War militia unit that served at the crucial Battle of Cowpens, heavily industrialized Spartanburg was incorporated and founded in 1831. Today, this growing community is the headquarters of more than 40 corporations, including Milliken, the world's largest privately owned company. Textiles are the foundation here, but diversification has come over the past two decades, with the influx of nearly 90 firms representing 15 foreign countries. The area is also known for its peaches; some publications tout it as being the "Fresh Peach Capital of the South."
