History

In 1791, the state legislature established Washington District; an area composed of present day Greenville, Anderson, Pickens and Oconee counties.  In 1798, Washington District was divided into Greenville and Pendleton Districts.  Pendleton District was composed of  what later became Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens.  Due to the growing population and poor transportation facilities in the Pendleton District, in 1826, the legislature divided it..  The lower part became Anderson District and the upper part became Pickens District (which included  all of the present day Oconee and Pickens Counties).  Pickens District was named for the American Revolutionary was hero, General Andrew Pickens.  Commissioners named to select a site for a town were authorized to buy a tract of land from one to 400 acres, near the center of the Pickens District.  The spot they selected was high on the western bank of the Keowee River, where the town of Pickens, now called "Old Pickens" was laid out and developed.   In 1868, the Pickens District was divided into Oconee and Pickens Counties and the new town of Pickens was started.

Topography

Pickens, as the legal center and Country Seat, is located in the northwest section of the state on U.S. Highway 178, and S.C.'s 183 and 188.  The community is eighteen miles from Interstate 85. 

The elevation of Pickens County ranges from 600 feet to 3,548 feet with an average of 1,200 feet.  The city of Pickens is 1,100 feet above sea level.

Pickens occupies about 1.8 square miles of the 504 square miles of Pickens County with a population of 4,230.  The population of Pickens County is 107,087.