North Charleston, South Carolina: Town of Progress and Hockey

The years following the Civil War forced the plantations into smaller and smaller subdivisions, which opened up the doors to development. The history of this area runs deep and there is a unique blend of old world and modern in North Charleston. North Charleston is home to some of the most avid hockey fans in the U.S. At any time, at any game for the Sintgrays, the North Charleston Coliseum is packed with cheering followers and all eyes are on the hockey scoreboards for the winning points scored.

The area now known as North Charleston was originally some of the most beautiful plantations in the south.
It wasn’t until the twentieth century that major change hit the North Charleston area. Both businesspeople and the United States Government saw this as an opportunity for industrial growth. While the people of the area fought these changes, they were eventually defeated. Progress brought lumber, military bases and the largest mill for asbestos at that time. The Charleston Naval Base was a key employer of the area and continued so until the end of the cold war. With budget cut backs, both the naval base and the shipyards were closed, causing a reeling economic effect on the North Charleston area.

The expansion of the North Charleston lands eventually included some of the nation’s first big box chain shopping malls. This growth added to the already expanding medical and educational needs of the area but offered an alternative for economic survival. Some of the naval base properties were purchased for parks and private businesses, including the Riverfront Park.

The salvation of the area occurred with the addition of the Boeing Aircraft manufacturing facility. North Charleston became one of four of the only locations in the world to make the aircraft and this kicked off an explosion of progressive change for the area. Expansion included refurbishing of the historic areas while adding four star hotels and restaurants. The addition of the convention center as well as center for the arts has skyrocketed North Charleston to one of the top cities of South Carolina. Universities and colleges were added to the educational system that had continued its focus on upgrades for the standard school systems. As the educational level increased, so did the game of hockey. The Coliseum Stadium is home to some of the most high tech electronic hockey scoreboards and presentations in all of South Carolina.

In what is seen as a very short span of time, North Charleston became a highlighted name on the map of the United States and drew attention as the place-to-be by many. The U.S. Government established a center for mail order prescriptions as part of their Veterans program, with the center in North Charleston. The addition of county and state parks were enhanced with a multitude of day parks, water parks, fishing and boating areas as well as beach parks.

Today, the natural beauty of the North Charleston area is enjoyed by everyone that visits and those that live there. The community takes pride in the historic district and yet is a center for almost everything that is technologically updated. When you travel to this area, it is difficult to believe that it has ever been anything but well-planned. The southern grace and charm is continually expressed by the people that live there and freely shared with their visitors. The steps of progress have done well by North Charleston and it doesn’t look like there is any intention of changing that direction.

Sources:
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//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Charleston,_South_Carolina