Pioneer Day Offers Rare Immersive History Experience for Laurens County Families

On Saturday, May 2, 2026, history won’t just be something you read about — it will be something you can touch, hear, and step inside. The Gray Court-Owings Historical Society is hosting Pioneer Day at the Culbertson Back Country Settlement, 7072 Georgia Road in Gray Court, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the experience promises to be unlike anything available in a classroom or on a screen.

Part of the statewide SC 250 celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, this free, all-ages event gives Laurens County families a full-day immersion into the backcountry life that shaped this region centuries ago.

Step Into Another Century

The Culbertson Back Country Settlement is the real thing. Original historic structures including log cabins, a blockhouse, a church, and an African American schoolhouse , will all be open for visitors to explore. These aren’t replicas. Walking through them is a genuine encounter with the past, the kind of experience that stays with young people long after the day is over.

For children and teens especially, Pioneer Day offers something increasingly rare: history that is physical, immediate, and personal. This is the story of Laurens County and quite possibly the story of their own families.

A Full Day of Living History

From the moment visitors arrive, there will be something to see, do, and discover:

• Period re-enactors bringing frontier life to vivid reality
• A working blacksmith demonstrating a craft that once built this county
• Old-time hymn singing inside the historic church
• A local archaeologist on hand to help identify and explain Native American artifacts — a hands-on opportunity that sparks curiosity in visitors of all ages
• Historic tales of Laurens County heroes and heroines, battles, and the events that defined this community

Every activity is designed not just to inform, but to engage and to make history feel alive and relevant in a way that resonates with both children discovering it for the first time and adults reconnecting with their roots.

Why This Moment Matters

As the nation and state mark 250 years since the American Revolution, events like Pioneer Day remind communities that history didn’t happen somewhere else, to someone else. It happened here, on this land, to people whose lives echo into the present. Laurens County has a rich and layered story — one worth knowing, worth sharing, and worth celebrating.

Admission is free. The entire family is welcome. This is a day worth clearing the calendar for.

For more information, call 864-684-3033.