Ours is the story of a town that sprang to life because of a river. Ware Shoals' heritage and future are intertwined with the currents of the Saluda River. The very name of our hamlet of just over 2,000 folks comes from the shoals of large rocks, which create gentle rapids at a spot where Laurens and Greenwood Counties meet, along South Carolina's Heritage Corridor.

In the 1800's, people from the surrounding countryside hitched wagons and pitched tents on the banks of the river, here at the shoals. They would picnic, walk on the rocks, and take in nature's beauty, near where a Mr. Ware had set up a gristmill. Thus the spot grew to be known as Ware's Shoals. Later it was shortened to Ware Shoals.