Aiken, South Carolina. dates back to 1835. It was named for William Aiken, Sr., President of the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company. Between 1830 and 1833, William Aiken pioneered the construction of what was then the longest railroad in the world, the Charleston & Hamburg line. Extending from Charleston to Hamburg, it was 136 miles long. It was the first railroad built specifically for locomotive power. The original train, known as the "Best Friend," was the first locomotive constructed for regular railroad service in the United States.

Today Aiken has both an extensive downtown historic district and a challenging maize of streets. An unusual feature is that some residents have horses in stables behind their homes. Vehicular traffic must stop for equestian crossings. During a brief walk in a park, we had to avoid horse droppings.