For over 300 years, Travelers Rest, at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, has been a stopover for travelers. Originally home to several Indian tribes, including the Catawba, the Creek, and the Cherokee, Travelers Rest gained notoriety as a resting place for weary travelers and livestock drovers.

 

In 1794, the South Carolina General Assembly appropriated $2,000 to construct a wagon road from Greenville, SC, north into the Blue Ridge Mountains, through Asheville, North Carolina, ending in East Tennessee. This road, once fully completed in the mid-1850's, was full of wagon traffic. For those going north into the mountains from the coast through Greenville, Travelers Rest was the first well-equipped stop to prepare for the several thousand-foot climb ahead of them. Soon after, the railroad and highways were built and the town grew to include local businesses, a schoolhouse, and churches.

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Travelers Rest High School has served the northern Greenville County area since the early 20th century. In the 1920s, the school’s athletic teams were nicknamed the “Purple Flashes” and “Swamp Rabbits.” In 1950, the “Devildogs” nickname was adopted by a vote of the football team. 

 

The Devildog mascot at Travelers Rest High School is a tribute to the United States Marine Corps, inspired by the term "Teufelshunde," which translates to "Devil dogs" in German. This name was given to German soldiers during World War I, and it has been used by Marines for decades. The mascot symbolizes the bravery and dedication of Marines, and the school chose this name to honor the Marines and their service. The Devildog mascot is unique in the nation, and the school's first football coach, Chico Bolin, was a Devildog in the Marines, having been shot on the Island of Iwo Jima. The Devildog symbol is a mean-looking bulldog with a spiked collar and a drill sergeant hat, reflecting the ferocity and discipline of Marines. Pieces of that history have been the foundation of the Travelers Rest football program for decades, through winning and losing seasons, from the fight song they still use, to Bolin’s own name, which now graces the school’s stadium, without him being around, we wouldn’t be Devildogs. Longing to be a Devildog starts at an early age in Travelers Rest many say. As the community gathers to cheer on that spirit, the next generation is waiting in the wings, watching. 

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"Once a Devildog, always a Devildog."

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