The tiny Marlboro County town of Clio was originally called Ivey's Crossroad and was the site of a militia drilling field called McLaurins' Muster Ground. It became a polling place in 1825, and a post office for the community of Clio was established here in 1836. A half-century later in 1882, the town was incorporated. The Florence Railroad Company extended a branch line into Clio in 1895, and the town became the economic and population center of the cotton county of northeastern Marlboro County.

The Clio Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is comprised of late 19th and early 20th century homes, commercial structures and public buildings. A drive-by of the town center reveals a remarkable collection of residential architecture, including Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Queen Anne and Victorian Styles - with most homes reportedly constructed without benefit of an architect.

Historic Registry: National Register of Historic Places