HISTORIC OCONEE COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA Subject: OCONEE COUNTY Version 1.0, 15-Dec-2002, H-14.txt **************************************************************** REPRODUCING NOTICE: ------------------- These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, or presentation by any other organization, or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Paul M Kankula - nn8nn Seneca, SC, USA Oconee County SC GenWeb Coordinator Oconee County SC GenWeb Homestead http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/oconee.html Oconee County SC GenWeb Tombstone Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/cemeteries.html http://www.usgwtombstones.org/southcarolina/oconee.html **************************************************************** DATAFILE INPUT . : Paul M. Kankula at kankula1@innova.net in Dec-2002 DATAFILE LAYOUT : Paul M. Kankula at kankula1@innova.net in Dec-2002 HISTORY WRITE-UP : Mary Cherry Doyle, Clemson, SC in Jan-1935 Dedicated To: Dr Edgar Clay Doyle FOREWORD In presenting these fragmentary facts that have come to my knowledge, it is my hope that they may prove helpful in preserv- ing the history of Oconee county for the youth of the land and all who are interested in the history of Oconee county for South Carolina. With knowledge there will follow a fuller appreciation of the great heritage that is ours. I wish to acknowledge a great debt of gratitude to Dr. J. Walter Daniel, an author- ity on Indians of the South. We are indebted to members of the Wizard of Tamassee Chapter S. C. D. A. R. and many other friends. MARY CHERRY DOYLE. January, 1935. OCONEE COUNTY WASHINGTON DISTRICT An early writer said of this section that it was the most beautiful country he had ever seen, with its wooded hills and clear streams. Peas grew as high as a horse's back. The country abounded in deer and turkey, and the streams were teeming with fish. This section was visited by De Soto and Daniel Boone. Boone Creek is named for him. In 1768 South Carolina was divided into seven judicial districts: Charleston, Beaufort, Camden, Georgetown, Orangeburg, Cheraw and Ninety-Six. All except the last were well defined, but Ninety-Six was described to contain all of the territory not included in the others. As the country became more populous it was thought advisable to divide Ninety-Six district into an upper and lower section. In 1791 in the year of Washington's Southern tour, Charles Pinckney being Governor of South Carolina, the district was divided. The upper part received the name of our first president and the lower section the name of our then governor. The capitol of Washington District was at Pickensville, near the present town of Easley. Washington District comprised the counties of Greenville, Anderson, Pickens and Oconee. In 1798 the District was again divided into Greenville and Pendleton Districts. The latter included Anderson, Pickens and Oconee counties. The county seat of Pendleton was at Pendleton. The latter being named for Judge Henry Pendleton, of Virginia, who fought for American Independ- ence in South Carolina. He died in Greenville county in the 39th year of his age. Again in 1826, Pendleton was divided into the judicial districts of Pickens and Anderson, named in honor of Andrew Pickens and Robert Anderson, Revolu- tionary heroes of this section. The county seat of the former was at Old Pickens. Again in 1868, Pickens was divided into Pickens and Oconee. The name being changed from districts to counties to conform with other states. The members of the convention from Oconee county section had the boundary lines run so as to retain the home of John C. Calhoun within its territory, but the county was named for a small tribe of Indians and means the "Place of Springs". CLEMSON COLLEGE Clemson College was established in 1893 by the State of South Carolina as the State Agricultural and Mechanical College in compliance with the will of Thomas G. Clemson, son-in-law of John C. Calhoun. Mr. Clemson had long seen the need of a more scientific knowledge of agriculture in the South and in order that the young men of the state might have this instruction at a minimun cost, he left his home and fortune. Clemson College is one of the best known institutions in the South and has a high rank among the Agricultural Colleges of the nation. Be sure to visit this College when you are in its vicinity. SENECA Seneca is situated on a paved highway from Washington to Atlanta. In fact the county is traversed by splendid roads and others are under construction. Seneca was named for Seneca, the Indian town, located on the river of the same name. Seneca was established in 1874, at which time the town map was drawn and lots were sold off by Norton, 0. M. Doyle, Thompson, Sage and Easley. This was the time when the Piedmont Air Line or as is was then called the Richmond and Danville Railway was built. The road was completed in 1873. This was the junction point with the Blue Ridge Railway begun in 1852, but not completed until after the War Between the States. U. S. Senator Hayne advocated that the Blue Ridge be built through Spartanburg but was overruled by Senator John C. Calhoun, who advocated its present location. The town was first called Seneca City but the "City" was soon dropped. Mr. Alfred W. Thompson was the first Intendant, as the Mayor was then called. The town has two cotton mills, Lonsdale and the Courtenay Manufacturing Company. Mrs. Ruskin Anderson was the first white child born in the town. It was here that the South Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs was formed by a Seneca woman in 1897. Seneca is a thriving town and her slogan is: "The Town of Opportunity." WEST UNION Col. Joseph Greshim lived in Pickens District near High Falls. He was a Baptist minister and very much opposed to whiskey. Here he formed a temperance union and when he moved his residence he formed another temperance union which he called West Union because it was west of the first temperance union. Later he formed still another tem- perance union, south of West Union, so he called that South Union. He built a Baptist church where the Neville home now stands. His own commodious house was built of logs weather boarded over and was for long years the home of Mr. W. A. Strother. The house is still standing and in good condition, although it is fast approaching the century mark. From this home an elaborate wedding took place when a daughter of the Greshim home was married to Joseph E. Brown, Georgia's famous war governor. A portrait of Joseph Greshim, the great temperance leader, may be seen in the home of Mrs. W. L. Verner of Walhalla, one of his descendents. West Union was for some time the northern terminal of the Blue Ridge Railway. WALHALLA The commissioners who selected the site of the county seat of Oconee County were Wesley Pitchford, Dr. 0. M. Doyle, Bry Fretwell, Col. Holcombe and W. E. Mitchell. Walhalla was founded by John A. Wagener and his German co-laborers in 1850. Its beautiful location was no doubt the reason for the selection of its name, Walhalla, the Garden of the Gods. Walhalla was for a short time the seat of Adger College. It contains the Walhalla and Kenneth Mills. The Hon. Ex- Gov. Martin F. Ansel is a native of Walhalla. The apples grown in this section are of excellent quality. WESTMINSTER Westminster was named from the Westminster Union church. It is about the age of Seneca and grew up along the railroad. The Oconee Mills is located here and the town once contained a shuttle factory. The people are progressive. On the Westminster-Clayton highway is located the Long Creek Academy, owned and maintained by the Baptist denomination. A group of Presbyterians who settled around what is known as the First Baptist Church organized a Presbyterian Church and called it Westminster church. Mr. Ollie Green was probably the leader in establishing the church. The town seems to have been named for this church. The first train passed over what was then known as the Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line Railroad in 1873. The station was located and called Westminster about this time. Mr. Albert Zimmerman was one of the first settlers. He built the first store, was the first depot agent and the first postmaster. Major B. H. Cross taught the first school. Miss Selma Burns was the first child born in Westmin- ster. Col. Robert E. Mason organized the first bank in West- minster. H. B. Zimmerman had the first drug store. Stone- cypher Drug Co. was the second drug store. The Cheswell Cotton mill was built in 1899. Westminster Oil and Fer- tilizer Co. was organized in 1903. During the War Between The States there was an armory at Shelor's mill on Choestoe Creek, Pickens District (now Oconee Co.) The armory was closed in 1863. The armory and a tannery was located on William Harris Shel- don's place. Warren Webb Stribling who died Dec. 14, 1872 was the first person buried in the cemetery at the Richland Presbyterian church. M. S. Stribling was president, J. H. Stonecypher, vice president of the South Carolina branch of the Piedmont Highway Association. For many years these two men work- ed for highway improvement and did much toward securing our present highway system. From a paper prepared by Mrs. Anna Hall for an an- niversary program of our Sunday School. Westminster Presbyterian Church was organized July 15, 1882 with 22 members. Rev. Hugh Strong was called as stated supply. A church building was erected and occupied for the first time Aug. 29, 1884. PERRYVILLE A few miles from Seneca, S. C. on the Blue Ridge Rail- road there was a station called Perryville, now only a few rocks remain on the south side of the track to mark the spot. There was a bar-room where, doubtless many regailed themselves. One man who lived nearby would light his pipe with a one dollar bill. Let us hope he never regretted what had gone up in smoke. A family who lived across the road were fine business men, and their sons established the Tate Marble works of Elberton, Georgia. They were very successful in their en- terprise and one of them built a large home of pink marble which was a show place in that vicinity. A few miles down the Railroad, established many year ago, and recently enlarged, is Shiloh cut where Mr. Calhoun Clemson, only son of Thomas G. Clemson and his wife, Anna Maria Calhoun Clemson, was killed on the Railroad. He was said to be an unusually handsome man with a promising future. The Blue Ridge was called the Old Blunder Bus in those days and the people seemed not to realize the importance and the great future of the railroads. The Blue Ridge was the bearer of the last shipment of Confederate gold, and the seal of state was said to have been thrown into the Savannah river. At Pendleton, during the War Between the States, the people eagerly gathered around the station when the train came to hear the news read, especially the Casualty List in which all were vitally interested. THE TUNNEL The tunnel only a few miles from Walhalla, was begun in 1851 or '52 and is about one and one-third miles long. It was cut through Stump House Mountain and was intended as a link in the Blue Ridge Railway from Knoxville, Tenn., to Charleston, S.C., for the purpose of transporting the coal of the Tennessee mountains to the sea. While the work was in progress that was a town of about 2000 at this point. When the. tunnel was about two-thirds finished, the war came on and the work was never finished. Two or more men lost their lives during its construction. PICKET POST This was a post where soldiers were kept to keep back the Indians. It is believed to have been established before the Revolution. Near here is Bethel Presbyterian Church established in 1805. General Andrew Pickens was one of its first elders and the moving spirit in the establishment of the church. WOLF STAKE This was a place where stakes were driven up with a pit on the inside of the stakes in order to capture wolves when they climbed over. BACHELOR'S RETREAT This was the home of a number of bachelors, the Verner's, Dr. Miller and a number of others. From these gentlement who enjoyed single bliss, the place received its name. NEWRY Newry was named for Newry, Ireland, the ancestral home of the late Capt. W. A. Courtenay. It has a curfew bell that rings each night. RETURN A church was built here, then the people moved away, but later came back and called the Church Return. BOUNTY LAND Bounty Land received its name from Bounty Lands granted Revolutionary Soldiers in that section. Four hun- dred acres of the Shanklin place was granted to one Simeon Theus of Charleston. It was purchased by Mr. Robertson, who built the house now standing. RICHLAND Mr. W. H. Hughs tells me he thinks was named from Richland Creek. Richland Church is over 100 years old. The Jas. Hogan Dendy homestead was called Richland and was purchased by Mr. Dendy from Mr. Matthew McDonald early in 1800. FAIR PLAY Fair Play is a very old settlement and is only a few miles from the Georgia state line. While a muster was being held at that site, two men engaged in a fight. There was a cry of fair play from the onlookers and the place became known as Fair Play. TOWNVILLE Only the upper edge of which is in this county; was once a popular trading point and was called Brownsville. It is much older than Anderson. SHILOH Shiloh Church celebrated her centennial some years ago. The first church was of logs. CHAUGA CREEK B. F. Perry, who was appointed Governor of South Carolina by President Andrew Johnson, was born on Chauga Creek. Coneross means the place where the duck fell off. Chauga means the high, lifted up river. Chattooga means rocky water. Tugaloo means two. Oconee is the only county in South Carolina that touches two other States. It contains 750 square miles. Cotton, corn and small grain are its chief crops. Oconee is pronounced Oco'-nee. OLD PICKENS Situated in what is now Oconee county is the site of Old Pickens, which from 1828-1868 was the seat of govern- ment for Pickens District. Col. Kilpatrick, Major Lewis and Thomas Garvin were appointed commissioners to run the dividing line between Anderson and Pickens Districts. Andrew Hamilton, R. H. Briggs, J. C. Kilpatrick, William Beavert and Jabez Stone being the commissioners to buy the land and lay out the village of Pickens. The following story of how the site was selected is told by Col. Jaynes. "The commissioners rode horseback in the search of a suitable location. Arriving at a spot about noon, they dismounted for lunch and were so impressed with their surroundings that they drove a stake right there and said 'Here it shall be'. In referring to the location it was said that it was more favorably situated than Rome- in that, while Rome was situated on seven hills with the Tiber flowing by, Pickens was all hills, with the Keowee, a more beautiful river, flowing by." The village built up rapidly and many prominent fam- ilies moved to the new village and its vicinity. Col. Elliott M. Keith established the Keowee Courier at this place in 1849 and selected for its motto: "To thine own self be true: and it must follow as the night the day: Thou canst not then be false to any man." Maj. W. L. Keith was the first clerk of the court, followed by James Hagood. This was the home of the Nortons, the Carys, Ramseys, Lawrences and many well known names in Oconee and Pickens. The old church and a few buildings is all that is left of the once flourishing village. In 1930, a homecoming was held at the Old Church and Col. R. T. Jaynes delivered the historical address. Judges Ansel and Mauldin spoke of the old days and Mrs. Flora Keith Overman told interesting instances. A large number of interested friends were present on this occasion, and among them were Mrs. Marietta Garvin and Mrs. Martha Ramsay, both well past the four score and ten milestone. Mrs. Ramsay being the last surviving member of the old church.