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!' Pickens County From Colonial Times .I . -----i By Miss Makuahkt Aikenj Before the Revolutionary War this i .section was inlu.luted mostly By Indians,| the Cherokees living the dominant tribe.; Their capital was vailed Keowee, and , was situated on the west batik of Keowee • river, in I lie present Oconee county.I The Keowee river is now the dividing Mine between Oconee tun! Pickens eonn-! ties.1 In 177J Governor Glenn built a fort, mi the east bank of the river, just op-jiosile the Indian villajre Keowee, and called it Fort Prince George, in honor of tilt* king of Knglund,There wort: several battles between the Indiana and soldiers, as well as the citizens generally. Most of us renietn her having heard the story of the girl, who left Fort George, to inform her lover at Ninety-Six, that the Indians were planning an attack on that fort, and how in tier long and faithful journey she named the streams on the way: One Mile. Six Mile, Twelve Mile, liight-eon Mile, etc. Of course this heroic event htul a happy ending.Tiie soldiers and oil iters of Revolutionary fame came here early. About 17S1 Gen. Andrew Pickens made a treaty with the Indians at Hopewell, on the hanks of thi Seneca river near Cherrys Crossing, by which Greenville, Pickens* Oeoitee and Anderson were ceiled to the stato.This territory was railed Washington District. It was nhoul one hundred miles sipiare The court house and jail were located at Pickeii.sville, near the present town of Fas ley, in Pickens county. Pickenavilie was named in honor of Gen. Andrew L’irkctis. as is , also the county and (own of Pickens.The old alone church mow in Oconee i county, near Clem son College, was I erected in 171X1. Tile Rev. Thomas1 Roc He, a native of Pennsylvania, and a \ graduate of Prince ton College, was the I lirst pastor. He died early, and was the j first person buried at (bis famous spot. The church's organization was of I’res- 1 byterian faith. The lirst building was! of wood, hut was hurned by accident, and the present stone church was built by John Rusk, a Revolutionary soldier. General Andrew Pickens anil other persons (if distinction are buried there.I mention with pleasure tin- names of' some of flit* notable men of this section, t ol. Andrew Pickens, a son of General Pickens, was a brave soldier, lie was also governor of South Carolina. The Hon. John C, Calhoun, who lived at Fort ilill for mativ years, was vice-president of Die United States, and also held other high Federal position1,1 a few years the jail and court house at Piekensvillo were accidentally burned, and were never rebuilt. It was then deeided that Washington District was too large, mid in 17,sp t|u legislature divided it, and made Greenville and Pendleton Districts.In l.ktiti Pendleton District Was divided, and Anderson and Pickens Districts were created, Pickens Court House was located on Keowee river near old Fort Prince George.Communication by water with flam hurg and Augusta was considered favorable. Boats were constructed and cotton was sent down the Savannah river. For years produce hud been hauled to Charleston by horse power. The railroad from dim lesion 1*1 Augusta changed the market, and we sent pro (luce to Hamburg and Augusta, a distance yf one hundred and twenty miles, instead of the longer triple Charleston. Hater the Greenville and Coluinhiii Railway brought the market still nearer home.By this lime most of the Indians had gone west, except a few friend!v tribes, who had sillied in North Carolina’ fliey math1 good oilmens, and served faithfully in the civil war.At this time our country was lorn j and divided by the war Most ,,f the men and boys were away from homeand the'women and children were having a hard time.[ By an act ol the legislature in Intiti | Pickens Di.trirt was divided into Pick-petis in:'l Oconee counties. There were t lonr ei.iiimi.-si tuers appointed to select the county -eat for Pickens. They were ! as follows: Col J. F. Hagaod, Mr.! Tain Anthony. Mr. J. Lewis and Dr.VV. T. Fields. They selected the site of j Hie present town of Pickens, and lots weri* sold at public auction.The lirst court was held at Pickens by I Judge Orr, in October, 18118, in a small 1 law ollire. built by Col. Hllgond.Judge orr was ex-governor of .South Carol in 11, and was afterwards sent as minister to Russia, where he died The lirst court house was built by Mr. Samuel Reed.from Old Pickens, and | Mr. Wilson from Anderson, who burnt and made their own brick.The county ollicers were, Mr. It v I Bowen, clerk of court; Mr. J, [j, Jdilt- 1 pot. probate judge: Mr, Juab Mauldin, she 1 ill'; Mr Alonzo Folger, auditor: Mr Anderson Leslie, treasurer. The I boaril of county commissioners were, ’, Mi1. R. F. Holcombe, Mr, John Single- I ton mid Mr Levi Robins. Mr. J K i iingood was representative and Mr. T. ;\ Rogers, senator,Mr Bowen still lives at Picketts, and Mr. Folger at Kaslcy, where he served j Ins postmaster for several years.Gilreath and Burgess from Green , Mile, pit I up t)i' first store in Pickens, Miss Mary llagood was postmistress, being the only eligible person to take the (tjith of njlicc.The newspaper. The Pickens Sentinel. : was established in 1871 and edited by .Mnj. D. F. Bradley, who was also school onmniissitmerMr. Me Kay jt might the lirst win ml ini 1 1*71. , .Religious services of all deiintnitiH-j 1 lions had been held in the court house i until the Methodist church .was built in ; l.sTtt. The Presbyterian church was or-, gnawed in 187-1, but was not built until ; .1 lii'ii 1 1880, and the Baptist church j sometime later, 1 ■Die Southern Railway then known a- . Die Atlanta and Charlotte Air I line was begun in 1S70 and completed in 1871k Towns began to spring up along the tailroad. Ly an act nt the legislature, 1 hasley. Liberty and Central were in- f corpora ted in 1874. These towns have j f gi own rapidly. FJasley now has three j f cotton mills, and a population of 'J.UMk 1 Liberty has two milks, and a population I of and Central has one mill and a population of 8St.Later the towns of Calhoun and Nor- 1 1 is were built. Cateeehoe cotton milt is near Norris. Six Mile, Dacusville and other flourishing schools and eotmntmi-ties have sprang up throughout Die countyI ho ! ickcns Knilwav, h branch lino \ from Fnslev to Pickens, was. built about Is,tin, Pickens has one cotton mil) and 1 it population of sit7,file population of Pickens county has 1 increased wonderfully. We are well i supplied With free schools, churches, nil mills, banks and ml ton mills. We are proud of our rc.-ourct'S, and hope to sluitt a greater increase in brnoficient enterprises in the years to come.I'M Ik SENTINEL’S WOE \J he inellk ient service of express com- ! jinnies and railroads, upon which we \ greatly depend, the scarcity of printers and other things, almost has us headed 1 toward the bughouse. The Sentinel is i tab* again this week on account of the j extreme lack of .service of the Southern 1 F xpress fr. We regret it fur more j 'him any subscriber possibly can, but ! We can nil 1 help ourselves. If this thing 1 beeps up much longer we arc going to 1 join Die army and go to France in order j ’gel a little peace and rest.
Newspaper Details
Pickens Sentinel
Pickens, South Carolina, US
Thu, Nov 08, 1917
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Laura L.
NA, 11 Apr 2024
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Keowee Courier
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