SHELOR FAMILY CEMETERY, Oconee County, SC A.K.A. Chickasaw Point, SC Version 2.3, 26-Mar-2013, C301.TXT, C301 **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** DATAFILE INPUT . : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in Mar-2003 G.P.S. MAPPING . : Gary Flynn ay (visit above website) in Mar-2003 HISTORY WRITE-UP : Gary Flynn ay (visit above website) in Apr-2003 IMAGES ......... : Gary Flynn ay (visit above website) in Mar-2003 TRANSCRIPTION .. : Gary Flynn ay (visit above website) in Mar-2003 CEMETERY LOCATION: ------------------ Locate intersection of Highways 11 and 24. Drive (S) on highway 11. In 4.7 miles turn right (SW) onto SR 37-85 (SR S37-85) In 0.8 miles turn right (W) onto Chickasaw Road. Stop at guard shack and get pass. In 1.9 miles keep bearing to the right. Cemetery is located to the right of country club. Latitude N 34 32.456 x Longitude W 83 05.182 CHURCH/CEMETERY HISTORY: ------------------------ When traders were going north, they would normally take a trail that ran along the Savannah River to the town of Tugaloo GA. Then they would take the Unicoy Road to the Black Fox Trail (the Cherokee Indian "Trail of Tears" to AK. This route was also known as the Red Hallow Road and ran along what is now Highway 11 from the junction of Highway I-85. One of the most interesting points of Chickasaw Pointe community history, is the old Shelor homestead. It was located on the site now occupied by the community clubhouse. The Shelor cemetery which is located to the Clubhouse parking lot, is all that remains of this historic homestead. The homestead consisted of a 3- bedroom house and a thoroughbred race tract for horses. The original log cabin on the homestead was built in the 1770's. Some of the timbers of this old log cabin were used to build the steps down to the Marina. Six of these massive hand hewn timbers can still be seen supporting the ceiling of the 2nd floor lounge in the Clubhouse. o----------o The Tugaloo Tribune Friday, July 30, 1971: EARLY PLANTATION, MYSTERIES UNCOVERED AT SITE OF CHICKASAW POINT By Miriam Goodspeed Mysterious ruins, tales of hidden treasure and long overgrown family burial grounds are some of the discoveries giving Chickasaw Point project manager Charles Elstun headaches these days. When Russwood of S. C., Inc., bought the 1,300 acres on the South Carolina side of the Tugaloo River, it was to develop an exclusive, fashionable residential area. It didn't know how much more it was getting. Much of the Chickasaw Point property was part of the old Sheeler (sometimes spelled Shelor) plantation that possibly dates back to Revolutionary War days, according to stories gathered by Elstun. Russwood purchased the property last March, held a grand opening in June and has been developing the land since. Plans include wooded lots for 2,200 homes, park areas, an 18-hole golf course, a marina, clubhouse-pro shop, and a main clubhouse complex. The main clubhouse will be located where the old Sheeler home now stands. As much of the material as possible from the old house will be used in the new building. "According to local legend, the house is over 200 years old, " Elstun said. He added that a number of former occupants of the old house have visited the project since it opened, and apparently the building was occupied as recently as 10 to 15 years ago. "We were told of a legend that a fortune is secreted somewhere around the house because a former owner stashed his money away by nailing sum up in various rooms," he said. "We're going to be looking hard when we tear the structure down." The centuries old home today is a dilapidated shack. It is currently being used for storage by the development company. The building was added on to a number of times. The original house was apparently made of hand-hewn logs and held together with wooden pegs. Part of this may be seen where workmen have torn off the siding. There is a large living room with fireplace in this section of the house. Upstairs, a dormer holds the tattered remnants of old newspapers plastered to walls and ceiling in place of wallpaper. Dates on the faded newsprint indicate the wall papering was done in 1945. The room was also decorated in old pictures taken from sales catalogs of the era. It has remained undisturbed bed for 26 years. "We stumbled on the family graveyard by accident, " the project manager said. The small burial ground lies some yards away from the house. Russwood has protected it with a chain link fence. The cemetery will remain undisturbed as an historical monument "because we can't disturb graveyards," said Dave Brown, surveyor with Kimball Engineers, who has made many of the intriguing discoveries on the property. He said the latest grave in the old cemetery is dated in the early 1890's, and that many of the graves are obviously those of children. An added hazard in developing the area were a number of old wells which served long-vanished homes. Surveyors walk warily through unexplored parts of the development for fear of slipping into the uncovered, yet hidden, pits, some of which still contain water. "We're covering up and filling those we find," he assured. Another story about the Sheelers is that they were slave traders before the Civil War. Elstun said workmen recently found a number of chains that seemed to give this tale some authenticity. One of the most intriguing mysteries of all lies on a wooded knoll about 50 yards away from the old plantation house. Vines, wild strawberries and rich dark earth cover what appear to be wide, oblong foundations made of granite. "I'd give anything to know what this was," Elstun said. "We keep on arguing about it and guesses range from a mausoleum to a spring house or even the slaves' burial ground, which we haven't discovered yet. If it's a building, why was granite used in its construction when the main house was built on stones?" Nearly everyday, workmen uncover interesting, new mysteries at Chickasaw Point. "Frankly, I get headaches when informed about them, because they sure can complicate things," Elstun confessed. He believes much of interest was covered by Lake Hartwell when it rose over part of the plantation. Still to be discovered are a race track and stables for the racing horses owned by a Sheeler who "went broke running it," according to area native and project guard Leslie W. Grant. "The Sheelers lived along the river," he reminisced, "and one of the family had a ferry nearby called Sheeler's Ferry that ran clear past World War II. He doesn't know if the Sheelers still ran it at that last date, however, and knows none of the family left in the area today. The old plantation lay close to the South Union community, which included a trading post, sawmill, cotton mill and cotton gin. The old gin still remains but not for long. When the Highway 11 comes through the area, even that will be gone. TOMBSTONE TRANSCRIPTION NOTES: ------------------------------ a. = age at death b. = date-of-birth d. = date-of-death h. = husband m. = married p. = parents w. = wife H., T.W., infant son SHELER, Infant Son, b. 1877, p. r.w. & r.e. sheler SHELER, Infant Son, p. r.w. & r.e. sheler SHELER, Rebecca, b. 16-dec-1843, d. 6-sep-1877, h. r.w. sheller SHELOR, Annie Cornella, b. c 1877, d. 15-jan-1879, a. 2y-2m-12d, p. j.w. & m.j. shelor SHELOR, Casandine Barry, b. 30-nov-1817, d. 10-jan-1848 SHELOR, Jamie Casandine, b. 9-oct-1883, d. 9-jan-1884, twin daughter, p. j.w. & m.j. shelor SHELOR, Jonna Maria, b. 9-oct-1883, d. 31-jan-1884, twin daughter, p. j.w. & m.j. shelor SHELOR, Joseph Ryland, b. 30-oct-1808, d. 4-dec-1883