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SPARTANBURG COUNTY SEES COUNTLESS CHANGES DURING 35 YEAR PERIOD Spartanburg Herald and Journal January 3, 1932 Generously contributed by Nancie O'Sullivan   Sunday, January 3, 1932. SPARTANBURG COUNTY SEES COUNTLESS CHANGES DURING 35 YEAR PERIOD Who remembers MARTINSVILLE? Yes, that name sounds familiar. J.E. CASH served this community as its postmaster, J.J.C. EZELL was magistrate and J.A. MARTIN was the physician, J.?. SCRUGGS was notary public and there were 4 stores in Martinsville in 1896. This town was about 8 miles north of Cowpens and Chesnee. MAUD- The exact location of the post office known as Maud has not been learned, but it was below Cowpens several miles. It was the home of S.C. HAMMETT, merchant, R.E. LINDER was postmaster and merchant, and D.T. PHILLIPS, notary public. NESBITT - The post office , Nesbitt was near NESBITT'S bridge over Tiger River and not far from the old ROGERS cemetery on the hill. The post office was kept by S.N. NESBITT, merchant and H.M. NESBITT also had a general store there. POOLES - The town of Pooles was the home of the PADGETT'S, MISS LILLIE A. PADGETT being the postmistress. I.R. PADGETT owning the flour mill and cotton gin, and PADGETT and KENNEDY owned and operated a saw mill. It was near Cherokee on the Cannons Camp Ground road. RAVANNA, a small village, 4 miles north of Pacolet mills on the Pacolet Mills and Limestone road, had as its postmaster T.C. CHALK, W.S. LIPSCOMB dealt in real estate and operated his cotton gin. There was carpenters and blacksmiths and merchants in this community. PARIS, only a small hamlet, was between New Prospect and Chesnee, northeast of Boiling Springs. J.A. McMILLIN was postmaster and lumber dealer , also a miller. T.E. JOHNSON was a surveyor, while J.W. WALL was the merchant of the place. FOSTER , was a town which has been lost to modern progress. After the rural free delivery was introduced there remained only the old FOSTER Chapel to show that a small community had once had its center there. A.M. FOSTER kept the post office and J.M. FOSTER operated the cotton gin. This is the only community in which there was a colored blacksmith's listed. JOEL SIMPSON ran the blacksmith shop for the neighborhood. This small town was located on the Fairforest Creek where the Glenn Springs road from White Stone crosses Fairforest creek. GLENDALE , another cotton mill center is still a progressive town. W.E.LINDSAY was postmaster during the 90's. The location of this town is quite familiar. Perhaps the most interesting and most popular of the early post offices of the county was GLENN SPRINGS. This was also a very popular resort, both on account of the excellent mineral water and also for the pleasing hotel accommodations which the visitors enjoyed. Many came to Glenn Springs not only from S.C. but from Georgia and Florida as well. A small train was operated from Spartanburg down to the springs gay parties and dances, were held in honor of distinguished guests. Besides the hotel there were 5 large boarding houses here and during much of the time they crowded with visitors. GOLIGHTLY was a small community 3 miles north of Glenn Springs. Although scattered , this place was the home of staunch families whose descendants have taken prominent place in the world. Encircled around the rude little post office building there were high hills laden with laurel and rhododendron and in the early spring an abundance of trailing arbutus grew on the hillsides. JEB- The town of Jeb seems to have passed out of the minds of people. There may still be a few grandfathers who are able to recall its whereabouts. AMSA W. GASTON was postmaster for this place and B.L. WOFFORD ran a general merchandise. Jeb was in the Green Pond section between Reidville and Woodruff- named for J.E.B. STUART. MR. AMSA W. GASTON had this community named Jeb in honor of J.E.B. STUART under whose command MR. GASTON fought during the War Between the States. MR. GASTON honored the famous commander even further by naming one of his sons J.E.B. GASTON. Of course, we will know LANDRUM, the town which is the gateway to the Land of the Sky. JOSEPH B. PAGE was postmaster in 1896, and there were 6 stores owned by CANTRELL and PAGE, J.S. CARPENTER, N.F. and J. CARPENTER, EZELL and DANIEL and T.C. MORGAN. There were also 2 marble dealers- ELLEGE and PAGE. Landrum has known a great progress since that time. Landrum mills was the manufacturing plant in those early days and to this has been added many industries. LAYTON was between Walnut Grove community and Pauline. This was the home of A.B. LAYTON who was postmaster and J.H. LAYTON, Constable. A.S. SMITH was the miller and S.N. WEST the blacksmith of the village. This town- if it could have been called a town - has long since passed out of existence. The town of EVINSVILLE is not heard of now except when the grandfathers or grandmothers refer to it. The postoffice was kept by B.L. ALLEN while A.S. LESLIE was the minister of the gospel for the village. H.L. LAYTON owned a gin and saw mill and had as his competitors, JAMES CASEY and W.M. McCRAVY. WORKMAN and Company owned the only store in the neighborhood. Evinsville was probably near the Old Burnt Factory community, near the Burnt Factory bridge. ENOREE Manfacturing Company was making cotton goods for several years prior to 1896. In this town which is quite a large thickly settled community, there were then 3 ministers, B.R. ANDERSON, W.H. MILLER, and E.C. WATSON, and 2 doctors, A.R. FIKE and C.H. GREEN. J.W. BISHOP served as postmaster. FARLEY , the home of L.C. BISHOP, blacksmith of W.J. McDOWELL, magistrate and postmaster J.H. MILLIN and who were the merchants of Farley. This town was located near Fingerville on the north Pacolet River. The present location of C.C. McMILLIN'S store. J.H. McMILLIN owned the only store besides the cotton mill store. J.E. CHALK was the physician and he was listed under the Victor postoffice which was not far away. DR. J.B. WILSON, too was a physician of Fingerville. CRIM - There is some question as to where the exact location of Crim was. Some of our older friends no doubt will be glad to tell us just where this place was. To be sure it must have been a small settlement as there are only 2 mentioned besides the postmaster, W.T. CRIM. H.P. BRIDWELL had a general store and G.T. PEARSON ran a stock farm. This seems to have been the present Poplar Springs community or thereabouts. ANDOVER - Then there was Andover. J.H. ATKINS was postmaster and ran the general store. M.C. ATKINS was the blacksmith, while W.M. COLLINS owned a store also. This postoffice was 2 miles south of Gowansville. Some of our older friends will be able to tell us more about Andover. ARDELLA is well known as it was near the present DISPUTANTA school. It was 5 miles west of the city. Arlington has been translated into the Appalache Mill community. The town of BECCA may not be so well remembered . Here JAMES A. FOSTER and J.L. COLLINS both has stores while D.C. STROBLE ran the cotton gin. W.T. WEST followed the vocation of blacksmith. J.L. FOSTER was station agent. Of the location of this place there seems to some doubt, but several have given its location as having been near the present site of the town of Roebuck. The community which is now known as Stone's Station was once known as BISHOP. J.M. STONE was post master and ran a general store. He is the only one listed under BISHOP. BLACKWOOD- In Blackwood we see there were 2 stores, 2 blacksmiths , a miller, ALFRED NEWTON, a sawyer, WILLIAM SANDERS and MRS. MAMIE E. BLACKWOOD was post mistress. This settlement was between Inman and New Prospect. It has long since gone. HARRELSON- The postmaster of the good ole days was also blacksmith for the village. Evidently his mail not so heavy and he must have had plenty of time to sharpen plows, make plow stocks and shoe horses for the whole neighborhood. A preacher, T.A. BLAKELY also lived here. HARRELSON was situated on the Tiger River between Nesbitts and Hill's bridges. HEBRON, forgotten by many was only a short distance from Harrelson. Four general stores supplied the community with its simple needs. H.W. GWINN ran a flour and saw mill, also a cotton gin. Hebron was about 2 miles east of Harrelson on the Hill's factory road. STATE LINE , as the name signifies, was on the line between North and South Carolina on the road between Chesnee and Cliffside. OLIVER HAMES was postmaster, C.W. MOORE was a merchant and D.S. SCRUGGS is listed as the only merchant of the place. There is a church known as the State Line Baptist Church, which is in use at the present time. WINGO - Tucked away not far from the Mount Zion section was WINGO, which was the home of B.K. WINGO, who served his community as postmaster. His home was on the road between Fairforest and Inman nearer the latter. Some of the oldest and best known families of Spartanburg lived in this community. WOODRUFF has been a very prosperous town for a long time. Even in 1896, there was a long list of business men given. There were cotton buyers - L.L. BEASON and J.H. KIRBY and W.W. SIMPSON; preachers. C.F. SCAIFE and S.W. REID and doctors S.D. PARSONS and L. IRBY - lawyers, barbers, grocers, druggists and shoemakers. The list is too long to enumerate all. WRIGHT - W.C. LIPSCOMB was the mail man for his neighborhood, which was known as Wright. This settlement is no longer known by this name. WELLFORD - Three clergymen, J.A. BELL, S.W. REID and S.C. TODD lived at Wellford in the late 90's. DR. J.O. VERNON was the physician of this place, A.R. BALLINGTON and J.W. JONES were merchants. M.L. GILBERT was postmaster for Wellford. The location is well known. WALNUT GROVE - located on the road from Roebuck to Cross Anchor, is a well known community. There used to be a postoffice for the neighborhood and this was kept by T.S. HARRISON. The people of Walnut Grove had as their doctor, W.H. KELLY. RICH - The town of RICH has now become White Stone. Back in the 90's we see A.J. FOSTER was magistrate and J.T. FOSTER was postmaster and merchant. R.A. LANCASTER operated a saw mill and cotton gin and his competitor was W.W. MURPH. J.J. TINSLEY was another merchant of this community. SWAIN was the home of A.T. JONES, clergyman, J.P. JACKSON , merchant EDWARD GARRETT, carpenter and L.M. PUTMAN postmaster and merchant. SWAIN was near north Pacolet above JOE WALKER School about 5 miles northeast from Campobello. THICKETY -The postmaster of THICKETY was D.L. LITTLEJOHN. MARTIN PINSON served the town as its doctor. JEFFERSON LIPSCOMB was the only merchant listed for the year 1896. THICKETY , on the Southern Railroad between Spartanburg and Gaffney was named after the Mountain of the same name. ROCKFORD, so named because of a rocky place, on Dutchman's Creek, at the ford, was the home of GEORGE A. MORROW, who was postmaster. The post office was in the MORROW home. J.M. WILLIAMS owned the only store of the neighborhood. W.A. WOFFORD was a miller and L.E. PETTIT the carpenter. Rockford was about 12 miles below Spartanburg on Dutchman's Creek. GRASSY POND - The name is most familiar. This town has been abandoned now, but it once had its blacksmith, saw mill, general store, postmaster J.J. MAGNESS and assistant postmaster, J.B. JONES. Grassy Pond was about 4 miles west of Gaffney. An old church still retains the name of the place. GRAMBLIN, although the spelling has been somewhat revised - was then a small town. It is north of Inman. It was a new village in '96 but it has grown into a very prosperous community with churches, stores and an excellent school. It is the center of a rich peach growing district and that was E. LAWRENCE, postmaster. Goucher - The town of GOUCHER is almost forgotten. It was the postoffice for the community between Gaffney and Pacolet. There remains a Baptist church by the small name at this place. ADELINE LITTLEJOHN was then postmaster. CEDAR SPRINGS- A place familiar to all- N.F. WALKER distributed the mail for the community. T.Z. GOODWIN was the miller, R.P. ROGERS , a shoemaker. The institution for the deaf and blind was on the same site as it stands today. CASHVILLE is still known by the same name. In this small town of long ago H.H. ARNOLD owned and operated a cotton gin and saw mill. MR. ARNOLD had two competitors in business - S.V. BROCKMAN and O.P. WESTMORELAND. DR. G.H. JONES was the doctor and M.E. WOOD, the postmaster. These half-dozen men were all the business men of the place. CASHVILLE is between Reidville and Woodruff. CAVINS - Three ALEXANDERS owned cotton gins in Cavins. J.M. LANHAM was the doctor. This town was between Nesbitts bridge over the Tiger River and the present town of Woodruff. The ALEXANDERS had a competitor, S.T. LITTLEFIELD, also owned a gin. M.C. MASON was a postmaster and S.E. MASON wrote insurance. DUTCHMAN - Although the community is still known by that name, the post office of Dutchman was discontinued before 1918. It was near Pauline, 15 miles south of Spartanburg. S.G. WOODWARD, W.D. ALLEN and S.G. McCRAVY, all three, had general stores and W.D. ALLEN was postmaster. BRANNONS - The town known as Brannons must not have boasted of many inhabitants as the only business men listed are J.A. BRANNON, postmaster and BRANNON and WOLF who were joint owners of the store of the community. Brannons was between Inman and New Prospect. BROOKLYN- The name of Brooklyn is quite highsounding, but the town by that name in the county during the 90's was not a very active center. It supported 2 blacksmiths, W.D. CUDD and A.D. HARDIN- a limber dealer, D.P. MARTIN and one store owned by M.O. WESTBROOK. S.P. JONES was Brooklyn's postmaster. Strange to say, this town did not live to see our day. It was located on the North Carolina line , on what was then known as Pore's Ford road. BOILING SPRINGS is known to all. Instead of passing out existence this town has weathered the storms of progress and has thrived on its prosperity. In 1896 there were 2 blacksmiths, 2 stores, owned by J.H. CANTRELL and J.W. TURNER respectively, also 2 cotton gins and saw mills. Campobello is still on the map, as we know, and is one of the progressive towns of the upper county. During the late 90's we see there was a shoemaker, J.W. BRIDGEMAN, a carpenter, A.W. GAINES, a doctor, DR. J.W. BRAMLETT and there were 2 merchants there - W.R. BALLARD and W.C. WILKINS. It is 18 miles north of Spartanburg. One advance that Campobello had made should be noted here, and that was the excellent school which had the late REV. I.W. WINGO as head master and teacher. MR. WINGO has passed on to his reward but his influence both as preacher and teacher is still felt not only in the village but elsewhere into many homes throughout the upper section of the county. CAMPTON is still a town. This village was named in honor of SQUIRE "BILLY CAMP who was the best-known citizen of the community in the 'good old days". In the year 1896 there were S.E. BRYAN and J.W. METCALF, the 2 merchants. W.L. MOORE was postmaster and DR. J.R. GIBSON was the physician. CAMPTON is about 8 miles from Spartanburg on the Asheville hwy. FAIRFOREST - The town of Fairforest is familiar to all. In 1896 there were 3 stores and post office there. MRS. MARY E. VAUGHN was postmistress. MRS. VAUGHN held this place many years even up to a few years ago. MRS. VAUGHN still resides in the section which has been her home for many years. This town is about 6 miles west of Spartanburg. COWPENS - is quite familiar to all. Fourteen general stores were there in 1896. J.D. BAILEY is the only clergyman of Cowpens listed. The MOORES, WEBSTERS, and WILKINS families were some of the early stock of Cowpens. This town is about 9 miles from Spartanburg on the Gaffney road. CLARENCE - [ A JUG FACTORY ] Clarence located 6-8 miles west of Inman is now known as HOLLY SPRINGS settlement. This place was once famous for its jug factory operated by J.J. JOHNSON. A grist mill was there owned by J.E. HANNON and R.E. THOMPSON was the doctor. The post office was taken care of by C.C. BEARDEN. CLIFTON - The town of Clifton has grown much larger and has been a thriving manufacturing town. The Clifton Mills No1 and 2 manufacture cotton goods. During the 90's DR. B.F. BATES was the physician, along with J.R. BROWN and O.G. FALLS. Clifton there boasted also of 2 preachers, S.L. HARLEY and J.L. SHINN and 2 teachers, E.C. ELMORE and T.L. SHIPPEY. GAFFNEY - In 1896 Gaffney was a part of Spartanburg Co. This town, even then was composed of merchants, bankers, real estate agents, doctors, dentists. Gaffney was proud to boast one photographer...for a number of years, Gaffney has been the county seat of Cherokee County.