Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Rev. Holmes Founded Clinton’s First Presbyterian Church BY J. F. JACOBS ‘On January 3, 1815, in Sheridan, New York, a child was born who was destined to do much for the Church in Upper South Carolina. This was Zelotes Lee Holmes. Orphaned in early life and handicapped by poverty, he was not deterred from his early purpose to se cure an education that would fit him for the gospel ministry. Working his way south through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee, at tending schools and colleges when and where possible, at Knoxville he found remunera tive work with congenial sur roundings, so spent two and a half years at the University of Tennessee from which institu tion he received his degree. He reached ColumbiaSemin- ary, then in South Carolina, in 1839, aged twenty-four. From Columbia he was graduated in 1842. He at once became pastor of Nazareth Church in Spart anburg District, and soon es tablished a preaching point in the small country village of Spartanburg, In 184 3, he found ed the First Presbyterian Church there. An important event in his life came to Mr. Holmes on December 4, 1844, when he was most happily married to Miss Kate Nickels of Laurens Countv. They lived in Spartanburg for a time, then moved to Lau rens, where Mr. Holmes be came pastor of Rocky Springs, Duncan’s Creek and other churches in this section. In ad dition to this regular work, he established preaching points wherever a few souls needed the gospel. One of these points was a stand in the corporate limits of the little village of Clinton. After threeyear^work here, he was privileged to found the First Presbyterian Church of Clinton. He minister ed to the needs of this church as Stated Supply until January 3, 1864. Roll of charter members of the Clinton Presbyterian Church. Many of you may find names of your great-grandfath ers and great-grandmothers listed here: Mr. and Mrs. John Blakely Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Foster Mr. and Mrs. James Patton Mr. and Mrs. E.T. Copeland Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Leake Mrs. M. A. Holland Miss Isabella Fulton Mrs. Mary Fairbarn Miss Matilda Fairbarn Miss Isabella Henry Miss Mary McClintock Mrs. Elizabeth Stroud Mrs. Nancy Henry Mrs. Caroline Fulter Ewel T. Blakely Miss Elizabeth J. McDowell Miss Pamela F. McDowell Mrs. D.A.F. Williams Mrs. Sara Young Mrs. Nancy Young Mrs. L.J.F. Holland Miss Martha Stroud Mr. and Mrs. Robert Phinney Mrs. Nancy Owens The above charter members elected three elders: John Blakely, E. T. Copeland and Roberts. Phinney and two dea cons: William Henderson Henry and J. T. Foster. The following were chosen to be incorporated by the legislature of South Carolina as a Board of Trustees of saidchurch: viz. G. P. Copeland, T. H. Pitts and Ewel T. Blakely. Mr. Holmes, seeing the pos sibilities before the church, determined to urge upon the congregation the choice of a pastor. Early in the fall of 1864, he made a visittoColum- bia Seminary to enlist the sympathies of Rev. William P. Jacobs. The result was an ac cepted call to the united field of Clinton, Shady Grove and Duncan’s Creek churches. The first year, beginning April, 1864, the pastor resided with Mr. Robert S. Phinney who was then and for years almost a foster father of the church. At that time the village had about 200 white inhabitants. On the church rolls were 43 white and 28 colored members. In that year the church resolv ed upon the evangelism of the colored people as a part of its great commission. Services were held for them twice on each Sabbath. The colored membership increased rapidly, and at the close of the war, there were 80 members. Al though emancipation brought alienation, yet the church did not cease its labors. By the 10th of May 1869. the colored membership of our church had reached 163. At this time the Negro members decided that they could be more effective in church work under their own leaders and they voluntarily left the First Presbyterian Church. A congregation was formed un der the leadership of the Rev. Mr. Gibbs, a colored minister, and with the cooperation of the Clinton Presbyterian Church began services in a church known as Sloan Chapel. All South Carolina churches suffered from the weaknesses and poverty of the reconstruc tion period but the Clinton Presbyterian Church increased in numbers and influence dur ing the pastorate of Dr. Wil liam P. Jacobs, 1864-1911. This progress has continued during the pastorates of Rev. F. D. Jones (1911-1920); D. J. Woods (1921-41); J. K. Roberts (1941-44); W. R. Turner (1944- 1964) and A. L. Bixler (1965 to the present. Little River -Dominick Presbyterian Church Has Colorful 208-Year History BurM deep m the minutes of a Presbytery meeting in October of 1761 is a paragraph report ing of petitions from several churches for supplies. However, to the congregation of the Little River Dominick Presbyterian Church, :t is one of the most important record ings entered anywhere in re cords of the Presbyterian Church. This entry gives the first record that the rural church was in existence and is used as the basis of the church his tory. It is recorded in the minu tes of the Presbytery of Hanover meeting October 7, 1761, in Au gusta County, Va., that the lit tle River-Dominick Church made such a request along with several other churches. Thus, this little church, lo cated just in Newberry County near the Newberry-Laurens County line and filled with his tory, is now 208 years old. Some of its former members are noted in history books of this nation’s growth and others, while not named in history’s pages, played important parts in the growth of this community, state and nation. One of the first elders was James Williams, who held a colonel commission and fell at King’s Mountain during the Re volutionary War. There stands across the road in a wooded area, a cemetery and site of the original church building. The land on which the ceme tery stands was granted to the church by King Edward, III, of England in the year 1767. Only the corner stones still remain of the original church as it was moved from this site in Newberry County to a site in Laurens County near Milton. In the moving, the entire church building was dismantled and carried to the new location some three or four miles north west of the original site. Another mark in the history of the church is recorded in the tragedy known as the “Massacre at Hayes Station‘-by “Bloody* Bill Cunningham. This massacre came in the year 1781 and three of the 12 men who met their deaths at the hands of Cunningham and his band of tories were members of the church. Col Jo seph Hayes, Maj. Daniel Wil liams and Daniel’s younger brother of 14, Joseph, all met their deaths either by hanging or by the sword. A fourth member of the church, James Tinsley, was one of seven given their lives and released. One historical account re calls that ‘Bloody Bill* had just slain John Caldwell, an uncle of John C. Calhoun, the great American statesman, at his home near Hayes Station when his brother, William Cald well, appeared at the Militia mg A Sunday Afternoon Outing ••••««•••••••••••••••••••• Static® of Col. Hayes and ad vised Hayes to put himself in position to defend the post. Pointing to the smoke in the southeast, Caldwell said, “that is my brother’s house and I know Cunningham is in the neighborhood.* Hayes made light of the state ment commenting that Cunning ham had ‘to much sense to come there.’ However, Cunningham did come and burned the station, forcing the men inside to sur render. As the men came out in surrender, Cunningham told certain of his men to select such prisoners as they desir ed should be free. The women and children were separated, and along with several others, were freed. Cunningham ordered the others to be seated in a circule and Col. Hayes and Capt. Daniel Williams were hung “at once to a pole of a fodder stack.* Others were killed by the sword, some having their heads cut off. There now stands a monu ment to the east of Little River to the slain men. Other outstanding men of his tory who were members of the church include John Hunter, a U. S. Senator in 1796 and Pat rick C. Caldwell, also a sena tor from 1840 to 1842. W. D. Simpson served as gov ernor of this state and Maj. Fredrick Nance served as Lt. Governor from 1808 until 1810. The church boasts three former state senators, William Caldwell, Fredrick Nance and Patrick C. Caldwell; seven for mer State House Members, Wil liam Hunter, James Caldwell, John Simpson, James Williams, John Caldwell, James J. Cald well and Patrick C. Caldwell. Robert Gilliam, James Cald well, William Caldwell served as Sheriff of Laurens County as does Sheriff R. ^ugene Johnson today. With all the colorful history that Little River-Dominick has been involved in, one would find it hard to believe that Little River-Dominick is a church. 1670-1970 Important Dates For S. C. We have some dates that special to us too, such as: are When John R. Holland Opened Holland's Cash Groc ery (with a $250 investment and high hopes.) Later the name was changed to Holland's Food Center. After Mr. Holland's death in 1945, Mrs. Holland, son Joe, and Sidney Bryson kept the business going. Mrs. Holland and Fuman Buchanan ran the store while Joe was in the Army. Joe was discharged in 1952 and has manag ed the store since then. We became associated with PIGGLY WIGGLY 1965 We opened the new Piggly Wiggly Supermarket with 12,000 square feet of floor space and a 90-car parking lot. It all began with a $250 investment and now is backed by 27 years of growth based on the best service at the lowest possible price. * * *