McCormick messenger. (McCormick, S.C.) 1902-current, June 18, 1931, Image 2
PAGE MIMBER TWO
(Bethany H6me Demonstration
Y
lub.)
In giving a true history of Lib
erty Hill there is no one living who
can give us any information as to
the exact time it was settled.
Tradition tells us that it was
first settled by the Indians. Ac
cording to the number of arrow
heads, tomahawks and plow points
that have been found along the
banks of Cuffetown Creek where
they roamed, there must have been
a large number of these Indians.
Tradition also tells us that there
was an Indian Massacre here.
It is said that during Revolu
tionary times the first “Liberty
Pole” was raised here and this is
where the name Liberty Hill orig
inated.
Liberty Hill is located in a por
tion of Edgefield county, now Mc
Cormick county at the crossing of
the Scott’s Ferry Road and the
Edgefield and Abbeville stage coach
road. We are told that the Edge-
field and Abbeville road is one of
the oldest in the state and at one
time a portion of it was planked.
There are several graveyards
near here which have tombs dated
during the early part of the
eighteenth century. In those days
most people had family graveyards
near their homes.
As to churches there were two—
a Baptist and a Methodist. “Old
Bethany Baptist church was locat
ed on the Edgefield and Abbeville
road about three miles from Lib
erty Hill. We do not know the
date of the organization of this
church, but it was at least two
hundred years ago. Later it was
moved to where it now stands and
was built with a pulpit high from
the floor with bannisters around it
and steps leading up to it. In
the rear of the church was a gall
ery, with steps leading up from the
outside, for the slaves to occupy as
they had no churches of their own.
They were taken in as members of
the white people’s churches. Mr.
Hezekiah Edwards and Mr. George
J. Sheppard were the first two
deacons and Brother John Trapp
the pastor. Bethany has been re
modelled and is now a modern
country church. The Methodist
church which was located near
here was abandoned at an early
date, and the building went to
^dilapidation. We have no record
^as to the age of this old church.
, Liberty Hill was before and af
ter the Confederate War a good
feist village consisting of several
' hundred Inhabitants most of whom
were largo land and slave owners.
The following are the names of a
few of the most prominent fam
ilies: Mr. George J. Sheppard, Mrs.
Louisa Sheppard, Mr. William Y.
Quarles, Mr. William H. Yeldell
(better known as “Pony”), Dr. J.
L. Lewis, Dr. W. T. West, Dr. J. C.
Lanier, and Mr. Richter. Others
who lived near here were the
Whites, Fullers, Quarles, Edwards,
Timmermans, McDonalds, Harri
sons, Yeldells, Coseys, Bushnells,
and Hiblers.
Liberty Hill was a great business
center. There were two general
merchandise stoles practically all
the time, two blacksmith shops,
two shoe shops, one wood shop, two
tyalor shops, and a tanning vat.
All of these were very necessary as
all farming implements, nails, ve
hicles, shoes, and clothing were
made by hand. There were also
two grog shops. We have been told
that one keeper rolled his barrels
all night on cold nights in order
that he might be able to draw from
them next morning. Another keep
er neglected to roll his barrels so
he was forced to cut his whiskey
with an axe before he could sell.
In those days to sell and use
whiskey was no disgrace. It was
not uncommon to see decanters
tilled with the best of wines and
brandies sitting on the sideboards
in the homes of the wealthy peo
ple.
There was a grist mill located
on Cuffetown Creek owned by W.
B. Dorn, Esq., who was also the
owner of the rich gold mines where
the town of McCormick is now lo
cated. The mill was operated by
Mr. John Henderson, an old con
federate soldier who lost his foot
in the war, and sure could grind
the best of meal.
Liberty Hill was also an educa
tional center. There was a male
Academy built on the Bethany
church grounds. Mr. George Gal-
phin taught a very flourishing
school, having for some of his pu
pils Mr. Olander Sheppard, Gen. M.
C. Butler, Gov. J. C. Sheppard, Mr.
C. C. Fuller, Mr. “Pony” Yeldell,
J3en. B. R. Tillman, Dr. Scott Shep-
Abner Bushnell, TameJ Oscar Shep
pard and a great maiy other boys
who became oromingnt men.
When vhe war came on James
Oscar Sheppard, the son of Mr.
George J. Sheppard, and ninety-
nine other cadets ran away from
college and went to the war where
he lost his life on the eleventh of
June 1864 in the battle of Travill-
lan. Before going into the battle
he gave his gold watch to his coi
ned servant and said, “If I get
killed take this to father.” His
'ervant, Uncle Simon, left for home
mmediately after his master was
killed. Three weeks after the bat
tle, his parents and other relatives
were sitting on the piazza of their
palatial home lamenting over
Oscar’s death and wondering what
had become of Uncle Simon. In
i short while a horse neighed be
low the house and lo and behold
It was Uncle Simon with his mas
er’s horse and belongings, who
had undergone hardships, swim-
ning rivers, hiding by days and
.iding by night in order to elude
!he Yankees. He brought letters of
sonsolence from Col. Ferguson,
Oapt. Humphrey, and others.
When Uncle Simon removed the
:addle from the horse the hair and
hide came with it. Oscar Shep
pard was a member of the Com- !
pany of Jefferson Nullifiers and we
have a cap which he wore.
In 1860 a few of the public spir
ited citizens built the Liberty Hill
Female Academy. This academy
was used continuously until after
the war between the states. Then
for several years ft was not used
The country was so demoralized by
the war and teachers and books
were hard to secure. In 1876 Mr
John Terry Cheatham, a very pat
riotic citizen moved into the com
munity with his large family and
revived the school which was a
progressive school until 1916 when
it was destroyed by fire. About
that time McCormick county was
formed and the community built a
school building adjoining Bethany
Church property which is still a
progressive school.
Sometime after the confederate
war, Liberty Pos t Office was
changed to Longmires Store Post
Office, there being another Liberty
Hill in the state.
In 1851 the Free Masons organiz
ed a lodge here. The first Master
Mason was Capt. J. F. Burress and
first Senior Warden was W. B.
Dorn Esq. When the war began
J. F. Burress was elected Capt. of
Company K 7th S. C. Reg. which
won for itself distinction. At the
battle of Sharpsburg everyone of
this company who was in battle
was either killed or wounded. In
1859 W. B. Dorn Esq. erected a
large two story Masonic Hall with
four rooms in the upper story,
equipped for their work. The lower
floor was arranged for mercantile
business and it has been used for
that purpose up to present time.
W. B. Dorn also built the cover
ed bridge across Cuffetown Creek
near his grist mill. This bridge
stood for many decades and was
called “Shinburg Bridge.” In 1888
the greatest freshet on record mov
ed it a short distance down the
stream. It was so well built with
wooden pegs and iron bolts made
in the home blacksmith shop that
the water did not demolish it.
Before and after the war all the
clothing was made at home. The
thread was carded into rolls and
spun on an old-fashioned spinning
wheel. When extra nice thread
was desired the lint was picked
from the seed by hand. The task
allotted a slave after supper was to
pick his shoe full of seed. This
thread was then made into cloth
on a loom which was operated by
hand. Ten or eleven yards per
day was good work for a fast weav
er. When colored cloth was desir
ed, it was dyed with home-made
dyes such as clay, mosses, walnut
hulls, indigo, etc. All socks and
stockings were home-knit.
Liberty Hill was always a lively
community. There was a race
track on which the young men had
a tournament. After the tilt they
had a gander pulling to amuse the
crowd. They got a gander, picked
the feathers from his head, greas-i
ed it with lard, and then tied his
feet to a swinging limb. A prize
was offered to the one who .pulled
off his head. Then the men rode
circuitously at full tilt and grabbed
at the head as they rode by. Dr.
Scott Sheppard succeeded in be
heading the gander and won the
prize.
During reconstruction times the
Ku-Klux-Klan was a valuable fac
tor in the Liberty Hill community.
tfoun
HAHJ
Don’t Rasp Your Throat
With Harsh
Irritants
"Reach for a
LUCKY instead"
Eve started it and the daughters
of Eve inherited it. Eve gave Adam the
apple, and it seems that Adam must
have passed it on. For every man and
every woman has an Adam’s Apple.
Put your finger on your Adam’s Apple
—that is your larynx, your voice box —
it contains your vocal chords. Consider
your Adam’s Apple —when you do so,
you are considering your throat— your
vocal chords. Don’t rasp your throat
with harsh Irritants. Reach for a LUCKY
instead. Here in America LUCKY STRIKE
is the only cigarette which brings you
the added benefit of the exclusive
"TOASTING" Process, which includes
the use of modern Ultra Violet Rays.
It is this exclusive process that expels
certain harsh irritants present in ail
raw tobaccos. These expelled irritants
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compounds. They are not present in
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"Consider your Adam’s Apple."
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tvorks*
J|i
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Including the use of Ultra Violet Rays
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awakening of our citi- TVFnct ior working out new methods of
or die for democracy , 1?AU01 ' Jr 1C P <1At: teaching and a new curriculum,
Youth For Problems * or education on the secondary and
led to the
zens to do
which crushed the Carpetbaggers
and negro rule. Mr. W. E. Shep
pard when quite a child well re
members seeing a band of Ku-
higher levels has never before been
offered to other than a small per
The public schools have the res- cen t a g e p eo pi e W ith brains
Klux passing his home at night, ponsibility of preparing the youth ^ adapted to mastering books
dressed in their long white robes meet the changing conditions of an( j a f ew can a cq U ir e tech-
with their horses’ feet muffled so the social order, writes William : n i ca i manual skills. As new kinds
that they .made no noise. The name John Cooper, United States Com- 0 f m i nc is enter the schools new
Ku-Klux was exciting to both old J, missioner of Education, in an art- , devices in education must be de-
and young. icle in tlle United States Daily. He /eloped.
Last but not least are the old urged that teachers prepare their j ma y b e asked what would we
“haunted” houses near here. The pupils to meet and successfully
cope with the problems with which
they will be faced in life. The
article reads, in part:
“Obviously, in a civilization
changing so rapidly, as is the
present, the teacher’s most valu
able contribution to his pupils con
sists in showing them how to face
problems fearlessly and attack
them scientifically.
“But he will also need to make
some additions to their equipment,
built Mr. Sheppard’s house com- Surveying fcfcie age in which he
pleted it very hurriedly so that he lives himself, lie must select those
could go to the war. He was kill- | trends which seem most significant
ed in action. Mrs. Sheppard's and help his charges to develop in
house was built by Capt. Markert their youth those habits and atti-
of Edgefield Village. The blinds tudes which will serve them in
and finishings were made on Sun- good stead in their adult years. ^ ^ __ ^
days in order that the house could 1 “In the past such leisure time, ° hlC h depends on him as a citizen
be completed before the men were as a civilization has been able to not only of his clty county state
called to war. The Masonic Hall, accumulate has been preempted by
these two homes and the Ritcher 3- special class. There can be lit-
old Cosey and Hibler houses after
they became unoccupied were said
to be “haunted.” The old slaves
would tell the children both white
and black scarry, bloodcuddling
tales about the “hants” who in
habited these houses.
During the time between 1860-
1862, Mr. George J. Sheppard and
Mrs. Louisa Sheppard built two
large residences at Liberty Hill.
Mr. Ransom, the carpenter who
do with these boys and girls if by
legislative enactment we were
compelled to take care of all of
them in our schools until they
were 17, 18, or perhaps even 21
years of age.
“I offer here three suggestions:
The educator today must
how or other keep the young citi
zens of tomorrow in school.
“First, until he can prepare him
better to utilize the leisure time
which he will have as an adult.
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$1.25 size - 5 cakes - enough for
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STROMS’ DRUG STORE
McCormick, S. C.
Members of the Woodward Coun-
some- i *. y Tj ome Demonstration Club of
Oklahoma introduced an unusual
garden feature last season, says a
report received by the U. S De
partment of Agriculture. Each wo
man agreed to plant a zinnia bed
“Second, to help him establish at least 4 by 4 feet in a conspicu-*
the habits and acquire the knowl- ous pj ace j n ber yard to identify
edge which will enable him to care ber as a member of a home dem-
properly for his health; and onstration club. Each bed of
“Third, to afford him informa- zinnias was placed where it could
tion and the desire to vote intelli- easily be seen from the road,
gently in a social organization x
Good posture in garden work
corresponds to good posture for in-
and nation, but in very fact, of the; doors tasks; that ^ work close to
cnei ^ , world, and to enable him the better th ^ ir roU nd can be done on a
house are the only buildings that,tie doubt in the minds of students ^ hic ^ .pound can be -done on a
are standing at present. Mr. Shep
pard’s home is occupied by his son
W. Ellery Shepppard and family.
Mrs. Sheppard, was before mar
riage Julia Cheatham. The Shep
pard’s home is now occupied by
Robert H. Quarles and family, son
of the late W. Y. Quarles. Mrs.
Quarles was before marriage Car
rie Cheatham.
After serving the purpose for which * We have always thought and it
is natural to suppose that we still
it was intended, the Harmon Mur
der and the lynching of the par
ticipants in that dastardly crime
think that Liberty Hill is the “gar
den spot” of South Carolina.
of society about the disposition of
such leisure time in the future. The
forces of democracy demand that
ultimately it be distributed fairly
to the advantage of all the peo
ple.
to do his part in solving problems
increasingly economic in charac
ter and international in scope.”
xxt
kneeling pad, with the back
straight and the shoulders flat;
hoeing and raking can be done like
mopping or sweeping, keeping the
abdomen and hips in correct post-
An old auto, tire casing split 4n J A1 _ , . , ..
J* tion and the feet squarely on the
two through the center of the • . _ . . " *
This will be accomplished in .tread makes good salt troughs for
part by shortening the working sheep on the range, say F °res . ® g g P ^
week and the working day. But Service rangers in the Rockv slm “ arly ’ muc . n , . , g “ g
some of it will also accrue to the Mountain region. These trough : ^ pos ure ^in^
youth of the Nation in a longer lie flat on the ground and are hard ***
period of formal education. , to tip over. They are easily moved Europeans say we Americans arc*
“The latter movement will place as they cup together, and they always after more money. Quite
upon educators the responsibility cost very little. right. We always need more^
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