The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, April 18, 1952, Image 6
PAGE SIX
THE NEWBERRY SUN
Carolinia
Hounds Return Home to Carolina Hills;
Once Thriving Piedmont Village Is Now Only a Memory
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(By Luda F. Kay Anderson
Independent)
Honea Path, April 12—Nearly
200 years ago, in the time of mud-
chinked log cabins, Indian mas
sacres, and stage coach travel,
the little town of Ghentsville
bloomed and prospered in a South
Carolina wilderness, then faded
away into the shadowy past.
It w'as located two and one-
half miles east of Honea Path on
what is now the Ware Shoals
Road, and it had a general store,
a blacksmith’s shop, a postoffice,
and a tavern for the cpnvenience
of stage-coach travelers. It al
so had a stable where the stage
coach horses were rested for
the return trip.
Like all stage-coach stops,
Ghentsville had some notable
visitors in its time. John C.
Calhoun stopped there on his
way to and from Washington
when he was vice-president of the
United States. Andrew Jackson
stopped there when he was re
cruiting his army to fight thei
blood-thirsty Cherokee and Semi
nole Indians.
Ghentsville had its church and
log cabin school house. Broad
Mouth Church was organized July
20, 1837, with a membership of
five white men, three white wo
men, and one Negro slave wo
man.
The old one-room log school
house stood under a great oak
tree near the church. Miss Mary
Erwin, who later married John
William of Honea Path, was the
last teacher at the school which
was closed forever in 1890.
My grandfather, William Pleas
ant Kay, owned a farm home and
a large tract of land at Ghents
ville. He died a number of years
before my grandmother, Elizabeth
Kay who passed on in 1891. His
property joined the Ghent prop
erty at Broad 'Mouth Church and
once it was surveyed and cut in
to several smaller tracts.
The surveyor of this project
was and old gentleman by the
name of Gabriel Mattison. One
day when I was a small boy, I
was sent to bring the surveyor
home in a buggy after his day’s
work. As w’e drove past the old
Ghent house the old man said,
“Son, that is an old place. My
father told me that it was built
many years before he was born.”
I bought the old Ghent home
place from the estate, of S. E.
Latimer in 1917. S. E. Latimer
was a grandson of Stephen Lati
mer who acquired the Ghent pro
perty in 1849.
After I moved there I began to
wonder how old the place really
was. I went to the grave of Mr.
Mattison, the old surveyor, and
his gravestone read: Gabriel Mat
tison, Born Feb. 14,1816. Accord
ing to his estimates, the old
Ghent house was built in 1781,
which make it 172 years old.
My great, great grandfather,
Robert Kay, came to Ghentsville
from Prince William County, Va.,
in 1778, with several of his broth
ers. He built a house just across
the Broad Mouth Creek from
Honea Path, near where the con
crete bridge on the Princeton
Road is now located. There are
still a few remaining signs of that
old home. His brother James Kay
settled at Ghentsville, and built
the house known since as the
Ghent place.
Family records and the history
of the Saluda Association shows
that the Rev. James Kay, Sr.,
was born at Ghentsville June 10,
1787. Mr. Kay and his brother,
William Kay, were both Baptist
preachers and both preached at
early Baptist churches in this
section. They are both now buried
at Little River, where they had
moved prior to their death.
I do not know the exact date
of when my great,great uncle,
James Kay, Sr., sold his farm to
Jesse Ghent, but it was at the
time he went to Little River to
live with his sons.
The Ghent house is built of
sawed lumber dressed by hand,
and not of logs as most homes
were built at that time. The large
old kitchen was built apart from
the main building and it had a
fireplace with rock warming
closets on each side and pothooks
swinging over the fire. An old
loom house stood in the back yard
where cloth was made. Two giant
A Last Tribute
To Mother
•
If you have postponed placing a
suitable Memorial to your moth
er, now, at the approach of
Mother’s Day, is a fitting time to
do it. Given your order now we
will have time to make up a
beautiful stone for her grave.
Some of the finest monuments
in local cemeteries are from oui^
place and we have designs to
show you or we will be glad to
follow any idea that you may
have as to a stone to fittingly
commemorate the one person who
meant so much to you.
And our prices are reasonable.
We have low overhead and can
save you many dollars over that
of other companies.
If you have already placed a
stone at the grave of your mother,
perhaps it is some other loved
one whose grave is unmarked.
We can takQ care of that for you
too out of many, many year’s of
experience.
Newberry Monument
Company
J. B. COWARD, Proprietor
AZALEA FESTIVAL TRIO—Miss Florence Yvonne Huxford, center,
beams happily after being crowned “Miss Charleston” for 1952. She
will act as official hostess for the Azalea Festival, scheduled for
Charleston on April 30-May 2. Happy smiles are also shown by the
maids of honor, Miss Jeannette Foster, left, and Miss Marilyn
Smith, right.
oaks still stand, both having a
diameter of some 66 inches. An
old log crib, built the same time
the house was, is in good shape.
There are two old pear trees
still growing and they don’t seem
to have changed since I first
saw them over 60 years ago. Bar
ring disaster, the old Ghent
house is still good for many more
years.
The old Ghentsville store build
ing was moved across the road
about 50 years ago. It still stands
and it is ceiled inside with broad,
hand-dressed boards. The old
plantation horse-powered cotton
gin was located on the corner
where the road turns to Cheat
ham’s mill on Turkey Creek.
On June 27, 1838, a committee
was appointed by the Broad
Mouth Church to ask Mr. Ghent
if he would sell the land on which
the meeting house stood. Mr.
Ghent sold the church 10 and one-
half acres of land for the sum of
$127. The Church then appointed
a committee to secure some land
for a burying ground from my
grandfather, William P. Kay, who
owned considerable property near
the church.
My grandfather told the com
mittee to select the land so he
could have it surveyed and titles
made. He told them he would
give the land for the sake of thqi
love he had for the Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
The committee selected land
which was used as a potato-patch
by Hiram, my grandfather's slave.
No doubt the *old darkey had to
clear more land before he could
raise potatoes again.
The logs in the old school
house were chinked with mud,
but there were plenty of holes
between the logs where the mud
didn’t stay. A modern deep
freezer is a warm thing compared
to the coldness in the winter time
of that old school house. My
sister Maud and myself attended
that old school.
Miss Mary Erwin was' a splen
did teacher but she had her trou
bles. The hickory trees in the
school yard were full of wood
peckers, and the hollow logs in
the building were full of flying
squirrels. We laid the woodpeck
ers low with rocks and had fun
routing out the flying squirrels.
A frame schoolhouse now stands
where the log school house used
to be.
Mr. Ghent got restless in 1849
and moved his family to Alabama.
At that time he sold his place to
Stephen Latimer. Mr. Latimer
was a son of Dr. James Latimer
and Katherine Kay Latimer, my
great, great aunt.
When Mr. Ghent moved to Ala
bama in two covered wagons, he
had three hound dogs which
trailed along behind. About three
months after iMr. Ghent moved
away, his three hounds returned
to Ghentsville. They were found
at their old home footsore and
thin. Mr. Latimer wrote Mr.
Ghent about the dogs returning
home, but Mr. Ghent answered
that the trip from Alabama was
too slow and expensive to get
the dogs by wagon train. Mr.
Ghent wrote Mr. Latimer to keep
the hound dogs.
The Stephen Latimer family
lived in the old Ghent home from
1849 to 1908. Stephen Latimer’s
grandson lived there until 1917,
when I bought the place and have
lived here ever since.
BOYS ARE
THAT WAY
By J. M. ELEAZER
Earliest recollection carries me
back to about 1901 when a great
crowd came to our house. It
was the occasion of our favorite
son from the Stone Hills being
elected to Congress. He was a
little scrap of brains, from an
humble home, by the name of A.
F. Lever.
He later told me that my fath
er, the country doctor, had been
his advisor, or sort of campaign
manager. His mother had died
when he was a baby and in his
teen years he had spent much
time in our home with my unclel
Robert, his age, who stayed with
us and went to school.
Nothing about that campaign
impressed me much. But that
celebration there in front of our
house on the night after he was
elected It was the most folks
I had ever seen, perhaps two or 1
three hundred! And the Colored
folks were there too, with their
band from Hopewell church The
playing of that shiny brass band
was simply out of this world foi 4
me
That day Mr Lever bought a
new buggy, upon the insistence
of my mother She told him, “You
are our congressmen now, you
must fix up a little.” He came
a dim road up the back way,
hitched down in our orchard, and
came in the back of the house
unseen by the crowd. After the
band played a while, my father
introduced him, and he appeared
from the front porch. He was
quite an orator. And they say he
made one of his greatest speeches
there in the soft light of lanterns
and torches that night. The
cheers at the end frightened me
and I held tighter ot my mother’s
shirt. And I noticed his old aunt
Kizzie, who sat there in a rock
er, was crying, and some of the
others were too. I wondered
about that, for I thought they
should be happy. I hadn’t heard
of crying with joy.
Well, our little champion of t&e
Stone Hills went on to a long
and .fruitful service in Congress,
specially fruitful to agriculture.
His name is on the enabling act
that brought about the Extension
Service. And what we now know
as the Farm Credit Administra
tion had its orgin in the Land
Banks that he fostered in Con
gress. And President Wilson
gave him the pen with which
he signed that act.
ANSWERS TO
Intelligence Test
1—Rodin. 2—searching for wa
ter. 3—golfers. 4—minim. 5—Ore
gon. 6—Lazarus. 7—-(A) United
States; (B) France; (C) Russia;
(D) Italy.
Ghentsville, as a town, passed
out of existence in 1866, when the
town, of Honea Path was estab
lished and the Greenville and Co
lumbia Railroad was built. Just
as the town of Ellenton passed
away to make way for the H-
bomb plant, Ghentsville was sacri
ficed on the alter of progress.
Local And Personal News
Of Interest From Prosperity
See Film Strips
On Plants, Cookery
The April meeting of the Pros
perity Garden Club was held last
Monday afternoon at the home
of Miss Ethel Counts with Mrs.
P. E. Wise, the new president,
presiding.
The meeting was opened with
the club motto and prayer.
The club members will solicit
for Holland’s magazine in April
The club also voted to cooperate
with the other garden clubs in
putting on the Cancer Drive in
Prosperity. Mrs. H. L. Fellers
will represent the Prosperity club
on the central committee.
Mrs. Fellers, program chair
man, discussed chrysanthemums,
then selection and culture. Mrs.
Wise gave gleanings. For recrea
tion Miss Hawkins conducted a
clever contest with Mrs. Fellers
prize winner.
The hostess assisted by Mrs. G.
W. Counts served pineapple
sherbert and cookies.
Mrs. Elbert Shealy read a time
ly poem, “An Easter Lily.” Mrs.
Wilbur Wessinger, recreational
leader, conducted a tree contest
with Mrs, C. S. Wesinger as win
ner.
During the social period the
hostess served sandwiches, cake,
and spiced tea.
Club To Cooperate
In Cancer Campaign
On Monday afternoon, April 7,
the members of the Dogwood Gar
den club met with Mrs. W. C.
Barnes.
Mrs. D. H. Hamm, Jr., substitut
ing for Mrs. Jake Wheeler, who
was ill, showed several film strips
on plants, cooking and other
things interesting to house keep
ers. Mrs. H. B. Hendrix con
ducted a clever penny throwing
contest with the prize awarded to
Mrs. Joe Spotts.
A sweet course, sandwiches,
coffee, and toasted nuts were
served.
Mrs. Mathis Hostess
To Iris Garden Club
Mrs. W. L. Mathis, Jr., was
hostess to the Iris Garden club
last Wednesday afternoon.
“Iris and How to Grow Them”
was discussed by Mrs. Otis
Shealy. Mrs. Wofford Cooper
read a poem .for gleanings. In a
candy guessing contest conducted
by the hostess, Mrs. Leon Shealy
was prize winner.
After the business session the
hostess served a sweet course
with a soft drink.
Legend Of Dogwood
Told At Meeting
The Crepe Myrtle Garden club
met Tuesday afternoon, April 8
with Mrs. C. K. Wheeler as
hostess.
Mrs. C. S. Wessinger, president,
opened the meeting with devo
tions. Mrs. Wessinger also had
charge of the program and gave
the legend of the dogwood tree.
She discussed flower arrange
ments and gave many practical
suggestions as to containers and
flowers.
Personal Mention
Spending the Easter weekend
with Mr. and Mrs. George I.
Hawkins were Mr. and Mrs. Ray
Hawkins and son Rudy of Green
ville and Mr. and Mrs. Earl
Weisner and son of Aiken.
%
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Wilson,
Jr., and their two daughters of
Greenwood were weekend guests
of their parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Marvin Wilson, Sr., ,and Mrs. J.
R. Bedenbaugh.
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Shealy
and their daughter Irene of Jack
sonville, Fla. were weekend
guests in the home of T. C.
Hawkins and family.
Burton Lewis,. Clemson cadet, \
spent his spring holidays at his
home..
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Connelly
and their children of Lockhart
were weekend guests of their par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. D. M. Shealy
and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Connelly.
Miss Drucie Connelly, student
at Columbia College, spent the
Easter holidays with her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Dove Con
nelly.
Easter guests of Mrs. P. C.
Singley were her son-in-law and
daughter, Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Cal
lahan of Columbia.
Mr. and Mrs. Gurdon Counts
spent Friday in Greenwood. Mrs.
A. K. Epting and little Earle
Reagin came home with them for
the weekend. IMr. and Mrs.
Robert Reagin came down Sun
day and Mrs. Epting and Earl
returned home with them.
With Mrs. R. T. Pugh for
the weekend were Mr. and Mrs.
Curtis Pugh of Charlotte, N. C.;
and Mr. and Mrs. James Arthur
Bedenbaugh and their two chil
dren, Jimmy and Anne, of
Laurens.
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde E. Beden
baugh of Manning were weekend
guests of their parents, Mrs. J.
A. Counts and Mr. and Mrs.
Maxcy Bedenbaugh.
Frank McMillan, III, who Is
attending Dental School in Louis
ville, Ky., visited his grandmoth
er, Mrs. L. W. Hannan last Thurs
day en route to his home in
Latta, where he spent his spring
holidays. ,
Mr. A. J. Richards and her
two sons, A. J., Jr., and Tommy,
of Heath Springs spent Satur
day with Mr. and Mrs. B. T.
Young.
(Mrs. J. B. Stockman has return
ed home after spending the win
ter with her daughter, Mrs.
Robert Pugh and family of
Orchard Park, N. Y. and her son,
J. Walter Stockman and family
of Buffalo, N. Y. She was ac
companied home by her, grand
daughter, Mrs. Carol Russell
Caughman and Carl Russell, Jr.
Major " and Mrs. George A.
Sease and their two daughters
of Fort Knox, Ky.; Elton C.
Sease and his two sons, Elton,
Jr., and Johnny of Columbia were
weekend guests of Mrs. J. A.
Sease.
Weekend guests of Mr. and
Mrs. Oscar Wessinger were Mr.
and Mrs. Rudolph Oswald and
their children of Columbia; Mr.
and Mrs. Ernest Pinson of Cross
Hill.
Miss Katherine Counts, who is
Perfect
Anniversary Gift!
A Photograph
Here is a gift above all other gifts
that will be loved and appreciated
on your wedding anniversary . . .
a fine photograph of yourself with
the charm and fidelity that only
Nichols can give it. Why not phone
now for an appointment.
NICHOLS STUDIO
Telephone 233
Newberry, S. C.
FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 1952
By George
teaching in Greensboro, N. C.,
spent the Easter weekend with
her mother, Mrs. E. O. Counts.
With Mrs. H. E. Counts, Sr. for
Easter were her daughter, Miss
Martha Counts, of the S. C. Medi
cal College, and her mother, Mrs.
Corrie K. McWaters of Columbia.
Spending the weekend with Mr.
and Mrs. W. E. Taylor were Mr.
and Mrs. Thomas Loftis and their
daughter of Charlotte, N. C.; Miss
Roxdell Taylor of the Columbia
Hospital Nursing School, and
Rogers Taylor, who is teaching in
Union.
Miss Anne Bedenbaugh, stu
dent at Winthrop College spent
the Easter weekend with her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Beden
baugh.
Miss Marguerite Wise of Co
lumbia spent the weekend with
her brother, P. E. Wise and fam
ily.
Miss Eljen Wheeler left Sun
day for Tamassee, where she has
accepted clerical work in the D.
A. R. School there.
Mrs. Marjorie Rawls of Green
ville, is visiting her sister, Mrs.
L. J. Fellers.
Miss Linda Hancock of Erskine
College spent the weekend with
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. E.
Hancock.
Capt. Robert Myers of
mond, Va., spent the w
with his family in the
Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Fellers.
Miss Betty Ross of the
Ga. School faculty spent
Easter weekend with her mi
Mrs. J. E. Ross.
Spending the weekend with
J. B. Stockman were Miss
Pugh of Orchard Park, N.
and Columbia College,
Stockman of Buffalo, N.- Y.
Newberry College, and ‘I
Gene Klar and Gene Klar, Jr.
Orchard Park, N. Y.
Miss Betty Sue Connelly
Emory University spent
with her parents, Mr. and
M. P. Connelly.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Walter Hi
had with them over the wee
Mrs. Hamm’s mother and sister,
Mrs. D. O. Rudisill and Miss
Patsy Rudisill of Cherryville, N.
C.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert W.
tine of Chapin spent the
with Mr. Ballentine’s p
Mr. and Mrs. W. A.
Easter Day guests of Mr.
Mrs. W. C. Barnes were Mr.
Mrs. Rudolph Barnes and their
two children of Columbia.
•m
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