A Slice Of History
1897 - 1997
Cherokee County's Centennial
A Special Publication of The Gaffney Ledger
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T
he location of the dividing line between the Carolinas was quite uncertain until the King of England had it surveyed in 1772 from the coast to the "Indian Line,"which was at the northwest corner of what is now Spartanburg County. Even with the boundary line surveyed the dispute continued and many of the inhabitants of the area along the disputed boundary held grants from both states. The early records of South Carolina refer to the area as Craven County, whereas early records of North Carolina designate the area as being either Mecklenburg or Tryon County. There were several occasions on which difficulties arose because two persons laid claim to the same section of land under the authority of grants that had been issued by both states. Even after the boundary was established the settlers still referred to the area as Craven County. It was not until after the Revolutionary War that the settlers gave up the use of the title, admitted that they were apart of Pinckney District and recognized Pinckneyville as their center of government. In 1769, twenty-five counties composed the state and Spartanburg, Union, York, Chester, and Laurens Counties represented the old Pinckney District. It was not until Ninety Six a was created in 1769 that the definite boundary of the area was established in the legislative records of both states.formed counties. Ninety Six District was divided into six counties, one of which was to be called "Spartan." Its boundary was Laurens County on the north, the Indian Line of the west, the North Carolina boundary to Broad River, and then down the river to Tate's Ferry, then along the road to John Ford's plantation on the Enoree River. In the original survey Spartan County included one thousand and fifty square miles. However, re-surveys reduced it to one thousand and four, and after the forming of Cherokee County in 1897, it was further reduced to seven hundred and sixty-five square miles.
From 1785 to 1868 it appears that the people of the area which is now Cherokee County were contented to remain part of Spartanburg, Union and York Counties. The first effort, on the records, to create a new county came in 1868 when William Jefferies and Dr. John G. Black tried unsuccessfully to generate enough interest to force the state legislature to create a new county. Another attempt was made in a town council meeting on May 8, 1882. Resolutions were passed and a committee was appointed to arrange plans for the creation of a new county. This movement met with stiff resistance from the counties which stood to lose land and prestige by the creation of a new county. Having failed in their first attempt, the interested citizens continued their efforts throughout the seventies, eighties, and nineties. About one year after The Gaffney Ledger was established, the editor picked up the desire that was being voiced by a small number for the creation of a county and developed this desire into a crusade. Soon most of the residents of Gaffney were supporting the idea. Finally, in 1897, the county was created from a large and historic section of Spartanburg and smaller historic sections of Union and York Counties. Although it would appear that such a task
formed an unsurpassable obstacle, Cherokee County was one of the first of a number of
counties to be formed under this 1895 law.
A-M. Wood, the mayor of Gaffney, and L. Baker, J.A. Carroll, J.F. Garrett, R.A. Jones,
F.G. Stacy, and other prominent men launched the plan for country hood. The first step was
taken by T.B. Butler, the town attorney, when he drew up a petition to Governor John Gary
Evans asking for a plebiscite on county hood. The first meeting held to promote the
enterprise was held in September
Twenty-seven of the towns businessmen signed the bond. The seven men elected as commissioners were John B. Brown from White Plains; N.W. Hardin, Cherokee; J.D. Jefferies, Draytonville; J.T.Moorehead, Gowdysville; J.E. Mosteller, Limestone No.2; R.P. Scruggs Spartanburg and W.C.S. Wood, Limestone No. 1.
This meeting was followed by a formal "County Convention the first ever to beheld here in the council chamber. On September 1, 1896, A.N. Wood, the mayor called the convention to order. W.D. Camp of Cherokee Township was elected chairman and J.M. Greer of Gowdeysville Township was chosen secretary. Ed H. DeCamp was elected assistant secretary. T.B. Butler welcomed the thirty-eight delegates and one hundred spectators. Everyone was allowed to participate in the deliberations, but voting was restricted to the official representatives. Those who are known to have been chosen as representatives were J.B. Brown, T.S.Bryant, T.C. Green, Gaston Littlejohn and B.G.L. Pettit from White Plains; V.C. Hames, R.Ray, J.A.Scruggs, R.P. Scruggs and Jonas
Vassey from Cherokee (Spartanburg County) J.D. Jefferies, W.E.M. Kirby, Thomas Spencer and J.0. Tate from Draytonville; S.F. Estes, J.M. Greer, J.H. Littlejohn, T.H. Moorhead, J.L. Walker from Gowdeysville; J.G. Black, W.D. Camp, W.N. Hardin, T.W. Moore, and E.R. Sapoch from Cherokee Township (York County); J.R. Godfrey, J.E. Mosteller, M.T. Phillips, Cicero Price, William P. Self, and W.C.S. Wood from Limestone Township No. 1;The others who favored creating a county decided to fight fire with fire and began to
"purchase a few" of the Negroes themselves.
At the time, Ben R. Tillman, the senior senator of South Carolina, was a power with "One gallus boys," a name he loved to call the farmers of his state. He cultivated their friendship in many ways. The author's great-grandfather related that once he was on a train with "Pitchfork Ben" journeying from Washington to Gaffney and about the time the train passed Grover, North Carolina, Tillman arose from the seat they shared and retired to the men's room. He was wearing a fine ruffled shirt and cutaway suit when he entered the men's room and when he came out he was wearing overalls with the sleeves of a work shirt rolled above the elbows. After he was again seated, he took a chew of tobacco. In response to the question directed to him as to why he bad changed his dress he replied, "This is the way people in Gaffney expect to see "Pitchfork Ben' and I would not disappoint them."
Because he was a senator and because of his popularity with the farmer, it was deemed best to have him speak on the Saturday before the election on Tuesday. The Gaffneyites braced themselves against the day of the speechmaking. When that day arrived, it appeared that every man, woman and child in the territory affected by the proposed county had assembled. The streets of Gaffney were clogged with horses, wagons, and buggies. Several blocks around the site of the speakers' stands quickly became impassable. Wagons and buggies were left untended in the streets as everyone attempted to obtain a good vantage point to hear the speeches. Children and their dogs, who were swept up in the air of excitement which engulfed the adults, added to the bedlam. Before the speeches began, heated arguments led to fist fights, and a number of the belligerents, encouraged by their hip
M.M. Tate acted as chairman for the meeting. The Reverend J.D. Crout, pastor of the Methodist Church, began the meeting by invoking divine blessings upon the people assembled and upon the speaker who was to address them.
When Tillman was introduced, he spoke and spoke and spoke some more. Quite a few regretted that he had accepted the invitation to come. Those who especially wished he had failed to attend were those who favored the creation of the new county. Constantly he told "the boys" it would cost something to set up housekeeping, and at every opportunity he criticized the bond which had been given to build a courthouse and jail. Several times he reminded June Lipscomb and a number of the other 'Young bloods" that they had met once before when Lipscomb had headed a bunch of young men in the area in a campaign against him. The young men had gone to Spartanburg wearing soda caps (A cap made from a soda sack.
Tillman's followers wore white caps called 'Tillman's White Caps') and had attempted to howl Tillman down in one of his earlier campaign speeches.Butler was to later write, "It might be well to say that the audience received Senator Tillman's speech in the manner that Mr. R.M. Jolly advised his hearers to when he
introduced him, when he said, "I introduce Senator D.R. Tillman and ask you to give him your divided attention.'"
The following Tuesday the election was held and when the ballots were counted 1,432 people had voted in favor of the creation of the new county and 442 voted against the proposal. Gaffney City citizens had cast 542 votes in favor and only 8 against forming the new county.
The section known as White Plains cast the largest vote against the formation of the
new county. The residents there cast 132 against and 9 for the proposal. Gaffney was
chosen as the county seat by 1,319 and Cherokee was selected over Limestone for the name
of the county by a vote of 1,000 to 243. However, the election did not end the fight. An
appeal was made to the county board of Spartanburg by J.B. Brown and M.C. Lipscomb to
declare the election illegal.
The election was contested on the grounds that the books of registration were not at the
various polling places, that the managers required of many voters to show evidence of
having paid taxes, and that large numbers of persons who had secured registration
certificates the day before the election were allowed to vote.
Judge D.E. Hydrick was asked to rule upon the action taken by the county board. He heard
the evidence, read the board's decision, and declared that the election was properly
conducted and was legal. However, the struggle was not conceded. C.P. Sanders carried the
fight to the general assembly and T.B. Butler appeared as the representative of the people
(he was the official lawyer of Gaffney City).
The bill to create the new county passed the House of Representatives
by a unanimous vote but was debated for a time in the senate. After the debates ended it appeared that the bill would be passed by the senate without further trouble. However, without Butler's knowledge, Sanders had secured from Senator J.T. Douglas, a surveyor in Union County, an affidavit which showed that if Cherokee County was created that it would not leave Union County with the number of square miles required by law. Douglas, who favored the creation of the new county and was a friend of Butler, told him of Sanders' plans. Butler immediately informed A.N. Wood, who went to Union and, while not questioning too strongly the accuracy of the figures, offered the surveyor $75 to make a new calculation. He now included one-half of the waters of the streams which would border the new county and added the land included within each, incorporated city and town and proved that Union and Cherokee Counties would contain more than the required number of square miles.When the matter came before a senate committee the affidavits from the same source conflicted and committee reported to the senate chamber that all the requirements for county hood were in order. On the final vote Spartanburg's Senator E.Archer, York's Senator Love,Orangeburg's Senator O'Connor, and Kershaw's Senator Hay voted "No" In each case these senators represented a county that was affected by this bill or another new county movement in their county.
sounded like a cannon firing. Speeches were the order of the day and everyone who wished to do so was allowed to speak. One of the speakers, a local character, who imbibed too freely, made the shortest and, perhaps the most -factional speech of the evening. Having reeled to the speaker's stand, he blurted out, "Now that you've got the new county, what the hell you gonna do with it?'
The speeches were made near the present site of Carroll Motor Inn (now First
Piedmont Federal's Granard Street office) and the Gaffney Bank. At the time there was a
large two-story house on one corner and a shoemakers shop on the corner which faces the
front of the present hotel. The celebration continued until after dark, when to provide
adequate light for the festivities, the revelers stacked two wooden barrels, one on the
other over a kerosene fire to provide a flu from which there leaped a tall column of flame
that illuminated the entire area around the depot.
The first election held in Cherokee County was a primary conducted on March 20, 1897, to
elect candidates for treasurer and auditor to be recommended to the governor for
appointment to these positions. Two candidates sought the office of treasurer and five men
campaigned for the office of auditor. J.B. Jones was elected as the county's first fiscal
officer and W.D. Camp, a Confederate veteran, won the race for auditor. One thousand three
hundred and sixty-one men cast ballots in the first election of the county.
When the day of the general election came - the date of which had been changed to
Saturday, April 3, for the convenience of the farmers - there were a number of candidates
for clerk of court; seven for supervisor; three for probate judge; three for
superintendent of education; nine for sheriff, four for the senate; and seven for coroner.
The result of the voting was the election of William Jefferies as clerk of court, J.B.
Ross as sheriff, Nathan Lipscomb as supervisor, J.E. Webster as probate judge, W.F.
McArthur as superintendent of education, R.M. Jolly was manager of roads, and A-J. McCraw
is coroner.
W.D. Camp died in office and was succeeded by John E. Jefferies. J.W. George became the
next auditor.
Even after the election the fight to kill the county
Continued. Those who opposed the county sought through legal means to prevent the town
treasury from paying the notes given by the town council during the creation of the
county. After a rather long legal hassle the courts ordered the town treasury to honor the
debts created by the earlier administration. When the order was carried out Gaffney City
paid practically all of the expenses incurred in the formation of the county.
The first session of court contained a murder charge. During the latter part of May, Charles Jaggers and Robert Owens, from Chester, had brought a flying trapeze act to Gaffney City and were doing a brisk business. On Sunday afternoon a small group of young men went to visit them in the tent where they had their living quarters. There was some drinking during which Jaggers and Owens displayed for the gullible visitors their contempt for danger by cavorting with a loaded pistol. The weapon accidentally discharged and fatally wounded Owens. Jaggers, who had been holding the weapon, was held for trial and convicted of criminal negligence. Judge Aldrich sentenced him to serve two years and eight months at hard labor.
The county's first grand jury presentment read:
"The new county of Cherokee was formed from portions of York, Union and Spartanburg counties, which has thrown together a new people, with new ideas and different views on many questions pertaining to the welfare and prosperity of the county. Your most excellent and intelligent charge given us on our first appearance before you has enlightened and benefited us and materially aided us- to more fully and effectual discharge the punishment of the guilty, the duties that devolved upon us as grand jurors.
We believe in the enforcement of the law; the conviction common feelings for humanity would suggest that even the criminal be humanely treated and for and in this connection would recommend that the supervisor and county commissioners at once take the proper steps to secure the needed accommodation for the convicts of the county.
Our information is to the effect that a jail is to be furnished the county without cost
to the taxpayers and we fail to observe any such structure or accommodation and unless a
jail is immediately erected, the people of the county will necessarily have to be taxed to
furnish the requisite care an
The poor and the destitute are always among us. The new county has no poor house; no facilities for taking care of the poor. They are dependent upon our
All persons are equal under the law. We most earnestly protest against the habitual carrying of concealed deadly weapons which is causing so much bloodshed throughout the land. We shall endeavor to have all violators of the law apprehended and punished, and we earnestly call upon all officers whose duty it is to enforce the law aid us.
We heartily commend the municipality of Gaffney City for the prompt and efficient manner in which they have so faithfully carried out - in part - their contracts with the people; the court for the uniform courtesies shown us, and we bespeak for the new county of Cherokee, under the management of our present efficient and obliging county officials, an era of peace and prosperity."The era of prosperity was nearer at hand then the era of peace, since the county was one of the hottest political battlefields in the state for years after its creation. The conflicts were so numerous and so rapid that in political circles the saying, "If anything out of the ordinary is going to happen, it will happen in Cherokee County " became a cliche.
As the citizens "cooled off' fi-ohm the white heat of the formative process, they became more reluctant to take sides in bitter p strike. By 1900, the population of 21,359 people were hard working farmers and modest textile craftsmen who, although they
Cherokee County Grand Jury
desired to be allowed to pursue their chosen avocation in peace, were avidly interested in
politics.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The preceding history of the formation of Cherokee County
has been reprinted from the book "The Old Iron District" by Bobby Gilraer
Moss with the author's permission.
From Possum
Trot To The Internet
Education in Cherokee's First century
has come a long way.
Public education in Cherokee County has developed almost Pentirely since the Civil War, and largely since the county formed
in 1897.
The early schools of
importance in Gaffney were private and the public school system wasn't established until
1897. The first schools typically consisted of one room and rarely operated for more than
two or three months per year.
Early schools were poorly attended, especially during periods of bad weather, and students
often walked miles to school each day. There was only one teacher and all students were
taught at the same time, regardless of age or grade level.
The McArthur family is believed to have founded the first county school and most early
schools have since been destroyed.
One early school which does
survive is the Possum Trot School, which was built in 1880 on a site near what is now
1-85. The school building was later moved a short distance to where Radon Medical Imaging
is currently located near the Peachoid water tower. The school was built by Jimmy and Tom
Pettit and various other county residents. It was restored in 1969 by Louise Phifer Camp
to honor her husband, Wofford Benjamin Camp (Known as the Cotton Man), who attended school
there. The Cherokee County Historical Society moved The school to a site near
Hamrick's department store in 1992. Present Cherokee County students and other
visitors occasionally visit Possom Trot School to learn how their ancestors went to
school.
The Gaffney school district was organized under legislative act shortly after the county
formed in 1897, and Central School, which was a private institution, was taken over as the
Gaffney High School.
This school had 225 students in eleven grades and was taught by superintendent W.S. Hall,
principal F.C. Hickson, and teachers Edna Harris, Carrie Sams, Mary Lynn and Eva Sams.
A literary society and a small library was also operated at the school.
A school for black children was opened in the black Methodist church on Buford Street.
Other public schools were opened at Limestone Mills on Cherokee Ave., Fairview, and the
Cherokee Avenue Grammar School in 1907.
Granard School for Blacks opened in 1907 followed by West End Grammar School in 1919 and
Elm Street Grammar School in 1923.
The movement from private to public schools was not without controversy. In January 1898,
private educators like R.O.Sams and H.P. Griffith debated others, such as Ed DeCamp on the
merits of public vs. private education.
Proponents argued public schools attracted good citizens and that a well educated society
would reduce crime. A tax increase was approved that February to support public schools.
In 1901, a group of county residents established
the first kindergarten. Gaffney mothers were asked to attend a meeting to form a
"School For Infants" to organize a kindergarten school for the city. 24
students, ages 3-7, were accepted and the organizers hired a teacher. No further
information on the school is available.
Construction on the first Gaffney High School began in 1923 and was completed three years later at the current site on Frederick Street. An
addition was added and the original structure was replaced with a new building in the
1970s.
In 1948, Cherokee County had 41 white and 38 black schools, including four high schools.
26 were one-teacher schools, 25 had two teachers and only 11 white and two black schools
had over four teachers. There were 7,188 students and 250 teachers in 28 school
The school board voted to end the county's dual school system in February 1968 and
consolidated into one school district.
districts.
Schools were delayed that year by the outbreak of polio, a crippling disease which caused
city council to bar public gatherings for children under 17 except for church.
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