THE HISTORY OF GAFFNEY

[BRIEF HISTORY]    [MICHAEL GAFFNEY]

[A SLICE OF HISTORY]  [OLD TIME PHOTOS]

[THINGS TO SEE AND DO]

[PRINCIPAL STREETS OF GAFFNEY]

BRIEF HISTORY

Business, industry, agriculture, education, and religion. They are all part of Gaffney's past and present and future.

In 1803 Michael Gaffney established a store where two Indian trails crossed, the current intersection of the highways U.S. 29 and S.C. 11. His store flourished and soon a resort hotel was built near Limestone Springs. An iron works was established at Cherokee Ford on the Broad River .

As the settlement of Gaffney grew the hotel was converted into a college for women, it is now houses the administrative offices of Limestone College. The railroad was built in 1873 and the tracks was surveyed, streets laid out, and homes and business built. Gaffney was a incorporated in 1857 Gaffney's textile industry was established in 1887 and cotton became the major agricultural crop.

In 1897 Cherokee County was formed and became the county seat. Public utilities were established. The dreams of a public library and Hospital became true. Agriculture and the spinning and weaving of cotton were the main employment until 1945.

With the end of World War II, the diversification of industry started. Textiles remained strong with the addition of dyeing, finishing and apparel manufacturing. The metal fabricating industry discovered Gaffney. Food processing became a major employer. Distribution centers were established to utilize the highway and rail systems. Cotton gave way to peaches .

There are currently 36 churches representing 13 denominations in the Gaffney area.

The churches and local civic clubs make Gaffney a caring place in which to live.

" You can find this information at the City Administration Building "

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

Limestone College was established as a private boarding college for women in the 1845. The first males were admitted to the school, as day students only, in 1903. Limestone became a full coeducational institution in 1969. A self guided tour of this campus is available .

Possum Trot School: a well preserved one room school house that was built in 1887. The school is located in front of Hamrick, Inc. at I-85, Exit 90.

Cowpens National Battle Ground: From Gaffney - S.C. 11 to the Battle Ground Entrance.
From I-85- Exit 83, north on S.C. 110 to S.C. 11, then right to Battle Ground Entrance.

Kings Mountain National Military Park: From Gaffney - U.S. 29 to 21 then right on S.C. 21 to S.C. 216 (Battleground Road), then right on Battleground Road.
From I-85 Exit 102, south on S.C. 210 to U.S. 29, then left on U.S. 29 to S.C. 21 then right on S.C. 21 to Battleground Road, then right on Battleground Road.

The Million Gallon Peach:
The Board of Public Works in Gaffney, S.C. built an elevated water storage tank in the shape of a peach in 1981. South Carolina produces more peaches than Georgia, and Gaffney is the home of the S.C. Peach Festival. The Peachoid water tank is located in Gaffney on Interstate 85 near the Exit for S.C. Highway 11- the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. (Click Here)

The Historic Residential District with well cared for homes and streets shaded by stately oak trees. A picture of the best in southern living.

The Historic Downtown District with newly renovated main street.

Oakland Cemetery

Outlet Shopping: I-85, Exits 87 and 90.

" You can find this information at the City Administration Building "

# 1-(864) 487-8505

MICHAEL GAFFNEY

The winter of (December 1,1800); a man named Michael Gaffney arrived in the up-country. It was then when the first store was established in this section, and owned by Michael Gaffney and his co-partner McCarton. It was located at first, a few miles west of the point where Gaffney City now stands, not far from Thickety Creek Mr. McCarton came ahead of Mr.Gaffney and established the store. Mr.Gaffney seems to have been the leading man of the business, for he arrived in Charleston from New York, (Feb.3,1800). He spent the summer in Charleston, where he had a severe attack of fever. By this time, Mr. Gaffney says in his journal, I was beginning to get pretty tired of Charleston. It made me think of going to my partner, a Mr. McCarton, who lived about 250 miles up the country north-west of Charleston. He left Charleston on Dec. 11,1800 and arrived at our new home in 6 days, which was (Dec. 17,1800). The coming of this remarkable man into this locality, was an important event in the history of our section of the country. The store was soon moved from its first location to the place long known as Gaffney's Cross Roads, On (July21,1803)some months after he established his store at Cross Roads, he married Mary Smith, who resided near Smith’s Ford. sometime in ( 1804 ) Michael moved his family to a newly constructed house near his store. For a number of years thereafter the place was known as Gaffney’s Cross Roads. Although for a number of years there were no other buildings at the site except his barn, his home, and the store, which also served as a tavern and lodging house for travelers, it’s name was changed to Gaffney’s Old Field, and still later it was called Gaffney’s. The site was later incorporated as The Town of Gaffney City.

In his journal, Michael Gaffney records the following remarks about this settlement: I expected to see a fine country, but was surprised to find it poor, sandy, rocky and hilly. The people are poor. Their dress generally is a hunting shirt and trousers of coarse cotton yarn. Every farmer or planter is his own shoemaker, tanner, tailor, carpenter, brassier, and in fact, everything else. Everything comes by the farmer or his family. It is the business of the wife and daughter to pick cotton and have it brought home, pick it from the seed, spin it, weave it, and make it ready for your back. Some of the girls make very handsome cloth. He further says, any people in the world. Here they must do everything from cooking to plowing, and after that they have no more life than Indian squaws. They hardly ever sit down to the table with there husbands, but wait on them like menial servants.

Allowances must be made for this description give by one fresh from the old country and used to city life, as was the case with Michael Gaffney, the pioneer merchant of our section. The lot of our mothers in colonial times, was indeed, a hard one as compared with that of women in the mother-countries, of that date, or with the women of our time even here. But our mothers were brave and industrious and acted their part in life voluntarily and with fortitude .

Robert Michael Gaffney also known as Captain Michael Gaffney and Mary had nine children; Nancy, Lucinda, Melinda Riley, James Madison Smith, Henry Green, Cornelius John, Gistavus Joseph, William Godolphen and Thomas Westhaven.

Please read our newest letter
from Michael Gaffney on 
Nov. 18, 2005

Principal Street Of Gaffney, S.C.

LIMESTONE STREET: Which is the main street of Gaffney, received its name from the Limestone Springs about a mile away and to where Limestone Street originally led, before a change was made in the streets.

CERTAIN OF THE STREETS:Of Gaffney were named for the daughters of Henry Gaffney, son of Michael Gaffney.

SMITH STREET: Was named for Mary (Polly) Smith, wife of Michael Gaffney.

LOGAN STREET: Was named for Elizabeth Logan, wife of Henry Gaffney.

ROBINSON , JOHNSON & MONTGOMERY STREETS: Were named for married daughters of Henry Gaffney.

VICTORIA AVENUE: Was named of Mrs.Victoria Gaffney and Mrs.Victoria Montgomery.

GRANARD STREET: Was named for the town in Ireland in which Michael Gaffney was born.

FREDERICK STREET: Was named for Capt.Frederick Graham Latham, who was from Scotland He was an officer in the Confederate Army.

BUFORD STREET: Was named for Col.Buford of Richmond, Va. He was an officer in the Atlanta & Charlotte Airlines R.R. Co.

BIRNIE STREET: Was named for an attorney of the Atlanta & Charlotte Airlines R.R. Co.

PETTY STREET: Was named in honor of Capt.Charles Petty a former head of Limestone College, who was instrumental in laying out the City of Gaffney.

OLD TIME PHOTOS AND ADS.

THE CHEROKEEAN " 1924" Football Team

Gaffney was the bomb & still are today.

RECORD

THE CHEROKEEAN "1924" BASEBALL

Chubby, Gorilla, Vernon, Tomm, Ted, Jean, Carson, Basil, Ben Lamar, Fred, Clyde and James.

Check out the phone #( Phone 21; Night call 47-- 2 Rings )

COOL!

Found this Ad in the Gaffney Ledger.

Plates XII and X. Looking north on Limestone Street from the corner of Limestone and Frederick Street.
( 1909 - 1910 ) Check out the dirt roads and not cars but wagons COOL!

Plate XII. Cherokee Avenue School soon after its completion in "1910"
J.C. Jefferies addressed the crowd attending the
dedication ceremonies on the subject,
" Signs of the Time ." 
The school has since been torn down .


[A SLICE OF HISTORY] 

Copyright © 1996-2003 Hames & Associates 
Last modified: 01/19/04