The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-02-27
"REMINISCENCES OF
CANE CREEK CHURCH.

GAME CREEK CHURCH.
Some Traditions and Reeolieetions of tie Fyes6s
fsriaa Church, Known as Cane C,eek, IN Inio
County, s. G. By Rev. J. H. SAVE.
Tho people first settling in the country be
tween Broad and Enoree Rivers, in the souther,
section OF Union County, were Of different reli
sSous persussions. It Is sertain that some 0
these were Presbyterians ss, for instance, tn,
Ottsrsons, Hamiltons and Gordons, on Tyge,
river, about Hamiltons Ford; the Savnges
Hughesss, Brandons, Kennedys and Youngs
about Browns Greek and Broad river. samue
McJunkin, Esq. settled on Tinker Creek, Dec
l756 James Otterson was on Tiger river the
same year. (See McAden's Journal in Foot's
sketches Of N. c., and In Howe's history Of
The first place Of worship used by Presbyte.
terians was Union church--so called because
used in common by Episcopalians and Frcsbyte.
rians before the Revolution-situated about
five miles eastward of Union c. II. Soon aner
the war the Presbyterians erected house OF
worship known as Browns Greek, two and one
half miles from the Village, on the Pinckney
road. OF this church Samuel McJunkin, Joseph
McJunkin, VIM. Kennedy, Thomas Kennedy,
Christopher Brandon, Abram McJunkin and
John Savage are known to have served as Elders,
and perhaps others.
The Presbyterian population along the Emo
rec and Tiger rivers had place Of worship below
Goshen Hill, known as Grassy Springs Church.
No Presbyterian Pastor is known to have set
tied in Union County before 1894, when the Rev.
William Williamson became the Pastor Of tho
Fair Forest church. In addition to his services
in that congregation he also supplied the Browns
Creek and Grassy Spring churches to greater or
less extent Before that period the people were
dependant for gospel ordinances upon occasional
supplies. These supplies were mostly by
preachers sent out from the North by the Synod
of New York and Philadelphia, then the highest
judicatory of the Presbyterian church in the
country. AS population advanced ministers set
tied in adjacent counties, prior to the Revolu-
tion, as, for instance, the Rev. William Rich
ardson in Lancaster, Rev. Joseph Alexander, d.
D., in York and the Rev. John Simpson, in Ches-
ter. These ministers were not only active and
jealous in their respective congregations but
were kind Of general missionaries in all the
settlements westward of their fields Of Iabsr.
Among others who settled between the Broad
and Saluda rivers was q considerable commu-
nifty of Friends, or Quakers. Their settlement
was made at very early period, and extended
acress the country from Fish Dam ford to the
names conspicuous am6hg hanA A.HAwtipa nara
Iherc-as the Friends have been generally
industrious, orderly people,
They built two houses of worship-Cane Creek
md Paget's Creek. About the end Of the last
century they began moving to Ohio. They dis
liked some of the laws and usages Of this csun.
try and they moved off pretty much in body.
early in this century, to Ohio and Indiana.
The building called Cane Creek church, was
offered for sale and bought by Spill Glenn, with
q view to its removal for q barn. An arrange
ment was made by sundry citizens to buy Glenn's
right and let the house remain as place Of wor-
ship, which was effected. The men concerned in
this transaction, principally, were Major Samuel
Otterson, James Dugan, Esq, probably Elders
of Grassy Spring Church, Major Joseph Nc
Junkin, Abram McJunkin, Elders Of Browns
creek church, James Jeter and William IIobson.
1t was presently occupied by several denomi-
setting up claim Of right This
state Of things continued till some twenty-five
years ago, when referees decided that the Pres
byterians were the legitimate owners Of the
property.
Whether q Presby terian church was ever for
mally organized at Cane Creek is to me unknown.
The more probable supposition is that it grew
into existence as IN organized church, rather
than so constituted by Presbyterial action.
AS hos been before stated, the Rev. Mr.. Will
Hanson preached to the nearest churches. He
removed from the Country in 1904 or 1905. He
was succeeded OF Fair Forest by the Rev. Daniel
Gray, who also ministered ut Browns Creek and
Grassy Spring Churches till his death ia 1916.
He was succeeded by the Rev. Joseph Hillhouse,
who, also supplied Browns Creek aud, perhaps,
Grassy Springs. In the time of the services Of
Mr.. Hillhouss, q house was built in Unionville
to take place of Browns Creek. Mr.. Ilillhouse
left Fair Forest church and places connected
with it, probably in 1922 After his removal,
Fair Forest was supplied by the Rev. Mr. Por-
ter, whose residence was at Cedar Springs, in
Spartanburg. lie probably was very little in
Union below that church.
About that time, Mr.. Chesney, q Licentiate,
probably of some Presbytery in the middle States
came to Unionville, and engaged in teaching !;
also in preaching at Unionville and Cane Creek
churches.
His reputation was very high for scholarship
and pulpit eloquence but seems TO have been
verv defectiye in rom m on aenae and morol st :
bility. He studied Law and was admitted to
practice at Union. lie was somewhat intemper-
ate In his habits and was soon repudiated by the