The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-02-19
4 BIT OF HISTORY.
EARLY Settlement in nnG Around Eonea
Observation-Disclosures CT Old Settlers-Ehy
it WAS CALLED "Eoney Path.n


it WAS Called "Eoney Path."
David Greer. Sr., immigrated to this
State from County Antrien, Ireland,
landing at Charleston, 8. c., in February,
1859, settling in Newberry District, On
Bush River, where he remained only two
or three years. Having chils and fever
so much, he moved to what was then Per-
dleton District, settling OIL Corny Creek,
abont three.quarters of mile Southwest
Of Honea Path. Mrs. Emily Greer now
lives near the site of this old residence.
At that time u792) the country around
Honea Path was thinly settled.
Henry Purdy had settled down the
Creek below David Greer. He sold out to
Jervy Petty and moved away. Petty sold
out to Niarod Smith, who lived up about
Anderson. Mr.. Smith let his brother-iI-
law, John Cullins, live on the place. AT
the same time old Mr.. William Davis
lived on Broadmouth Creek. He was the
father of Moses and Aaron Davis, who
were twins, born while Mr.. Davis was
gone to Hamburg, the main and only near
market at that time. Hearing Of their
birth before he got home, he named them
Moses and Aaron. He was also the
father of John L. Davis, who the most OF
the citizens around Honea Path remem-
ber. Giles CAN'T lived still further up
the Creek at the place well know as
"Gantt's Muster Ground" Wheeler Po.
sey lived on what is now the old Honey
road, about two miles west of Honea Path
and opposite Obediah Shlrley's old place.
Ansef Massey first settled the Obediah
q mile west of Mr.. ShirleY's house. He
was q brother of Laban Massey, who set
tied the place west-of Barker's Creek. Mr..
n imrod Greer now lives on!a part of it,
near the old settlement. They were sons
of Noel Massey, who lived on Reedy Fork
Creek, near where it run into Broad
mouth. He was also father of Silas Mas
sey, who lived west Of Anderson and died
a few years ago. Old uncle Neddy Hull
lived where Due West Corner now is, and
owned the land where the town of Due
West is built. He and David Greer, ST.,
married sisters, Misses Peggy and Polly
McCormic. Old Mr.. Gent, father Of DAN
iel and Jesse Gent, lived at what is known
as Gentsville.
at the time David Greer settled near
Honea Path, mills were scarce. There
was one near where Gambrell's Bridge
used to be, on Salu1a River, known as
Gambrell's Mill. Old uncle Dicky Smith
built one shortly afterwards to grind corn
only, on Broadmouth, where Davis &
Bigby have one now, known as the "brick
mill. He sold out to Hugh Clement.
BENZ. and Isaac Clement built it oyer in
1885. All the mill boys, who were boys
when was boy, forty years ago, re-
member the stone in the foundation wall
of the old mill house with this inscription
on it, "B &I. c., 1885," which stands for
Benz. & Isaac Clement. They sold to
Hayden Brock and Laban Massey, who
kept the mill, each taking 1t day about,
until Iaban Massey died in 1856. It was
then sold, DR.. John g. CAN'T, grandson
of Giles CAN'T, buying it. He sold to Da-
Wis e. Bigby, or rather to q. W. Haw-
thorn, and he to Davis & Bigby, who
built the brick mill about 1859. The pop
ulation being sparce, one mill seventy or
hundred years ago could do the grind
ing for half a County-or Districts as they
wheat made in this country at that time
(l792). What wheat the people did make
was threshed out with 8 fail, made Of a
hickory pole, about six or eight feet long,
about the size of q mans arm, and broken
or bruised with the back or .pole' of an
axe, SO that it would bend 'joint"
about two feet from the larger end, the op-
orator taking hold Of the small end and
coming down oYer-handed with it on the
sheaves of wheat previously spread out on
q large sheet for the operation. Five or
six bushels was a days work for one hand
to threSh and clean. Some contrlyed and
built rude fan machines for cleaning the
wheat but the most of them separated the
chaff by making wind" with sheet Of
cloth (generalIy bed sheet or small
wagon Sheet in the hands of two persons,
the third one holding the threshed grain
in basket above his head and letting it
fell gradually on sheet spread on the
the ground. The wind being produced by
s lateral motion of the sheet, held in a
vertical position by the two hands, blew
the chaf from it, letting the wheat fall on
the sheet clean and ready for the mill.
Some made what they called treading
yards, making ring about thirty feet in
diameter on the ground, throwing up dirt
on the outside and leveling road around
the circle about three or four feet wide,
and placing the sheaves on this track, they
led their horses around-or sometimes
LIE SLudu uoyS WOutu @!ue tNcuA oAounO@
on the wheat until it was all threshed or
'.tread'' out. five in this day had to get
our 'sbiscuit" like our forefathers, doubt
if We would eat it three times day like
We do.
When these old settlements were made
there was no cotton grown here except for
t'spinning cotton, which was to make the
cloth used at home. Each family made
their own cotton, and, picking the seed
out with the fingers at night, and card,
spun and wove it by hand altogether.
Each good old mother Wed with her
neighbor in the beauty of her homespun
dress and breeches for her husband and
sons. Tobacco was raised as merchanta-
BILE product, it being "hand' up and
packed in large wooden hogshesds with a
felloe put around each head and q small
hickory splitopen and put around on the
felloe as tire. A gudgeon was then put
in the center of each head and q pair of
shaves constructed to them to hitch the
horse to. In this way they would roll the
hogshead to Hamburg or Charleston to
market. After selling his tobacco, be
would ride his horse back homo, buying
his saddle.bags full of coffee, sugar, black
pepper, etc; 4o.a NO. h,,t . ,,.+h :. 1ns,.n
trail, then, and from the best information
can get (traditionally) Indians called it
ssHoney PATH or "Honey Trail" from
the fact that great many bee trees were
found along the trail, and the Indians OBJ
tanned great deal of honey in their tray
els, which at that time was very frequent
along this path. It was never called
Honea Path until after the town was
built; If it vas do not remember to have
heard it, and II was born and raised In q
mile of the Honey Road. After the coun.
try became settled up the Honey Path
was opened, and wide enough for wagons
to travel, and::was ever afterward called
the Honey Road, being made public
road, think, In 1856. The Honey Road,
proper, extended from q little below
Honea Path, to where it intersected what
is known as the old "trail road,n another
Indian trail, leading from the Saluda, at
Cooley's Bridge to Vienna, on the sayan.
nah River, going by Calhoun and Cray
tonville; the Honey Road coming into it
at Arthur Smiths residence, on the Co
lumbIa 6S Greenville Railroad, four miles
below Bolton. Honea Path town being
on the Honey Road it was called Honey
Path and afterwards called "Honea Path. ="
If any other person can give any other or
better reason why it Is called Honea or
Honey Path 1 would like to hear it.
David Greer lived at the place he set
tied, on the head of Corny Creek, until he
died, September 10th, 1855, at the ad-
vanced age of one hundred years; the
most of the other old settlers being dead
at that time. have heard an anecdote
told on him to the effect that the first
seed corn he got to plant after he came to