The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-11-24
LOOK OUT FOR YOUR LAND.
WAS 1T EVER OWNED BY ONE THoM-
AS SWApsWoRTH,

40 OWAOSWOkTH!
IfIt Was You May be In Danger of losing
TIA Story That VIII Interest MANY of
Our Readers---danv Innocents Parties
May suffer.
GREENvILLE,S. S. c., Nov. 16.-Recent-
~ the Greenyille News published the
Iouowlng: The "Wadsworth poor
school fund" and the Wadsworth es
| tate have been heard Of by MANY peo-
pie of this State, but the story that sur
rounds them is not familiar. Inasmuch
as the estate concerns many people In
nearly every county in the State. the
story is repeated below:
Thomas Wadsworth died in Charles
ton about the year 177I. He came to
America from England when q Young
man, first settling in Massachusetts, and
iaCer IN Laurens county, this State,
near Milton. He became immensely
wealthy, owning thousands of acres OF
land and hundreds of slaves After
living In LaurenS county many years
ne moved to Charleston and went into
the merchantile business with a Mr..
Iurpln. When he died he owned lands
from the mountains to the seaboard ct
South Carolina, principally in the coun-
Ties or Laurens, Spartanburg, Green
vile, Pickens, Anderson, Nowberry,
Lexington and Orangeburg. After
aDundaEtly providing for his wife and
mother, for he had no children, he left
about "a 900 acres in various counties
for "poor school fund" The proper
ty was not to be sold. Everything was
left in the hands of a board of trustees,
composed of five men. The trustees
we're TO be elected every two wears by
the white free holders Of Dunlaps bat
TALON OF lIaurens county and the school
TO be supported was to be located in
the battalion. In Mr.. Wadsworth's
days the counties were divided into
nattalions instead of townships, as now,
anu there were four battalions in Lau-
rens county. There were also four In
Greehville. The deeds to the lands
were left in the hands Of trustees and
are now III the possession OF the present
| trustees, elected last year by the white
voters living in "DuaiapS battalion"
| a school house WAS built in the batta-
lion, now Hunter township, and has
Deen III use ever since, although the
vast estate has not, until now Yielded
| enough to pay u teachers salary. The
| trustees rented the land for awhile and
finally leased them for terms ranging
from fifty to ninety-nine years. Tho
| much Of it was lost. Some Of the leases
were renewed by other trustees, but
number OF them are beginning to eX-
| plre and distressing state of affairs is
| In store for number Of people now in
possession of the lands.
II. G. Wallace and w. III. Workman.
| Two OF the five trustees, are in the city
and are looking up Il part Of the estate
located IN this county for the purpose
OF selling or settling in some manner.
An act of the Legislature short time
ago empowered the trustees to sell the
lands ana relnvest in lal is in LourenS
township, near the Wads whorth scho>l.
The trustees find by Old records in the
ltegister MeSne Conveyance's office chat
there are about AGO acres belonging to
the estate in this county. Over 300
acres OF 1T arc located two and half
miles from the city and the. worst part
OF the story is that about forty seven
persons own the property and there are
over twenty houses on it. Persons to
whom it was leased and released years
ago sold it to unsuspecting and careless
persons and there is not much doubt
put that many people will have to suf-
fer. Part Of the land is in possion of
Captain William Goldsmith. Much of
the same land lies in the Sandy Flat
section OF this county. No property
in the city is included in the estate and
real estate owners here will breath
easier. in one tract in Spartanburg
county there are 1900 acres.
1t was said at one time that the town
of Anderson was built on this proper
ty, but the courts freed the property
there from further. trouble. About ono
hundred and twenty-five acres east cf
the town belonged to The. est tate, aa1i the
owners settled with the trustees some
time ago by paying fair price to COM
promise. Wherever the present 0 owners
have fought the matter In courts they
have lost This would tend to triphten
all who have any interest In the prop
erty. III -
One gentleman in this city lately in
vested In some Of this land east OF here
and he is now worried All over the
state, wherever there is any Of this
land, there will be uneasinesg and afeU
may loose their all.
The trustees OF the fund now have
about $4,000 on hand. They propose
to push matters to settlement and in
crease the fund. They have planned to
build two more school houses in Dun
laps battalion, one at Cross Hill and
one at Mouutville. The Wadsworth
estate is now valued ut between $780,
OOO and 1000 at low estimate