The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-11-26
LOOK OUT FOR YOUR LAND
WAS IT EVER OWNED BY ONE THoM-
AS WADSWoRTH?

IL 1t Was You May be In Danger of Losing
lt-A Story That viii Interest Many of
EOur Readers---1Ianv Innocen. Parttes
May Suffer.
GREENvILLE, c., Nov. lG.-Recent-
ly the Greenville News published the
following: The "Wadsworth Door
school fund" and the Wadsworth es.
as t6ttGyye been heard Of by many peo-
nearly tate, but the story that sur
story is repeate1%Qt familiar. inasmuch
Thomas WadswoffSS many people in
ton about the year 17Tsthe State, the
America from England Wis.,
man, first settling in MaSsachuS GOGGLES.
later in LaurenS county, this StifSa>
near Milton. He became immensely -
wealthy, owning thousands Of acres of
land and hundreds Of slaves. After
living in LalrenS county many years
| he moved to Charleston and went into
| the merchantile business with Il Mr..
| TUrpin. When he died he owned lands
from the mountains to the seaDoard Of
South Carolina, principally in the COun-
| ties Of LaureIS, SpartAnOurg, Green
vile, PickenS, Anderson, NeWberry,
Lexington and Or&ngCOurg. After
| aOundaLtly providing Tor his wife aud
! NoIlel, =, III ltc ldi ho CllluIcll, Ie lelI
| about $1,000 acres in various counties
for "poor school fund.- The proper
ty was not to be sold. Everything was
left in the hands of Il board Of trustees,
| composed Of live men. The trustees
we're to be elected every two years by
the white free holders Of DunIaps bat
TALON of Ihuren9 county and the school
to be supported was ~ be located in
the battalion. In NJ. WadsWOrthS
|
martalionS instead Of townships, as now.
and there were four battHliOns IN Llu-
renS county. There were also four in
Greenville Tne deeds to the Lands
were left in the hands Of trustees and
are now III the possession or the present
: trustees, elected last wear by the white
/ voters living in "DuNlap'S battalion"
\ school house WAS bIilt in The batta-
5 lion, now Hunter township, and has
t been in use ever since, although the
= vast estate has not, ultil now yielded
f enough to pay II teachers $ salary. The
n trustees rented th1 Hand for awhile and
t finally leased them for terms ranging
r from fifty to nlnety-HIue years. The
: money received was loaned out and
''' much Of it was lost. Some OF the leases
10 were renewed by other trustees, but a
l number Of them arc beginning to eX-
/ pire and distressing state Of affairs is
le in store Tor Il number OF people now III
d. possession Of TIE lads.
n II. G. Wallace and w. II. Workman,
Us two of the five trustees, are in the city
ls- and are looking Np part Of the estate
~ located in this county Tor the purpose
ID Of selling or settling in some manner
II. An act of the Legislature Il short time
nj, ago empowered tho trustees to sell the
lands and reinVeSt in lands in LaurenE
49, township, near the Wadswhorth school
=, The trustees find by Old records IN thl
!" lteglster Mesne ConVeyance'5 Office that
lc- there are about 400 acres belonging tC
wv the estate in this county, Over 3O(
IS acres Of it are located two and Il hall
on miles from the city and the worst par
gh Of the story is that about forty sever
he persons own the property and there are
nv over twenty houses on it. Persons tC
en- whom it was leased and released years
49, ago sold 1T to unsuSpecting and careless
persons and there IS not much doubt
y. put that many people will have to suf
-; fer. Part of the land Is in pOssiOn OF
ilh IL! Captain William Goldsmith Much OF
~, the same land lies in the Sandy Ela
al section Of this county. No property
Inc in the city is included in the estate anC
he real estate owners here will breath
'd, easier. In one tract in ;5partanb Jrs
is county there are 800 acres.
1t was said at one time that the tow
We Of Anderson was Quilt on this proper
o.
.ov there from further trouble. About on
~ hundred and twenty-five acres east O
ni the town belonged to the estate, and TIN
''' owners settled with the trustees SOM
time ago by paying fair price to com
'lii' promise. Wherever the present owner
ub- have fought the matter in courts the
no. have lost. This would tend to brighter
Gil all who have amy interest in the proE
to erty.
,rly one gentleman in this city lately in
vas vested in some of this land east of her
as. and nc is now worried. All over tn
DE- state, wherever there is any of thi
land, there will be uncaSiness and ~ fcr
ion may loose their ali.
n The trustees Of the Iund now hay
ruu NV" about $4,000 on hand. They propoS
81 : to push matters to settlement and il
DC crease the fund. They have planned
build two more school houses in Dul
lrl- laps battalion, one at Cross Hill ar
Die, one at MOuntVille. The WadsWor
re- estate is now valued at between $20(
the 600 and 100000 al a low estimate.