The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-09-27
LOG 4 IT, III r. w g.
COUNTY CORRESPONDENCE.
Old Pendlet0n District,

MEssEs EDITORS At the suggestion of
one Of The Professors of this College, I
have written this article (most of the facts
were taken from Ramsay's History). /
trust you will find it interesting enough
10 allow it space in your valuable paper.
PendletoD District was so named in
honor of Henry Pendleton, native of
Virginia, and one of the Judges of the
Court Of Common Pleas in South Caro-
lima. 1t was obtained from the Indians
by treaty in 1777. Its first white settlers
migrated principally from the districts of
Abheville and York, in South Carolina
and from North Carolina and Virginia.
The country was formerly occupied by
the Cherokee Indians. The last of them
removed from small town on Cane Creek
about the year 1792-one century ago.
Cotton has always been the staple most
ly raised for market, but in its early cult
walton the seasons were too short for COM
plete maturation. This was caused, no
doubt, from improper cultivation, for now
Anderson, which was part Of Pendleton
District, raises and natures as fine crop
of cotton as could be desired. In the
early settlement Of tho District indigo,
hemp and flax were cultivated, to some
extent, as we'll as the present farm pro.
Oflate years the creeks and 'vers have
been filled with sand from the ridge land,
so that the bottom lands, which were de-
votsd mostly to the production Of corn,
have become almost useless for cultiva-
ton. This has been caused mostly by the
reckless way in which the ridge lands have
been managed. It seems that the farmers
have been awakened to sense Of their
folly, and are now making HI effort to re-
claim the fertile lands along the streams
by taking proper care of the hill-sides.
In the early settlements there were
many herbs, highly priced for their me-
diciDal properties, among which may be
mentioned all kinds of snake roots, geu-
sing, earth-gall, ard many others, Of
which little is known by the present gen.
era!ion.
There are large quantities of red and
yellow clay near all the streams; of them
good bricks are made, such as were used
in the building of Clemson College and
the many fine buildings which surround
it. These clays would doubtless make
fine pottery, and not only here but fine
clay ahonuds in nearly all parts of the
United States. Considering these facts,
900 worth of china and porcelain from
Great Britain, and two or three times this
amount from China and Japan?
The natural growth of timber was wal
nut, poplar, whlte-oak, elm, ash, beech,
birch, chestnut, with hickory, pine and
many other species of oak. or this fine
variety much has been destroyed, but
there is still remaining hundreds of acres
of as fue tim Der as can be found any,
where, and yet the South sends hundreds
Of thousands of dollars annually to the
Northwest for furniture aud other wood
products, Notwithstanding her abundant
supply OF water power aud numerous coal
fields for furnishing power for the manu-
facture of these goods.
In the early settlements education re.
ceived but little attention, and very little
knowledge was diffused throughout the
country. In 1903 Pendleton District had
but one classical academy. It was under
the direction of an able teacher, Nj. Ed
win Reese, and superintended by a Board
of Trustees. Quite striking comparison
to our many tine schools Of to day, and
especially to Clemson College, with its
hundreds of students already enrolled, and
applied for admission in February. As
early ss 1903 there was newspaper pub.
lished at Pendleton, edited by a MIR.
Miller
Pendleton has given to the State some
very distinguished men, among them
Generals Pickens and Anderson. The
former is the well-known partisan war
rior. famous equally in warfare with the
British and Indians. He was buried at
the Old Stone Church, two miles from
Fort Hill. His grave is still kept in good
repair. Gen. Anderson distinguished
himself at Cowpens and other places.
Our own beloved County, "Anderson,"
bears bis name. We are unable to find
out his burial place, and if any of your
readers know Of it and will let as know
through your columns, or otherwise, we
shall be greatly obliged. In this District
also lived Captain John Lynch. supposed
to have originated the notorious frontier
law, which bears his name, and which has
been causing 80 much agitation In this
country within the last few months.
It is useless for me to say that this was
the home of John G. Calhoun. that be rep
resented this part of the State for years In
both Congress and Senate, besides serving
two terms as Vice President. His praises
have been, are still being, and will con-
tinue to be sung by all generations to
come. CLAUDE L. SMITH,
Clemson College, Fort HUI, S. c.