Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-11-26
wAhaAlLA. soUTH oARoLINA. NOV. ae. 1905.
A SKETCH OF pENpLsToa.
Some Stories Of the Towns Importance and
Glory In the Long Ago.
Henderson Mail. I

lAuuerSOn MAIL.
Those of the younger generation
who are familiar with the quiet littl
village of Pendleton at the presen
time, can scarcely realize its forme
Importance and prosperity.
Far back in the dim regions of th,
past this dull, quaint town was tn,
center of refinement, wealth and cul
ture. Surrounded by fine agricul
tural section, the farm lands afforded
to the wealthy shareholders ampl,
opportunity for the successful cult
walton of various products. Along
its rural streets echoed the footstep,
of famous and gallant men, who's,
names now adorn the pages of his
tory, and noble, beautiful women
whose gentle, refined natures and do.
mestic qualities rendered them oapa
BILE of dispensing the hospitality fo,
which this section wss famed.
Perhaps our readers, who chance
to give the present town casual
glance, would be interested to know,
for future reference, that Pendletor
was once large district, comprising
what is now the counties of Oconee,
Pickens and Anderson, covering an
area of GO or 70 miles square. 1t was
obtained from the Cherokee Indiane
in TIT, but the settlement was de.
ferred until after the Revolutionary
war of 1888. The district was named
in honor of Judge Henry Pendleton,
native of Virginia aud one of the
Judges of the Court of Common
Pleas of South Carolina. He was a
nephew of Judge Edmund Pendle-
ton, of Virginia, born in Culpepper
county in 1850, and died in Green
vile county in 1887. He volunteered
in the first regiment organized in
Virginia, and served under Gen.
Greene in that State. At the close
of the war he settled in South Caro-
lima and was elected Judge of the
law court. He originated the County
Court Act, which was passed in
1855, was one of the three Judges
appointed to revise the laws of the
State, and was member of the Con-
stitutional Convention of 1888.
The first Court House at Pendle-
ton was built of logs, located in the
edge of the town on beautiful
branch.
The only trace of IT, t now
visible is slightly ele, led grassy
knoll, near which the school children
are wont to assemble on festive occa-
sions. Toward this historic spot the
lawyers wended their way from all
parts of the immense district to at.
tend Court. II is said that the
original Bible upon which the oaths
were sworn is now preserved in the
archives of the new Court House at
Anderson.
There are very many points of
interest in and around Pendleton
connected with the remote past.
Here is to be found, situated upon
an eminence, I1owther Hail." bought
by Lord Lowther, of England, at a
cost of $4,000 for shooting box
on account of the large quantity of
game in the county. This building
commands magnificent view of the
stately Blue Ridge mountains.
Further down the street we come
to the time-worn cottage of John
Miller, well known in connection
with the famous Junius Letters.
John Miller was a native of London,
and was one of the parties who
owned the Evening Post.
When the letters of Junius were
published by John Woodfall in the
London Daily Advertiser and the at.
tempt was made to discover the
author of the letters, who was man
of splendid genius, John Miller, the
printer of the letters in the office,
fearing he would be implicated, fled to
America, landed at Charleston and
pushed his way to Pendleton, where
he settled. He died in 1909 and was
buried at the Old Stone Church
He left benin him many respected
citizens. He was the founder of the
Pendleton Weekly Messenger, the
first paper published in the State
outside of Charleston and Columbia.