Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-06-03
THE 1owN OF YoRKvILLE.

Inc lOllOWllS PdpSi PSPeiS GU W
Miss Lottie Belle Simril for the occa-
sion Of her graduation from the York
VILE Graded school last week, is OF
sufficient local interest to warrant Its
publication. A copy was kindly fur
nlshed by Miss Simril at the request
Of THE ENQUIRER:
The town of Yorkville Is situated on
the ridge which divides the waters OF
the Catawba and Broad rivers, under
the shadow Of the historic King 8
mountain. It was laid off as town
in the year 1890 within an area OF
two square miles. :,
It's early settlers were principally
Scotch Irish immigrants and their de-
scendants and were mostly merchants,
there being little necessity at that
time for professions. Among these
early prosperous merchants were Lat
ia, McCaw,- Beatty, Chambers and
Wright.
With the steady growth Of the town,
churches and schools sprang up, the
first church being established by the
Methodists in 1928 and located near
the school building. The next in or
der was the Presbyterian church, or
ganized by Rev. Ferdinand Jacobs, IN
1S42. Then there was an independent
Presbyterian church, which In the
course Of time united with the Pres
byterians. About ten years later the
Episcopal and A. r. P. churches were
founded and it was not until the Late
date of 1868 that the Baptist church
was organized. These are the places
OF holy worship today.
The first school in Yorkville was
taught by Miss Usher in the Major
Hart residence, which was burned IN
1881. Our venerable fellow-citizen
Mr.. Schorb, taught the school Of the
town in 1853; and it was here that
some Of our parents were trained to De
good and useful men and women. In
1854 a school for girls was organized
by Rev. Mr.. Adams and this formed
the beginning of the Yorkville Female
college. which occupied the building
recently destroyed by fire. In 1855
Kings Mountain Military academy
was established by Colonel Asbury
Coward and General Micah Jenkins
opening In the building now occupied
| by our superintendent; Mr.. Walker and
lhis family. In 1857 the corner stone OF
the present barracks was laid.
From very early times there were
newspapers Of minor Importance; the
first Of much note being "The Miscel-
|leny," which was succeeded by THE
ENQUIRER, founded in 1856 by the late
L. M. Grist.
In the early fifties we find the town
in most prosperous condition; ne"
railroad had just been completed pc
tween Chester and Yorkville, which
was Of great service to the merchants
as a means Of transportation. Some
Of the prominent lawyers OF this era
were Colonel I. D. Witherspoon, Geo
w. Williams, Colonel w. B. Wilson
and ]. Bolton Smith. The prominent
physicians were Drs. A. I. Barron, J.
r. Bratton, ]. F. Lindsay and Hugh
Jackson. The only manufacturing en-
terprise of the town was a carriage
factory managed by B. T. Wheeler
which was a splendid success.
However, all this prosperity was to
be blotted out by the destructive pow
er Of the approaching war between the
states. In this long contest Yorkville
paid her full share Of the hard labor
and sacrifice which was so common,
being among the first towns to send
out a company Of soldiers for the de-
fense of the south. This company
was called the Jasper Light Infantry
and was in command Of Captain Sea-
brook.
Yorkville, like all other towns Of our
loved southland, felt the ruinous ef-
fects Of the war but she soon aroused
herself to activity and was regainine
what she had lost. From this time on
she developed very rapidly, furnish
ing us with banks, railroads, cotton
mills, waterworks, electric lights and
telephones, the luxuries Of our present
day.
The last but most important Of i'm
provements Of our town, Is this hand
some school building in which we are
assembled tonight and we, the gradua-
ting class of 1903, glory in the fact
that we are the first to 60 forth from
it's beautiful walls into the wide field
Of labor and life.