Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-05-13
"looSlAa BACKWARD
History Connected wi'h tho Seventh School
District al TugaIoo.

White Rock school is one of the oldest
schools In Oconee, and is the only one
owning q house and lot forthe teachers
use free. White Rock library was the
first rural school library in South Caro-.
lima.
Old Bethel church, which long ago
was tho trinity of Oconee, is now q thing
of the past. Only q few older citizens
know of this church, which was situated
on the Hopkins place, now owned by the
Sheldon estate. Out of this church came
New Bethel and South Union.
The "Bricl House," built by Mr..
Perry, was the first brick house in upper
left TO shSw where this house stood.
This was the birthplace of Governor
Perry. Capt. I. d. Long now owjs the
Perry farm.
The first corn and flour mill in Ooonee
was built by Jacob Shelorin 1888. It'll
now known as the Sheldon mill. Hero
lived the brave Sergeant Nat. Price,
Tngaloo's boys readily answered their
country's call. Living for the dear cause
were Nat Harbin, Sam Bibbs, Pink Nc
Junkins and Capt. II. A. Hawthorn.
Very little is known of the soldiers who
were born here and fought for liberty,
but we know Hugh, John, Thomas,
Richard and WIN. Barry, served with
S6PbDs A1ChN0EpOu anu auu6IbOu.
The Oldest houses are the Bibbs house,
Capt. Longs, Mrs. Messers, and the
Shelor house.
In.tho sixties gun factory was located
here.
The first president of cotton manu-
featuring establishment in Oconee lives
here.
The Harrisons, Bibbs, Barrys,, Messers,
Marettes, Perrys, Reeders and Shelors
were among the oldest citizens of this
part of OGonee.
Jacob Shelcr, g German, oama to Vir-
ginia, and married Betsy Ryland, of Eng
land. He wished to move down South,
but his wife did not want to come. In
1TSS he bought a large tract of land on
the Tugaloo, and after the death of his
wife moved here in 1890. With him
came his sons, Joseph Ryland and
Thomas Ryland, and daughter, Mary
Dudly, better known as Polly Shelor.
She was brilliant conversationalist 1t
is said of her that one could not tell
which went the fastest, her knitting
needle. or her tongue. She lived single
until she WAS forty, then married twice.
Thomas Shelor lived for time at
later moved to Georgia. He had large
family. Hon. j. w. Shelor, of Walhalla,
is his son.
Joseph Ryland Shelor married Casen-
dine Barry, noble Christian woman,
who died early, leaving five children,
who were tenderly cared for by devoted
Many Judy" until Miss Rebecca Werner
became Mrs. Shelor
In 1910 Joseph Shelor had built the
house that is now standing. He, with
his father and two wives aud grandchil-
dren, Nare buried in the garden at the
Shelor home place.
An old oak, Icabod-like, is still stand
ing near where Jacob Shelor first settled,
and we say, "Woodman, spare that tree"
for 1t has shaded three generations.
Young ladies and men, get yoar note
books and jot down what your dear old
grandmothers tell you of primitive
Pickens District and Oconee county.
Soon they will be gone and the tale will
not be told We are familiar with old
country history, but our own is forgot
ten. The lives of our heroes should in
spire US to noble deeds. Let us 90 to
work, make Oconee the first county in
the State in all good works, and brighten
up the lives of our people, remembering
the poor laborer by giving him books to
read, asking him to come to church and
speaking kind word to him. What we
are going to do, let us do quickly, for
we must soon journey on to that City of
Cities. NJ. r. s.