Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-16
INSTALLMENT LII.
HiII's Iron Works.

In the northeastern section Of York
county on the road leading from
Yorkville to Charlotte, about eleven
miles from the former place is what
is now called the "Clay Hill neighbor-
hood" The limit Of this region like
all others of a similar character are
marked out neither by metes nor
bounds. 1t has no fixed butts and
bindings" but extends so far in all di-
rections as Is agreeable to the desires
and inclinations of the inhabitants.
Through this region there flows a
century has borne the name Of Allison
creek This stream rises near Beth
any church at the foot Of Henry's
Knob and empties into Catawba river,
short distance above Thorn's ferry.
This Clay Hill region was once part
Of that extensive region known all over
the upper section Of South Carolina
by the name of Bethel.
1t is impossible at this late date to
fix with absolute certainty, the exact
period when this section Of country
was settled by white men. 1t is high
ly probable that at a very early pc
riod, Indian traders took up their abode
among the red men OF the forest 1t
seems that at several points on the
Catawba river the traders had settled
as early as the year 1885. The most
of these Indian traders were Scotch
men. 1t is highly probable that the
Bethel region was settled by white
men as early as 1740. The tide Of i'm
migration from Pennsylvania and Vir-
ginia, continued to flow gently into
this region for a number Of years. In
1855, the defeat of Braddock forced
multitudes to leave Pennsylvania and
Virginia and seek a quiet home in the
south. These immigrants were nearly
all Scotch-Irish. A few were OF the
old Puritan stock. Bethel church was
organized by the Rev. William Rich
ardson in 1854.
There is abundance Of evidence that
this region Of country which we now
call Clay Hill was settled long before
the Revolutionary war, and that the
people had accumulated at least some
wealth and provided themselves with
many of the comforts of life. Among
the early settlers of this Clay Hill re-
gion was Colonel William Hill, the
grand father Of General D. H. Hill.
The region of country north Of AL
lison creek abounds in iron ore. At
an early period, Colonel William Hill
established a furnace on Allison creek
at the point at which now is located
Millers mill. A copartnership in this
furnace existed between Colonel Hill
and Isaac Hayne. During the Revolu-
tionary war, the furnace was where
Duff's mill now is. At these iron works
were cast cannon and balls with which
in part to supply the southern division
Of the American army. Not only so,
but the farmers for considerable dis
ance in every direction around these
works. were supplied by them with
iron for agricultural purposes.
After the fall of Charleston on the
18th Of May 1880, the British army un-
der CORVALLIS, Rawdon, Tarleton and
others advanced into the interior Of the
state and established it's headquarters
at Camden. This emboldened the To-
ries and loyalists of the state. The
Wings were in an unorganized condi-
tion and destitute Of every means OF
defence. They had no fire arms ex-
cept their squirrel guns; and powder
and lead we may well suppose, were
extremely scarce. In this critical
condition of things, the men abandon
ed their homes leaving their domes-
| tic affairs in charge of their wives
and children. The Tories prowled
through the country like so many
hungry wolves devouring and destroy
ing every thing in their reach. Gen.
orally speaking the Tories were un-
principled wretches, who neither fear
ed God nor regarded man.
In this Bethel region on Rocky AL
| lison a few miles southwest Of Hills
iron works was established a kind OF
:tore house in which was deposited
salt and many other articles for the
support of the Whig families This
store house was a large stone and
brick building. Its site was on the
plantation now owned by Mrs. Eva
Gillespie, midway between the Wrights
ferry and Thorn's ferry roads. For
small quantities Of salt the Whig
women were accustomed to ride on
horseback from the neighborhood OF
Winnsboro, in Fairfield county to this
place. Colonel Watson was in charge
of this store house. 1t is more than
probable that it was not often full OF
supplies.
We may as we'll notice that after
the Revolutionary war, the brick OF
which this store house was in part