Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-01-04

years, bnt in 1888 the building was
destroyed by fire. In 1876 Walhal-
ia Fcnale College was founded. This
was an excellent college and enjoy
ed a large patronage, but both Ad-
ger and Female College went do ~
practically together. From the
downfall. OF the colleges until the
founding of the Walhalla High and
Graded School in 1902 the educa-
tional demands were supplied by pri-
vate schools.
The site Of Walhalla was not
chosen with a view of making the
town the county seat, but when
Pickens District was divided by the
State constitutional Convention in
1868 into Pickens and Oconee coun-
ties, Walhalla became the county
seat Of Oconee county because 1t has
been ascertained to be within two
miles OF the geographical center Of
the county. This helped to increase
the trade and Walhalla naturally be-
came the distributing center Of a
large section Of territory lying to the
north and west, and extending into
the States Of North Carolina, Georgia
and Tennessee. 1t also added to its
importance and gave quite an impc-
tus to progress and development.
The most destructive fire in the
history Of Walhalla occurred on
June 3, 1898. Almost two squares
in the business center of the town
were reduced to ashes, but in view OF
subsequent developments the scourge
of fire was blessing in disguise
The wooden buildings had been
crowded too close together and con-
structed with little view to protec-
ton against fire. The old buildings
were replaced by new and handsome
brick ones, thus improving the town
In 1888 the Blue Ridge railroad
was extended from West Union to
Walhalla
These are the leading facts Of Wal
halla's history. Now for glimpse
OF our city as it appears to-day. OF
to-day little needs to be said, for all
are living in the present and all
know what the town has.
1t has twenty-seven mercantile
houses. All OF these enjoy a good
business.
We have two banks-the Bank OF
Walhalla and Enterprise Bank.
We can proudly say that we have
four blocks of paved street and pros
pect of many more in the future.
Other things Walhalla has: One
freight and two daily passenger
| trains, Western Union elcgraph Of
flee, an Independent telephone ex-
change and weekly paper
Walhalla being the county seat
| all of the county lawyers live here
| The bar is composed of eleven learn
ed disciples Of Blackstone.
There is good evidence that Wal
halla has a healthy climate because
only three physicians can find
enough ills to cure here to insure
| lnem Il llNcllhOOd.
Walhalla has five Protestant
| churches. All are well represented.
We can boast of a fine brick school
house, but we all have hopes OF it
some day being enlarged to meet the
demands OF pupils who wish to en-
ter, but are barred out because Of no
II
tainly be ashamed Of such school
house.
Walhalla can proudly say that she
has two more monuments than any
other city OF Oconee. One is erected
to the memory of Gen. John A. Wag-
cner and the thirty-seven original
founders OF Walhalla, and the other
TO the Confederate dead Of this
county. There is prospect of another
being erected by 1912, in honor of
the women Of the Confedcracy.
There are three manufacturing
enterprises in the town. They are
the cotton mill, hosiery mill and
bottling works.
These are about the leading facts
concerning Walhalla as it appears to-
day. Now for a glimpse of Walhal-
la to any of us if we leave and come
back twenty-five years later, in
1888. | will tell the story of its ap-
pearance to me.
had been away from my native
home for twenty-five years, when |
at last decided to visit again the
town where my childhood had been
spent. Accordingly, when an invita-