Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1914-02-12

try near the middle of the 18th cen
tury. The progenitor of that name was
thrown into prison in Scotland on ac-
count of his religious convictions. ard
was married through the prison bars.
They located near here about the
time of the Revolutionary War
The fifth generation of four of these
families are now living within the in
corporate limits of Fort Mill, viz
children of John NJ. Spratt, Capt. S.
f.. White, Brevard ID. Springs and
John Il. Harris. The children of ID.
G. Kimbrell son of S. j. KimbreIl, liv-
ing near Fort Mill, are also of the
fifth generation of that name, and
were among the early settlers of the
township, coming as they did at the
beginning of this century.
The G.. C.. & A. Railroad was pro-
jected in 1S47 and was running to this
point in 1852. First house built in the
| incorporate limits in January, 1851,
by William f. White and occupied as
place of business by Barnhardt, Col
tharp & Co, now occupied by X. Shan
non, merchant, Drs. Massey & Kirk
patrick as an Office. the postoffice and
printing office of j. S. Drakeford The
next house was built in 1852 by Owen
Matthews as residence, now owned
by Mr.. Seth Hotchkiss Next place of
business was built in 1852, where p.
Is. Null now is, and operated by Capt
John ID. White, who moved to Texas
| and was murdered by highwaymen
some time before the late war DR.. B.
NJ. Cobb next built a residence on the
corner of Trade and Booth streets,
known as the Young house. The next
| house was store where Stewart &
Co. now are, operated by Morrow &
Potts. afterward Patterson, Morrow &
Co. 1t was burned in 1854. The next
residence was built by b. j. Patterson
which has since been renovated into
the Methodist parsonage. T. G. Culp
and his brother William also carried
on wagon and carriage business near
Patterson, Morrow & Co, and were
burned out in 1858. They built houses
for themselves. About 1855 the store
house on the west side of the railroad,
! occupied by w. Il. Leonard. was built
by Hugh M. White.
| The first school house was built i'm
1854, near where b. ID. Springs now
lives. A Mr.. Watts was the teacher.
The second school house, an Academy,
was built in 1857. where J. A. With
ers now resides and then the present
brick Academy was built in 1875, of
which Prof. J. A. Boyd is principal.
| The first Masonic hall was built
over the first Academy in 1858, the
first meeting being held in November
OF that year. Only one of the mem
bers of that meeting now lives-T. G.
Culp. The second hall was erected
over the brick Academy in 1875. and
is still owned by the Masons. In 1888
the present one was built over L.. ].
| Massey's store.
The old fort" from which a part of
the towns name is derived, is near the
Spratt Homestead. 1t was built by
the first settlers of the country to pro-
tect themselves against the hostile In
dians. Part of the lines of the fort
can be distinctly seen yet. The other
part OF the name was derived from
the Webb's formerly Garrison's, now
>. r.. White's) old mill On Steel Creek.
R miles above Fort Mill. the first
one In this section. 1t was originally
Fort Hilr' but when Webb was made
postmaster, he wanted the name
changed to "Webb's Mill" The post
master general wrote that he did not
like to disarrange the alphabetical list
but that he would make 1t Fort Mill"
substituting Mill" for "Hill." The
Following is list of those who have
held the postoffice since its creation
Squire Hugh White. Squire Joe White.
William f.. White. T. ID. Spratt, Thom-
as Webb. w. f. White again, III. III.
Coltharp, Monroe Powell r. b. With
ers, b. +. Powell. T. ID. Faulkner, It.
5. Davant, Parks Hunter, Seth Hotch-
kiss, Mrs. l.. III. Drakeford.
Among the agents for the railroad
at this place may be mentioned-T.
Continued on Pspe2l