Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1915-04-14

III GaSeuelu QlSGrlct was at I1atu
burg. The stockholders werewealthy
and prominent men and the bank
possessed large capital. A surveyo,
of prominence in the early days was
Amos Blocker. Edg field, the capi
tai of Edgefeld district, is ffty-slz
miles from Columbia. The village
was the county seat in 1871 and the
first court was held here IN 1892
Edgefeld was incorporated to WI
in 1880. One of the earliest teach.
ers in the town of Edgefeld was
Charles N. Johnson, graduate of
Yale, who afterward became the
founder Of the Female college al
Anderson. The first post Office at
EdgeGeld was established July L.
1895, with John Simkins as post.
master.
Of the churches in the town of
Edgefeld the Methodist takes prece,
.dence over all others in point of
age, though with no degree Of &C.
curacy can be given the date upon
which the first church was organiz-
ed. IJis understood, however, that
the first church was erected upon
the lot where now stands the home
of Mrs. j. L. Minis. The next house
of worship was the Baptist faith.
The large and handsome new edi-
fee just completed isgbuilt upon the
original site, the titles of which
were. given nearly a century and
a half ago bv Capt. Arthur Simkins
who was also the generous donor
of several acres of land, on which
was erected Edgefeld's first public
school building. To-day, on the his
toric ground, with its magnificent
stretch of woodland, stands mod
ern brick high school building, thus
pefpetuating the use for which it
was given so many, many years ago.
The third church to be built in
Edgefeld d-and at the present time
the oldest one-is Trinity Episco-
pal church. This quaint little church
of brick, so loved by its thirty Fl, e
or forty communicates, was built
in the year 1889. largely through
the efforts and generosity of Col.
Edmund Bacon, Mr.. Whitfield
Brooks and his wife, Mrs. Mary
Parson Carroll Brooks, Mr.. and
Mrs. Brooks generously donating
the lot not only on which to build
the church, but the rectory as we'll.
In 1889 the pastor of Trinity
church was the Rev. Edwin Reid,
followed by the Rev. Arthur Wig
fall, who served the church in ls4l.
The records of April 2o,ls4s, give
the names of Whitfield Brooks, |.
Terry, E. B. Bacon, F. H. Ward
law, J. P. Carroll, Judge A. P. Bat
Ter, Charles Meigs and N. Root as
members ofathis church. On No
vember l, 1895, the Rev: A. b.
Hankie baptized the following chill
Joseph Hutchinson Terry,
Henry Eugene Terry and Mary Jane
Adelaide Terry. The first marriage
recorded is that of Edmund Bacon
and Mary Ann Randolph, on De-
cember 10, 1885. Thus you will see
that membership of Episcopali-
ans existed several years before the
erection of their church.
Although this article is intended
to give early facts alone / cannot
refrain from mentioning the stately
gray stone church of the Roman
Catholics, with it's handsome altar
of. Carolina marble, built about
1855 or 1856. This church has some
devoted members, but there is no
resident priest. Also the beautiful
little Gothic church of the Presby-
terians. with its tasteful interior de-
sign and finish, which was founded
about thirty years ago.
The first newspaper at Edgeheld
was the Edgefeld Bee Hive. This
paper was published at Pottersville,
near where now stands the home
Of the late DR.. Horace Parker. Its
existence was of short duration, and
was followed by The Edge6eld Ad-
yertiser, which was established in
1885. The Advertiser is now the
Oldest newspaper in South Carolina.
Among the wills first recorded
are: William Perrin, James McGit-
tons, William Martin, Thomas Rob
erts, Edward Lederman, Francis
Posey, William Harvely, Sophia
Hiles, Ellis Marcus, Robert Bel
cher, Richard Allison, William
Tolberts, Samuel Marsh, Samuel
Howard, Thomas Kirkland, Benja,
~ u