The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1917-11-01
Early History ''"'
OF Union County
Historic and Interesting Incidents of the Old Days
of acknowledgements Description of Some of
the Old Landmarks That Haze Long
Since Passed With Time
(By Mrs. j. w. Mixson)
Continued from last Thursday

was built by Mr.. William keenan,, who
owned a tan yard out beyond DR..
Rawls' fish pond. This house has been
remodeled and is now the palatial
mansion of Col. T. C. Duncan, the
father of our newly elected Secretary.
Mrs. Eaves, Keenan, Avenue, leading
up to the house is a part of the old
Union race track
The Methodist parsonage on South
street was spoken of as "Gist's Folly.
Gov. Gist was a steward of the church
and a member of the building COM
mittee, and insisted upon using only
two bricks thickness, and others
thought that made the walls too thin
to keep out the dampness.
Occupying the greater portion of
the square where Nicholson Bank and
Trust Company now stands, was the
home of Gel. John l.. Young, once
Judge of Probate, and the father of
our townsman, the Hon. Macbeth
Young. l have been told that were
he alive he could give a great deal
of information about old Union and
the people of Union. A lady told mc
that Col. Young showed her a window
"a very small window in the gable
end of a house, out of which a youn,,
lady climbed and slid down the roof
and ran away and got married! Name
and location omitted).
So we see that cupid was at his
pranks then as now. 1t is to be hoped
that the swain proved his apprccia-
ton of the young lady's "steeple-j jack"
feat.
The large brick building on Noun
was the residence of Mrs. Joiner, for
merly Mrs. Hix, the mother of DIR.
Xix win. operated a machine shop.
1t was in this shop that the negro
(Soxton Joiner) who was lynched in
the big gully, piled his trade-hav-
in been slave owned by Mrs. Joiner.
The Cages were large property
owners in Unionville, the progenitor
of the family coming from Ireland
Deeds are on record showing that
James Gage owned land here in 1899
arl John Toch decided a tract of land
to John Gage in 1903. This was near
shc stream now called Toch's Branch
ar | which was probably so named
fro mthe Tosch family. Shoaly Creek
II / Tosch's branch are different names
70" the same stream. Mills speaks of
81 oaly creek and in one of the plats
sh owing "Bill Dogan's Land" on Tosch
tn, stream at the end of the street is
so called. Mr.. Christopher c. Gage
(cplled Kit Gage) inherited most OF
tbs land which extended from Judg.
mont street at the court house to the
Mineral spring sometimes spoken OF
as Peake's spring. including what is
nov known as Cages Grove, up Gage
avenue to South street, beyond the
First Presbyterian church southwarC
o the Excelsior mills.
Johnson.
An old deed dated 1885 records lanG
sold by Thomas Taylor to DaviC
Johnson, and there is plat dateC
1917 showing 402 acres owned by Da
vid Johnson. The description accom-
panying the plat says that the land is
in Union village, at the head of Tosch'.
branch, adjoining land owned by Johr
Gage and Alexander Macbeth. DaviC
Johnson was ordinary for Union dis
trict, an office that corresponds to tha
of Probate Judge at the present time
and which Office is now held by hi.
grandson, w. w. Johnson. Mr.. johnson
held nearly every office within the gift
of the people of his county-wa!
Judge of the common courts, Judge Of
the court of appeals, made chancellor
and finally elected governor of Souti
Carolina. He married Miss Barbara
Herndon, and many of their descend
ants are living in Union at the pres
ent time, and several of them arr
members Of the Fairforest chapter ID
A. r. tracing their ancestral line
back through him to his father Gov
johnson at one time owned and livet
in the old house back of the cour
house, afterwards owned by A. w
Thomson. Abraham Mott also occu
pied this house at one time. Govcrno
Johnson died in 1855 and is buried il
the old Presbyterian cemetery by tn
side of his wife. A handsome marbl
shaft marks his last resting place. !
marble bust of Governor Johnson j
!
owned by w. w. Johnson, and hand
: some oil painting of Mrs. Barbar
: Herndon Johnson is in the possession
of Mrs. Julia Thomas, her grand
dauphter.