Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1921-05-05

throp college:
York county borders on North
Carolina, and is u north-central
county of South Carolina. Its to-
tai area is about 6S6.6S square
miles and it comprises nine town
ships which lie somewhat in tiers
of three. Three OF these town
ships, Bethel, Kings Mountain
ana Broad River, have areas con
tanning number of small noun
tains. Bethel is crossed from west
III an easterly direction by Grow
der and Big Allison creeks; Bull
lock is crossed from north in
southwesterly direction by Bul-
lock and Turkey creeks. These
two townships have some rather
rongh and hilly areas.
Two railroads., the Carolina &
Northwestern and the Charleston
division of the Southern, practi-
cally bisect the county, east and
west, and north and south. re-
speceively. The main line of the
Seaboard Air Line crosses. "a few
miles of the southeastern Corner
Of the county. and the savannah
Charlotte branch of the Southern
crosses the county. from Chester
through Rock Hill and Fort Mill,
cutting off southeastern section
OF the county, approXimating l3O
square miles. Broad River forms
part of the western boundary
of the county, and the Catawba
river separates Fort Mill town
ship from the remaining town
ships and constitutes a part OF
the eastern county boundary.
The county of York is part
of the border territory which
originally formed a part Of North
Carolina. A survey was made
about the time Of the Revolution
AIRY wsaa which gave an upper tier
Of counties to South Carolina and
this new territory was known ~
1he "New Acquisition" The dis
trict of York was created in 1855
and a court house was huilt--.lt-
Fergus Cross Roads, which is tn"
present location. Time elapsed
before there were many stores at
the county seat and the wants of
he peOnle We're supplied from
the peddler's pack. A store was
built about 1910.
In 1868 survey was made of
York county by Col. w. B. Ali
son. This survev established the
township boundaries of the
county.
The earlv settlers were Scotch
Irish and Scots. They were strong
believers in RELIGIOUS liberty wifi
brought their Bibles across with
them. They were bitter and fear
less opponents of the British and
Tories. neer taking recourse TO
British nrntection. Such was the
spirit which won the Revolution
di war.
After the Revolution and dur
ing the early decades of the lSOO's
there were Scant means Of. oh
tanning an education. There were
very few books obtainable. Tories
had DESTROYED hooks wherever
thev had found them. Ministers
of the Gospel became the teach
"rs. We read that even snch a
hook as clocks Essay on the
Human Understandings was put
70 use for learning the letters and
to read and spell. and copies for
writing were set with stick on
an even spot Of ground, , I'm the
period of common school revival.
ls3O-6O. institutions of learning
were established with considera-
bile rapidity. -.s-
A very distinguished scholar,
who began teaching in York
few years before the War Be-
tween the States was DR.. Robert
Latham. DR.. Latham taught the
tsflck Academy IN York about
1852 and made Of it well known
school. After the constitution of
1868. DR.. Latham organized the
county school system. During the
period of negro rule he was put
out of office, but was restored
with Hampton's administration
and was commissioner until about
1888. DR.. Latham was a scholarly
minister and rendered and excel
lent and pioneer serice for edn
cation in York.
Bethel presbytery established
Ynrluilla aana. 1n-n IN,