Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-06-02
McCONNELLSVILLE
ReCOIIeCtiOnS Of Noted York County
NeighborhOOd.
EARLY A BUSINESS and SOCIAL CENTER

SullQINS OF the tdiTodo- iSt SSe
mess Houses-Ancedote of Revs.
Lowry Wilson and Henry r. Dickson
The First Physicians.
BY S. b. Latham.
About half way between Chester and
Yorkville, or to be mere accurate,
twelve miles north of Chester and ten
miles south Of Yorkville on the Caro-
lima and North Western railroad, the
prosperous and progressive village of
McConnellsville is located. 1t got its
name from Reuben Mcconnell, the
father of the late Capt. John d. Nc
Connell, who lived about two hupdred
yards south OF the present station. l
think the house is still standing, sur
rounded by some large oask.
The residents of this section of York
county in the early part of the last
century, were to great extent the an
cestors of the present citizenship, viz:
The Loves, McConhells, Moores, Ashes,
Lindsays Meningitis, Burrises, Nc
Cleaves. The lands were thought to be
better suited to growing the cereals
than cotton, consequently, a great deal
of wheat and corn was raised, and on
all. the creeks were located good mills
on which the wheat and corn was
ground and, the planter could always
g"t a ready market and good price
for his flour and corn meal in the sur
rounding towns. What Gotten was
grown had to be hauled to Columbia or
Charleston to sell, there being no rail
road facilities, made this marketing
process slow and uncertain one. 1t
would take not less than five days for
q wagon loaded with cotton to make
the trip to Columbia and back to Nc
Connellsville and, as the roSds were al
ways bad in the fall from constant and
much use and, very little work done on
them. About four bales was load
for four horse team. Generally from
two to six farmers would make these
trips together. They would try to get
near Columbia and go into camp on the
second night, drive. into the city early
next morning, sell their cotton, buy
their groceries, which generally con-
sisted of salt, sugar, coffee and molas-
ses, go, out of the city and camp for
the night.
In one of these cotton caravans made
up of some of the farmers from around
McConnellsville, was a Mr. Burris and
a Mr.. Mcknight. After the crowd had
sold their cotton in the morning, pur-
chased their groceries and, were NOV
ing out of the city late in the evening,
the news came by mail from Charles
ton that the market was-up considera-
ble That night while Burris was pre-
pairing supper, Mr.. Mcknight was fig
uring how much he had lost by not
waiting until evening to sell. Mr.. Bur-
ris turned to him and waving the stick
he was chunking the fire with, eX-
claimed that the price they sold for
was Gods plenty for the cotton"
After this Ned Burris's "Plenty" was
a common expression around McCon-
nellsville and vicinity.
When the railroad was surveyed
from Columbia, S. c., to Charlotte, n.
c., the business men of Yorkville We're
anxious to have it built through York
vile and thence to Ebenezer and
thence to Charlotte, Rock Hill was not
then on the map, but, for some reason
the Railroad authorities selected the
present location. The citizens ofYork-
vile were determined not TO be out
done and, with the cooperation of
those living between there and Ches-
ter, decided to build branch road to
connect at Chester. After the PROPOSE
ton had been fairly discussed among
the town people and country people at
the courthouse and, L suppose at the
country churches before service and
during recess, it WAS determined to
call a mass meeting at the courthouse
and perfect an organization, get sub
to the capital sstock, etc.
When the day arrived large crowd
had assembled, many speakers were on
hand to show the great advantages
that would accrue to the people along
the line through which the road would
pass, enthusiasm was at fever heat,
the crowd in Imagination could see
the smoke and hear the whistle of the
iron horse. In the crowd was an Irish
man who lived near McConnellsville,
VINO Had regular engagement to fur
niSh 4 customer in YOrkville, three
pounds of butter every week and, this
was the day for his delivery of the
butter. One of the speakers knowing
this fact referred to il in his speech to
show the advantage it would be to his
friend that he could ship his butter by
the train and save so much time. This
son of Erin thought he was poking fun
at him and exclaimed from the crowd
what he was Juggling in the wee bucket
of butter for, that he made his living
by honest toll and asked no favor from
either him or his railroad and if he
referred to him again he would mash
his face so his ''mither" would not
recognize him from Jimmy O'ROurke's
bull pup" Sufficient amount of stock
was subscribed an q 'paniZatiOn was