Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-12-06
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!. A HISTORY OF OAIkWAY. j.
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(By Mrs. Carl c. Myers, in Anderson
Daily Mail:)
There is legend that Is told this
way The citizens felt that the coun-
try was in an unsettled condition
and that at any time the men might
be called upon to answer to their
country's call to service. Therefore
Lhoy established here in great for-
est Of oaks a muster ground. There
were men organized into companies
his men together once every three
months, the roll was called, and
every man from IS to 45 years OF
ago had to be present or render Il
good excuse. The morning was spent
in drilling. Horse racing was fea-
ture Of the afternoon. Then, once a
year, the second Saturday in May,
five. Of these companies were called
together to drill under the colonel.
This was the battalion muster. Here
the ladies had their tables of ginger
cakes and beer to sell. After the
drilling was finished thirteen salutes
were fired. Il was once at one Of
these meetings in the midst of very
exciting hcrse race that man was
thrown agalnst,4a giant oak and
killed. The legend goes that tho scar
made on the tree by the mans head
remained there as long as the tree
stood, and this ridge road was ever
after known as the way by the oak.
Hence Oakway.
Oakway was first established at
John Zachary's as a postol1ice, kept
by Abner Hutchins. This was be-
tween. the years 1S40 and HS45. The
few citizens who lived along this way
got their mail once week at this
point. At this time there were only
two homes on this ridge road from
the postonice to two miles above
where Westminster now stands. They
were the William Bearden home, a
two-story log house that stood in
what is now Adger Bowen's pasture.
The next was what is known as the
Ward place. A Mr.. Calhoun lived
there and ran small store. He af-
some time the population increased
and the place decreased, and the
name OakwaY was no longer known
as Oaliway from Zachary's to West
minister, but was confined to a sec
ton here where Oakway is to-day.
The pOstotlice was moved here and
kept by J. B. Sanders on the place
now owned by w. w. Bearden. Land
was rated at this time at % cents
per acre. y man by the name Of Ma
jors sold William Beardcn one hun
dred acres of land for shotgun.
Mr.. Bearden was a gun smith. One
day a man came from where Glenn
son College is now located to get Mr..
Bearden to fix a gun for him. While
ears Of corn which were being hauled
in this section He was used 10 seeing
fine ears Of corn being raised on the
Seneca river bottoms, so he asked
Mr.! Bearden why he did not leave
"Nubbin Ridge" and go where he
could raise corn. After this the place
was known as Nubbin Ridge.
Among the early citizens we find
the name Of Pool, John Adds, Cleve
Marett, William Bearden. Billie Cain,
Wilton Cain. Galloway Brown,
Scorcher Brown and others. The peo-
pie were honest, industrious, patri-
olic and contented. Their pleasures
and recreations were Of the simplest
kind. At the quarterly courts, cleo
ton and muster days they gathered
sufficient news Of the outside world
to last them all tho year. They be-
lieyed in the representations as to
the weather and the best time to sow
seed, cut wood, kill hogs, etc.-whe-
ther in the dark or tho light Of the
moon.
They had great reverence for the
Bible and the house Of God, and they
would go many. miles to preaching
or TO attend camp meeting. II hey
spent the winter evenings around the
blazing fire in relating stories and
mending their shoes and garments,
often to the music Of the spinning
wheel. They assisted each other at
house and barn raisings, log rOllings
and corn shuckings, winding up the
day with a dance-a "brcak down -