The Index-Journal from Greenwood, South Carolina • Page 47

Friday. May 30, 1997 AA-20 The Index-Journal, Centennial Edition, Greenwood, S.C. Greenwood County Centennial Few accounts exist of African-American history By BELINDA COOK Special to the Index-Journal Mays, Wright made great strides in education and left Greenwood to earn a high school diploma at South Carolina State College. Wright graduated from Wofford College and 1 GREENWOOD They are part of a generation that most of us learn about only in an informal oral history and a few written accounts, a generation that is quickly disap-I peartng. African-Americans born during the early 1900s are rare in; Greenwood County.

briefly worked as a reporter for The Index-journal. He received advanced degrees from the University of North Carolina where he taught English from 1926-1932. He joined the research cliff nf fho Honrv I Huntington Library, spe- I I cializing in the culture of Their story is usually unheard or is minutely compiled collectively under the general history of African-American struggles and triumphs. Even though we all may have heard of the great contributions of educator Benjamin E. Mays, who was born in Greenwood County in 1895, there are still others who took no fame or glory from surviving hardships of poverty that being DR.

BENJAMIN MAYS Elizabethan England and in American colonial civilization. In 1948, he theology, but his graduate program was interrupted by a stint teaching math at Morehouse College and by the death of his first wife. Returning to Chicago, Mays received his MA degree in 1925 and joined the faculty of South Carolina State College. Venturing into social work, Mays was director of the Urban League in Tampa and then student secretary for the YMCA from 1926 to 1930. At the age of 37, he resumed graduate study at Chicago where he received the PhD.

in religion and published his first book, "The Negro's Church." He was dean of the School of Religion at Howard University where he won accreditation for his program and became president of Morehouse College in 1940. He revitalized the struggling institution, renewed the physical plant and created a special atmosphere for learning among faculty and students. An inspiring teacher, a scholar of religion and race relations and a talented administrator, Mays was also a champion of civil rights. In a segregated Chicago he urged African-Americans to fight discrimination; at Morehouse he encouraged his students to assert their self worth. To the most famous Morehouse graduate, Martin Luther King Mays was a mentor and friend.

He supported King in the nonviolent campaign for civil rights and, following the tragedy in Memphis, gave an eloquent eulogy at Dr. King's funeral. It may be surprising that an isolated rural community like Greenwood could produce two men of such remarkable vigor in a single decade. Now, at the close of the 20th century, does Greenwood have a Mays or Wright on its cultural horizon? Dr. Cann is a member of the History Department faculty at Lander University.

By MARVIN CANN Special to The Index-Journal GREENWOOD A century ago, Greenwood County, thinly populated and rural with few pretensions to sophistication, produced two intellectual giants in a single generation. Benjamin Elijah Mays and Louis Booker Wright rose from the agricultural crossroads of Epworth and Phoenix, one the son of former slaves and the other the offspring of a school principal, to achieve national acclaim for their scholarship and contributions to education. Between them, Wright and Mays published dozens of books and each man came to head an internationally respected educational institution. As its president from 1940 to 1968, Mays built Atlanta's Morehouse College into a distinguished undergraduate college, while Wright was director of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. In later years the autobiographical writing of Wright and Mays reflected very different recollections of their common birthplace.

Wright recalled the idyllic childhood of "a more innocent era," his education at Greenwood's fine new Magnolia Street School where his father was a teacher and principal, and summer vacations on Grandfather Booker's farm near Donalds. Benjamin Mays' most powerful childhood memory was of a white mob rampaging across the countryside in the infamous Phoenix Riot of 1896, threatening his family and humiliating his father. He recalled long, hot days in the cotton-fields of a two-mule farm and sparse educational opportunities. Mays attended the Brickhouse School which operated only four months a year African-American usually meant during the period. I Take, for example, the education-jal development of the family of Peterson said.

"Up until that age, we used to wear those long shirts with the splits on the side." Peterson said he started plowing when he was eight years old and continued to work at various jobs until he was 92. "I used to haul seeds from Kirksey to Greenwood when Greenwood High School was downtown," Peterson said. 'it took me about a day to get up here because I had to come by myself. I also farmed a while, worked in the mill and caulked wood during the summer. When I caulked wood, I was making about 90 cents a day.

I have worked for 20 cents a day, while supporting a family. "We had our own cows, pigs and chickens," Peterson said, "We also did farm He said he didn't know anything about presidents when he was growing up because he didn't attend school. He said school didn't run but about 30 days. "I didn't learn how to scratch my name until I got married around 21 or 22 years old," Peterson said. "I could count, though, and I read now." Peterson recalls a lot about his younger days.

"1 remember when there were just trees in front of the Inn on the Square," Peterson said. "There used to be a man we called Candy Watson, who made and sold candy right there. I also remember when they paved the roads from Kirksey to Greenwood and when the first car came out." "I've accomplished just about everything I wanted to do," he said, "I didn't know I would live this long." According to family members, Peterson is in good health. They said hearing is his biggest problem and he still tries to do most of the cleaning around the house. His wife is deceased.

The couple had five children. Herman Peterson, Register Nicholson and Ruby Goodwin are still living. Peterson is one of the oldest members of Springfield Baptist Church. became director of the prestigious Folger Shakespeare Library, a position he held until his 1968 retirement. Wright was a prolific author who published articles and books on a wide array of topics.

He described the cultural life of the American colonies, edited the fascinating diary and other writings of the Virginia aristocrat William Byrd, joined other scholars to define the meaning of the frontier experience and produced many editions of Shakespeare's works. He served on the editorial board of National Geographic Magazine and was constantly in demand as a lecturer at the nation's preeminent universities. Mays, encouraged by his mother and by the congregation of Mount Zion Church, departed Greenwood to seek educational and professional opportunities beyond the scope permitted blacks in the Deep South. After a year at Virginia Union College, he enrolled at Bates College in Maine where he earned a BA degree. He entered the University of Chicago to study Janie Morris.

Her home. Promised Land, was established in 1870 by emancipated African-Americans who found little opportunity to buy land elsewhere. She was born in 1910, the youngest of 19 children. She recalls the story of her slave- "born father, who had a great desire to learn to read. "My daddy told us sometimes he would see a piece of newspaper in the master's yard, and he would take it back to the field with him," Morris said.

"If the master came, he had to eat it up, but he self-taught himself, along with the Lord, and after freedom was declared he taught other people how to read." Morris herself finished Little. River Institute in Greenwood and later studied at Piedmont Technical College. Janie Morris remembers her childhood well. "When I came along, we were working and picking cotton for our- selves. We lived basically and totally off what we raised, which was corn, hogs, chickens and wheat for flour.

I remember my mother used to take flour sacks, bleach them and make us pretty clothes. When winter time came, though, they (her parents) made sure we had warmer clothes." Morris said her father was supposed to be sold off, but freedom was declared before that could happen. She said he had two brothers who were sold away. She remembers during President Hoover's depression-era term that many blacks, had it especially hard. "If we had a biscuit, it would only be on Sundays," she said.

She said times began to change for blacks and the poor under Franklin D. Roosevelt. Morris has two Bibles she said belonged to her father that are more than 100 years old. She said the Bibles have also survived two fires. She and her late husband reared three children, Vickie, Francine and Willie Morris.

She is a member of Second Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. "Back then was a happy time," Morris said. "People were happier than people would think. We used to have our doors open all night long.

Now, you don't feel safe with double locks on your door. Even with modern conveniences, we're in a more dangerous situation than we were then." Another example is 96-year-old William Peterson. Peterson was born in Greenwood County in 1900, one of 16 children. "I had eight sisters and seven brothers," Peterson said. "We all lived in a three-room house that had a kitchen and we all had to sleep together." "I didn't wear any britches (pants) until I was 12 years old," Prospectus shows post-countyhood conditions 1T i A.

it 1 ond, and manufacturing third. About 3 to 5 percent of the land is cleared every year. Dairy products bountiful and the best breeds of cattle, swine, sheep; horses and mules can be found here. The fruits are not grown for market, although peaches, apples, pears, grapes, melons and strawberries do finely. The home supply of vegetables is ample, though none are shipped.

No tobacco nor rice. All other crops more than repay the cost of cultivation. There are splendid granite and clay for brick and pottery; The most important industries are building and cotton and oil mills, and brick making. There arc two cotton mills and one oil mill earning large dividends, and desirable siles for more factories. Farm tracts range from 50 to 1,000 and acres, tenanls.

working from 40 to 85 acres. Improved land is held at $5 to $25, unimproved at $3 to $5 Proper ditching or fencing, 300 pounds acid phosphate per acre aiid then seeded to peas will reclaim worn out land al a small outlay. The annual col (on receipts are 30.1XX) bales. A complete system of water works and electric lights are some of (he latest municipal improvement. The climate is equal lo any in the South, splendid mineral wafer, high altitude, good hotels and bathing facilities.

Citizens are kindly disposed to worthy newcomers and will accord them fair treatment and a generous reception. LOCALISMS Ware Shoals, located in the northwest corner of Greenwood County on the banks of the Saluda River, is in the Piedmont section of South Carolina and has a population of approximately 2,300. per, went swimming and to a movie. Left to right are Pete Hagood, Tommy Young, Billy Weeks, Robert Culbreath Earle Purkerson (who later became sports editor), Circulation Manager Frank Mundy (who became publisher), Bobby Lee, and the remainder of the carriers are unidentified. Paperboys at play Remindful of the days when youth carriers dominated newspaper deliveries is this 1940s scene of an Index-Journal carrier boy party at the Greenwood YMCA.

The 56 boys had a hotdog-hamburger sup EDITOR'S NOTE: The following document was provided to The Index-Journal by the Greenwood County Economic Alliance, Inc. It's origin and year of publication are unknown, but it appears to be a prospectus of some kind by a railway company. Its publication obviously was after 1899. It offers insight into conditions just after Greenwood became a county. GREENWOOD This is a growing and prosperous city of 5,000 population of which 55 percent are white, the balance colored, having one graded while scluxil.

three other white one colored graded school and one colored institute. There is buying and selling of land going on all the lime on the moneyed surplus from sales of farm products. The soil is mulatto or red, with clay subsoil and sandy lop soil, and adapted to anything grown in the South. The fanners of lale are planting 30 percent more wheal and oats, with a corrcspondending decrease in Had an exceptional and disastrous drought here in 1X99; the average rainfall being usually full and reliable. More than 15 percent of the natural forest consists of second growth pine.

Quail and oilier wild game are plentiful. The leading occupations are agriculture first, commercial sec WATSON: Had a special love for history tstma editor of the Spartanburg Herald from 1905 to 1906, he spent his entire life in Greenwood County. He attended Furman University and graduated from the University of North Carolina in June 1899. He was awarded the honorary degree of doctor of letters from the University of South Carolina in 1938 and doctor of laws from Lander in 1956. That was a special occasion not long before his death when all of his children and grandchildren were in attendance.

He served as president of the South Carolina Press Association from 1911 to 1913; as a trustee of Furman Univer-1 sity from 1912 to 1914; and as president of the Furman University Alumni Association in 1915 and 1924. Harry Legare Logan, is deputy managing editor of The State. Continued from page 19 A said: "I was the only one who would read the rule book." Granddaddy was in the newspaper business from 1900 when he became co-owner of the weekly Greenwood Index. It became a daily during World War I and took over the Journal in 1919. He became president, publisher and editor of The Index-Journal at that time.

With the exception of one year as Burton Plaza 72 Bypass NE Greenwood, SC We specialize in custom florals and Interior design services. Also, top of the line accessories. See us for that special gift. Millie Burton Doris Hall Owner Designer, Floral Interior Desianer RADIO: Greenwood listeners have tuned in since 1941 CastrolGTX Castrol GTX CastrolGTX CastrolGTX CastrolGTX CastrolGTX CastrolGTX CastrolGTX GROWING WITH GREENWOOD! We Salute Greenwood County During It Centennial Celebration. Mr.

Lube opened its doors for business in 1990. Over the years we have offered quality service to the residents of Greenwood and the surrounding areas. In 1994 we opened our 2nd location in Greenwood. TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU: power to 6,000 watts and in 1992 increased power to 25,000 watts. WMTY-FM can be heard by 500,000 people in 18 counties.

In 1994, WMTY-FM was assigned the urban ABCAP News and Sports format. Since going on the air, the station has broadcast the Lander basketball games with Rauch Wise and the USC football and basketball. In 1995, Carolina Panther football was added, followed by CBS Major League Baseball, World Series, and Emerald High School football with Adam Myrick doing the play-byplay. This spring, the CBS Masters golf reports were added to the schedule. African-Americans also have an opportunity to be heard.

County Councilmen Fred Armfield and Gonza Bryant as well as House Member Anne Parks, report to the people weekly. Other public officials are invited to participate. Professional assistance has been provided by Washington legal council Lawrence "Bucky" Bernard and engineering consultants, Palmer A. Greer and William Culpepper. Three people help make it all happen Gary Bryant, Stan Lewis and Allen Gowen.

Each of these and many others have made WMTY-AMFM what it is today. One slogan at WMTY that has stuck with the station since 1973 is "We want to be your radio station." are delivered by satellite. In 1984, Norman Wiseman made the decision to program urban contemporary music. Soon, Jesse Williams decided to move his Sunday morning program to WMTY from a competing station. This move caused others to follow, becoming an important part of WMTY's Sunday morning programming.

In 1985, Norman Wiseman accepted a position at Piedmont Technical College. Betty Black was employed as general manager. Black brought to the station valuable experience gained WAIM in Anderson. Southern Gospel music came to WMTY-AM in 1994 and the urban format assigned to WMTY-FM. The news service of WMTY-AM is USA Radio Network News and the associated press.

Several local ministers are heard regularly on WMTY AM. In 1996, WMTY-AM raised its power to 5,000 watts. The WMTY slogan is "Solid Gospel on the Might Ten Ninety, WMTY-AM," WMTY is the official Department of Commerce Weather Reporting Station. 103.5 FM WMTY-FM The search for an FM frequency began in 1973. But, it was not until 1987 that the FCC rules permitted a second FM station in Greenwood.

WMTY-FM went on the air in 1989 with 3,000 watts, quickly raised Continued from page 19 A 1090 WMTY-AM WMTY, 1,000 watts daytime, went on the air in 1973, with a studio and transmitter on Burnett Road. The principles of United Community Enterprises, Inc. were John Y. Davenport and Wallace A. Mullinax, two Greenville broadcasters.

Davenport, a native of Greenwood, has since divested his interest. Mullinax is now president of the corporation. Greenville attorney Wallace A. Mullinax Jr. is vice president.

The call letters WMTY, were thought to be a good verbal sound when combined with the slogan "Mighty Ten-Ninety." WMTY was the first fully automated all-country music station in the state. Its news sources were the Mutual Broadcasting System, AP Wire and local news gathered by University of Georgia journalism graduate Harry Harrison. Space will not permit a listing of all the employees and their contributions to the station. However, General Manager Norman Wiseman's skills and commitment were monumental. Army-trained electronics technician Jerry Brysori was an important key to the successful operation of the automation system.

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