The Gaffney Ledger from Gaffney, South Carolina • Page 30

Page 8 GONE Irene Park, built in the early 1900s by H.D. Wheat, was a popular Icoation for spedning hot summer afternons. It was named after Wheat's daughter. A baseball field behind the county swimming pool on Logan Street now occupies the lake area. Continued from Page 7 Relief Association there as well.

Cannon balls and shell cases were made at Leo's Foundry near the Springs and the South Carolina Manufacturing Company turned out bolts, shot, shells, and even four-pound cannon. A leadmine was opened during the war on Limestone Creek, and the lead from it was cast into bullets, sometimes in old soap-stone bullet molds dating back to the Revolution. The students at Limestone Springs High School under President William Curtis were active in knitting and sewing for the soldiers, in participating in patriotic gatherings, such as those held on Cowpens battleground on the anniversary of that battle, and in giving benefit performances of plays and concerts to raise money for soldiers' aid. When the threat of deserters and Union sympathizers from the mountains became noticeable in 1863, the ablebodied men and boys of the area organized into "Home Guards" for the remainder of the war. In November 1864, this group saw its only major action when it chased a group of marauders across the line into North Carolina, only to lose them in the Polk County mountains.

The Reconstruction period following the Civil War was low period in the history of the entire state. The Cherokee County area, having fewer slaves before the war than the lower part of the state, suffered less in this regard, but the loss of investments in Confederate and' state bonds, the loss of men, the decline of the iron industry and the general economic disaster following the war resulted in a very confused period. Most of the veterans returned to their farms, or else migrated to more prosperous areas. The major event of the 1870s, at least as far as Gaffney was concerned, was the coming of the railroad. Though a railroad had reached Spartanburg from Columbia before the Civil War, there had been no railroad in what is now Cherokee County until the completion of the "Richmond and Atlanta Airline" in 1873.

A station was made near Gaffney's Tavern, and another at "Black's Station," a location that had formerly been known as Stark's Folly, and later became Blacksburg. When the railroad came, Limestone Springs was still the post office and market place of the Gaffney area. There was a hotel there, several stores, and some 20 or more homes, besides cottages for rent to summer visitors, Nathan Lipscomb ran the largest store at the Springs, The school run by Dr. Curtis had been forced to close by 1871, due to the lack of students and the general economic upheaval, but a "day school" was still in operation there. The railroad station was more than a mile from the Springs, however, and Limestone Springs soon gave way to Gaffney city as the "metropolis of the area.

In the fall of 1873, the town of Gaffney was la'd off, according to plans drawn by Tillman Gaines, and lots in the new town were sold by auction. Buford Street was planned to be the main street, but location of the railroad station attracted most of the early business enterprises to North Limestone Street. Gaffney's first city government was elected in 1874, and consisted of John R. Webster, intendent or mayor, and T. Davenport, Nathan Lipscomb, R.M.

Gaffney and B.K. Humphries, councilmen. The town grew slowly at first, but more rapidly in the 1880s and 1890s. In 1880 the population was 400; in 1890, and in 1900, 3,937. The movement toward the development of a county around the new town of Gaffney began soon after the town itself was established.

in 1882, the Gaffney Town council passed a resolution calling for a new county, but nothing came of it. In 1896, after the new state constitution had made the formation of new counties a little easier, and after Benjamin R. Tillman as governor and senator had favored new counties, the successful movement for the new county began. A bill was introduced in the legislature calling for local elections to be held favoring or opposing the new county, and these were held in the townships of Spartanburg, Union and York counties that were nearest Gaffney. The vote in favor of the new county was in the majority in Limestone and White Plains townships in Spartanburg: in Draytonville and Gowdeysville townships in Union; and in Cherokee township in York.

The new county had a territory of 373 miles, and a population, according to the census of 1900, of 21,359. At the time of the formation of Cherokee, John C. Black of Blacksburg was a state senator from York County; Calvin Whisonant of Wilkinsville, was state representative from Union; and W.A. Austell of Gaffney was representative from Spartanburg County. At the elections of 1898, William Jefferies was Cherokee County's first elected state senator; J.B.

Ross was elected sheriff, Jim Jones, county treasurer; J.E. Webster, probate judge; and N. Lipscomb, county supervisor. At that time, A.N. Wood was mayor of Gaffney, and J.A.

Carroll, R.A. Jones and L. Baker were town councilmen. In 1921, by act of the legislature, an area of two square miles was transferred from York to Cherokee, making the present area of the latter 375 square miles. The coming of railroads to the county, also brought a rebirth in industry, this time centered around textiles rather than iron.

In 1882, the first cotton mill in Cherokee County, the Cherokee Falls Manufacturing Company, was established at the site of the old iron works. It had many ups and downs, including a disastrous fire in its early days, but in 1888 it had 8,000 spindles in operation and in 1914, 28,000. The Gaffney Manufacturing Company was founded in 1892, followed by Limestone Mills in 1900, and the Hamrick Mills in 1908. The Victor Cotton Seed Oil Company was founded in 1899, and a Continued on Page 8. FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2004 New edition of book lists 4,500 names in Gaffney family tree By CHRISTINA CORRELL GRIGGS Ledger Staff Writer Local author and historian Dr.

Bobby Moss has completed the third edition of the Journal of Michael Gaffney. The new edition includes a tremendously improved and expanded genealogy of the descendents of Michael Gaffney, the Irishman who is credited with founding Gaffney. Approximately 4,500 names are included in the new genealogy along with the birth, death and marriage dates of the descendants. That's more than twice the number that were published in the second edition of the book in 1980. In the introduction to the new edition, Moss thanks the very dedicated group of volunteers who helped him expand and edit the Gaffney family tree.

The researchers, whom Moss said wished to not be identified, volunteered a total of 1,742 hours to compile the genealogical history of the Gaffney descendants. is their gift to the community as their part in the bicentennial celebration of the founding of Gaffney, S.C., by Michael Gaffney," Moss said. Moss said the genealogical research yielded some pleasant surprises such as the discovery that many descendants of Gaffney have held very high posts in the federal government. there are very many people here in Cherokee County who I had no idea were related to Michael Gaffney," Moss noted. The entire text of Gaffney's diary is presented in the book along with detailed footnotes.

The diary chronicles Gaffney's journey from Granard Ireland, to New York City, where he landed in October of 1797, his adventures in New York, his journey to Charleston and how he came to settle the backcountry of South Carolina. The journal gives the reader a glimpse of the new peoples and customs Gaffney encountered during his travels and ends just before he marries his wife, Polly, in 1803. The new edition of The Journal of Michael Gaffney does not contain any journal entries or footnotes that were not included in previous editions. As in earlier editions of the book, the new edition will contain two business journals. The business journals Dare a compilation of financial transactions, recipes and folk remedies as recorded by Michael Gaffney and his son, William G.

Gaffney. There were also children's drawings and scribbles on several pages of the original business journals, which Moss has in sluded copies of in his book for the reader's interest. Reproductions el several photogruphs, including one signed by John C. Calhoun, and more are included in die hook. The new 178-page edition is being printed on acid free paper.

It will be a hard bound, sewn book that is slip bound to preserve the beauty of its covers. Bookcrafter of Chelsea, is publishing the book. "It will. last almost forever," Moss said. "I am very pleased with it." The book is expected 1 to be ready for distribution in late May or early June.

Moss will start taking advanced orders for the book at a reduced price on Saturday, May 1 at "The Big Mill Event." This event is being sponsored by the Gaffney Bicentennial Commission and will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m in downtown Gaffney. Moss, a retired professor of history from Limestone College, started researching Michael Gaffney in 1968 and published the first edition of The Journal of Michael Gaffney in 1970..