Anderson Oconee Pickens

College's History Display Chronicles Local Events, Occurrences Between 1684 and 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8/26/2005
CONTACT: DIANA WALTER, 646-1504
(By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON --- A first-of-its-kind history display chronicling many local events and occurrences between 1684 and 2004 was completed earlier this year and is located in the lobby of the library of Tri-County Technical College. Diana Walter, special assistant to the president, spent six months researching and compiling the information for the exhibit, titled Moments in Time. The project got its start from Tri-County President Ronnie Booth, a self-proclaimed history buff, whose desire was to offer students, faculty, staff and visitors to the campus a glimpse into the rich history of Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties. Thanks to the generous donations of a few individuals, and the research and hard work of Walter and other staff members, the exhibit is now a permanent part of the College.

Walter hopes faculty and staff, and especially students, will take the time to visit Moments in Time to get an appreciation of local people who may have gone unnoticed and the events of everyday life that impacted the area. "My hope is that the project will spur people’s interest to study more significant elements of local and State history," she added.

Walter began the project by searching through local antique stores for items to display. She soon discovered that local items are hard to come by and if they are available, they are expensive. She wanted the display items to meet two criteria: the items had to be identified from the area and had to represent different eras and aspects of everyday life.

She was able to purchase small items, such as a 1908 spelling textbook owned by a Tamassee resident and a McDougald Funeral Home fan (circa 1950s), but a majority of the memorabilia came from former College Library Director Caroline Mills and her family.

"We owe a debt of gratitude to Caroline and her family for the notable contributions they made to the College," added Walter.

Mills learned about the project when Walter was checking out local history books in Tri-County's library. Mills and her husband had been cleaning out a number of buildings on her grandparents' property, and she suggested that some of the items might be right for the display.

Several examples of the items Mills donated include:

• Handmade Valentine from 1815 that was given to Miss Lucynia Keys of Anderson by her future husband. The valentine, along with a note describing its history, were found in an envelope postmarked 1910.

• Civil War-era purse made by Jane Swain Norris Thompson of Anderson. Mrs. Thompson, who was born in 1820, made the thread and wove the cloth used to create the bag. When the purse was found, it contained a small spool of handmade thread and note telling of its origin.

• An original rigid-back movie theatre chair from the 1930's from the Seneca Theatre. Caroline donated the chair which was worn from age and years of storage. Through Tri-County's former Public Relations Director Bruce Cannon, Walter tracked down Kenneth Richardson, son of the owner of the theatre, who verified the chair came from the 1936 era. The chair was restored in 2005 for display.

Through research in local libraries and the Caroliniana Library in Columbia, as well as through materials provided by several members of the community, and research assistance from the Museum of Education at the University of South Carolina, Walter discovered a number of notable occurrences in the tri-counties' history:

• In 1866, Newberry College was relocated to Walhalla. It operated there until 1877 when the college moved back to Newberry. That same year Adger College for Males was established in Walhalla, occupying the buildings formerly used for Newberry College. Adger College closed around 1884.

• In 1884 two Anderson County women worked to establish the Walker McElmoyle Agricultural and Mechanical College. They created a trust and donated 120 acres of land in Anderson and Pickens counties on which they hoped the college would be built. A board of trustees was formed to raise funds and to oversee the operation of the college. The college was never established, but a board of trustees has continued through the decades and remains active today. In 1998 the trustees were successful in getting the will changed to use funds from the trust for college scholarships. One of the first scholarships awarded was to a Tri-County student.

• In 1887 the Anderson Cotton Mill became the first mill in the United States to operate using electricity, and Anderson Farmer Oliver Bolt became the first in the world to operate a cotton gin using long distance electricity.

• In 1899 Seneca Institute opened its doors to black youth in the Seneca area. In 1930, the school added two years of college to the grammar and high school curriculum and changed its name to Seneca Junior College. (The nearest black college at the time was in Atlanta.) In 1923 George Washington Carver, renowned agricultural researcher and educator, delivered an address at the school after having traveled there by train from Washington D.C. where he had met with the president. Seneca Junior College closed at the end of the 1939 school year.

• In 1898 one of the nation’s few railroads managed by women operated in Pickens County. The Pickens Doodle steam locomotive pulled cars forward to Easley and then pushed them backward to Pickens. (Locals called the train the Doodle because it resembled the doodlebug insect, which backs into its nest hole.) On its maiden run in 1898, the Doodle wrecked just west of Easley. Repairs were made and the Doodle continued to operate until 1905.

• In 1908 Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was born in Pickens County, got his famous moniker from a disgruntled Anderson fan during a game between the Anderson Electricians and the Greenville Brandon Mill team.

A resource booklet was produced to accompany the exhibit. "It lets people know in a concise way some of the phenomenal contributions of local people to our state and the county and the occurrences that helped shape our community," added Walter. Copies of the booklet are available in the exhibit area of the library.