The Yorkville Enquirer of March 3, 1870 reported – “We learned that engineers of the Airline Railroad Company were in the upper part of York County last week. The route proposed crosses the Broad River above Cherokee Ford. The road is already under construction near Atlanta and it will pass through Greenville and Spartanburg, with survey work having been done as far as Charlotte.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Aug. 4, 1870 – “A murder occurred at the Cherokee Ironworks several weeks ago. Ezekiel McAbee, who killed a colored man names Simon Lathan was tried at Spartanburg and found to be guilty. He is sentenced to be hung on Oct. 7th.”
From the Yorkville Enquirer, June 18, 1885
We report the death of Maj. Benjamin F. Briggs, who lived six miles northeast of Yorkville. He was born near Fairmount Waterworks in Philadelphia in 1819. His father was an architect and builder who in 1823 was engaged by the State of South Carolina to work on the locks connected with the State Canal near Beckhamville in Chester County. He lived nearby in Lancaster County for a few years, then moved to Columbia. There he built the first permanent bridge ever erected at Columbia over the Congaree River. He then superintended the construction of the iron furnace at the Cherokee Iron Works and moved to York County. He acquired an interest in the iron works and lived there until his death. His son Benjamin worked as a clerk in the store at the iron works and then began working at iron works in Gaston County on the property of All-Healing Springs. In 1863 it was sold to Garrett Brothers. He also, previous to the war, was engaged in other mining enterprises and for several years operated the Kings Mountain Gold Mine. He moved to Yorkville in 1855. In the war, he raised a company in North Carolina. After the war, he served as a York County Commissioner, was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1870, and later served as County Auditor. After 1887, he retired to his farm where he was a successful farmer.
The book Historic Canals & Waterways of South Carolina by Robert J. Kapsch (USC Press, 2010) mentions Benjamin Brigg’s father (page 100-101). In the discussion of the canals on the Catawba River, the Catawba Canal (also known as the Fishing Creek Canal) was the first of three constructions at the Great Falls area. The state Board of Public Works contracted for the construction of this canal in 1820. The contractors listed were Thomas and Briggs. “A contract
has been made with Messrs. Thomas and Briggs, who erected some of the locks on the Schuylkill, for the first section [Fishing Creek Canal] covering three miles and requiring six locks.” By 1821, about one and one-half miles had been completed. By the end of 1822, work was nearing completion. “There have been constructed on this canal five stone locks of the best materials and superior workmanship. The contractors are entitled to the highest credit for the skill and faithfulness with which they have executed this work.” (Quotes are from the yearly report of the Board of Public Works).
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The Yorkville Enquirer reported on March 11, 1880 – “The stock holders of the Kings Mt. Ironworks met to consider selling the property. They appointed a committee to sell 300 acres and the water power. It has been sold to Deal and Torrence, who propose to erect a cotton factory.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on March 3, 1881 – “J.A. Deal, Esq. has been to the North and has purchased the machinery for a cotton factory to be erected on the Broad River near Black’s Station and work will begin at once.”
The Yorkville Enquirer of May 12, 1881 reported – “The Cherokee Cotton Manf. Co., will be organized in connection of the name of J.A. Deal and Company. The mill will be on the Broad River where the old Kings Mt. Ironworks was located at the head of 99 Islands. They have graded a new road to the site and the brick building is under construction and will measure 100 ft by 50 feet.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Oct. 20, 1881 – “Bob Smith, a colored laborer in the employee of the Cherokee Manufacturing Company was hurt last week when hoisting a rock from the quarry. The rock fell and struck him in the side, breaking an arm and bruising him severally.
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Sept. 21, 1882 – “There will be a clerk’s sale for lands of the Kings Mountain Iron Company. Thomas J. Bell is the agent for creditors and John McGill and others are the defendants. A total of 53 parcels of land will be sold amounting of 5,900 acres.”
On Nov. 30, 1882 the Yorkville Enquirer reported – “The capacity of the Cherokee Cotton Mill has been increased to 5,000 spindles. It is under the management of Mr. J.A. Deal. It produces #20 yarn and there is a steady demand for its production.”
On Jan. 4, 1883 the YK Enquirer reported – “Mr. J.A. Deal has a large residence under construction at Black’s Station.”
On April 26, 1883 the YV Enquirer reported by the editor, who had attended a picnic at Cherokee Falls. “He inspected the factory buildings, tenement houses and store. He described the Broad River there which flows around the 99 Island. The factory is one the old site of the Cherokee Ironworks, one mile below Cherokee Ford. The site was purchased i n1881 by J.E. Deal and his partners J.W. Torrence of Mech. Co., N.C. and Alexander Latham of Charleston, S.C. who is now dead. The factory cost $80,000. and now has 4,500 spindles. On the site is the storehouse, a grist mill, a building used for church and school meetings, and twenty-five tenant houses. The main factory building measure 100-50ft and is three stories and runs parallel to the river. There are 45 workers, one of whom is colored. Population in the village is about 125. There are now eight stock holders and they pay the workers with checks payable at the store.”
On Jan. 29, 1885 the YK Enquirer reported – “Dr. Torrence of Gaffney has been elected as Pres. ,of the Cherokee Manf. Co., to fill the vacancy caused by the death of J.A. Deal, Esquire.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on May 19, 1887 – “A party of young men, consisting of Withers Adicks, Bob Steele, Ruff Parish, Bob Lindsay, Paul Bratton, and Sam Miller have gone to 99 Islands in the Broad River on a five day fishing excursion.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Feb. 20, 1889 – “A representative of the Cherokee Falls Manufacturing Co., visited, Clark’s Fork, and took 92 bales of cotton for the mill. This mill is situated on the Old Ironworks site on the Broad River.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Sept. 4, 1889 – “Work at the Cherokee Falls Cotton Factory has been suspended to allow for a change of water wheels. A new turbine wheel of 100 HP will be installed.”
City Directories and History: R&R has divided the 1939 SCDOT map of Cherokee County into (14) sectional maps. Many of the individually listed schools and churches
Image courtesy of the Moss – Cobb Collection – 2015.
shown on this section are pictured. However, in many cases, the individual site also has its own post on R&R, which often provides added information and image. Be wise and use the search function to locate all of the entries for this and other homeplace listings.
Click this link to view the original SCDOT maps of Cherokee County: SCDOT MAPS
Cherokee Falls was named after the Cherokee Indians, whose hunting grounds included this section of the state. The Post Office was located at the highest point along Broad River to be reached by flat-boats in South Carolina.
The Yorkville Enquirer of May 11, 1892 reported on the death of Mr. John B. Mintz. In 1840 as a young-man he went to the Hurricane Shoals ironwork in Spartanburg Co., as a laborer where he learned the business. He was later employed by the Cherokee Ford Ironworks as one of the bosses. He spent sometime as a farmer but in 1867, with the late J.A. Deal as partner, attempted to revive the manufacture of iron at the old Kings Mountain Ironwork’s on the Broad River where the Cherokee Falls Cotton Mills is now located. That work was soon abandoned.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Sept. 4, 1889 – “Work on the Cherokee Cotton Factory will be suspended for a week or two to allow a change in the water wheels. A new and larger turbine wheel of 100 HP will be installed.”
The YV Enquirer reported on Oct. 8, 1890 – “Several new building are under construction at Cherokee Falls. A new boarding house is being built near the old one. The new picker room is being added to the mill and an addition is being made to the Sec. and Treasurer’s house.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Feb. 18, 1891 – “A.N. Wood and R.G. Lipscomb of Gaffney City are running a saw mill near Gilkey’s Mountain and are making barrels using their machinery.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Oct., 21, 1891 – “The new building at Cherokee Falls will soon be ready for installing equipment. This will add spinning and weaving space for the plant.”
The Enquirer reported on May 11, 1892 – “The stockholders of the Cherokee Manufacturing Co., will hold their annual meeting tomorrow.”
The YV Enquirer reported on Aug. 4, 1892 – “The Cherokee Falls Manf. Co., is having the race below the mill enlarged and deepened to increase power at the plant.”
The Enquirer reported on Nov. 9, 1892 – “Mr. J.C. Plonk has resigned as Supt. of the Cherokee Cotton Mills and has accepted a position at the Swift Mills of Elberton, Ga.”
The Yorkville Enquirer on Oct. 4, 1893 reported, “the work on the Cherokee Falls race and dam is nearly completed and the mill resumed work several days ago.”
On Feb. 7, 1894 the paper reported – “The Cherokee Falls Man. Co., has added 100 looms to its machinery. The secretary and treas., is Mr. R.P. Roberts.”
The YV Enquirer reported on March 7, 1894 – “The CF Manf. Co., is now shipping both yarn and cloth from their mill. The yarn is being shipped to Philadelphia and other points and the cloth is being shipped to New York.”
The YV Enquirer reported on Sept. 19, 1894 – “The Cherokee Cotton Factory burned on Monday. The main building, all the machinery, and the manufactured goods were destroyed. The storeroom and warehouse were no burned. The mill was located about 3.5. miles South of Blacksburg and was the first cotton mill erected in York County. It commenced operations in 1881 with capital stock of $75k and two thousand four hundred and forty eight spindles. A serious drawback is that it was located at an inconvenient distance from rail transport. However, the mill was well managed and made money steadily. Several citizens of Yorkville were stockholders.”
The YV Enquirer reported on Nov. 28, 1894 – “Work is progressing on removing the burned machinery and debt at Cherokee Falls. Brick for the new mill is being made now and construction will begin soon. Mr. J.C. Plunk will be the construction supt., he previously built and managed the mill at Elberton, Georgia.”
The YC Enquirer reported on April 17, 1895 – “Mr. B.F. White of Kings Creek is furnishing the lumber required for the rebuilding of the Cherokee Cotton Mill. He also furnished all the lumber for the original mill.”
On May 31, 1895 the YV Enquirer reported – “New machinery has arrived at the CF’s Manf. Company. Two large Sampson Water Wheels were manufactured by the James Leffel Company of Springfield Ohio. The new building is about six feet higher than the old one.”
R&R HISTORY LINK: the Leffel Manf. Co…
The Yorkville Enquirer on May 11, 1906 reported that the annual meeting of the Cherokee Falls Manufacturing Company was held yesterday. This is one of the best equipped and most successful mills in S.C., and it reported a good profit this year.
The RH Record of Aug 26, 1907 – “A large hotel for the employees has just been completed at Ninety Nine Islands. It is a duplicate of the hotel built at Great Falls Station for the Southern Power Company.”
The RH Record reported on June 29, 1908 – “The 99 Island Project appears to be deserted. Work commenced by the Southern Power Co., about two years ago and stopped around the first of Nov. 1907. The company had spent about $500,00. The Hotel was completed and a few cottages, but now only caretakers are living there. The intentions of the Southern Power Co., are unclear. (Information taken from the Yorkville Enquirer)
The Rock Hill Record reported on Dec. 3, 1908 – “The Southern Power Company has secured rights and options along Fishing Creek and the Catawba River and will construct a third plant in the near future. (This is now known as the Nitrolee Dam). The Rocky Creek plant should be operational around March 1st. Flooding last summer washed away part of the work on that dam and opening has been delayed. Work will then move to 99 Islands, where 10% of development work has been completed. When finished there, work will be commenced at the Fishing Creek location on the Catawba River.
The RH Record also reported the Southern Power Co., has awarded a contract to Mr. B.H. Hardaway of Columbus, Ga., to build the dam at the 99 Island project. It is proposed to have eighteen thousand horsepower. The cost of the dam will be $650,000. and this will be the largest masonry structure in the South.”
The Rock Hill Record reported on Dec. 7, 1908 – “The Southeastern Lime and Cement Company of Charleston has sold four hundred thousand sacks of Portland cement to the Southern Power Company for the 99 Island plant.”
William Henry Drayton of Revolutionary War fame acquired much land in the area. Embodied within his holdings was the community’s most notable landmark, Draytonville Mountain, a boulder strewn eminence standing alone and overlooking the country for miles around. Prior to Drayton’s purchase much of the holdings had belonged to one Samuel Gilkey. The mountain and a lively little creek were first called Gilkey’s. One of the Gilkey family is supposedly buried on the mountain in an unmarked grave. The name of the mountain changed with the advent of the purchase by Drayton but the creek still bears the name Gilkey. Drayton operated formidable iron industries in the area. (Information from: Names in South Carolina by C.H. Neuffer, Published by the S.C. Dept. of English, USC)
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