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 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.”
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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