From the Yorkville Enquirer, March 2, 1892
Blacksburg held a celebration for the town and honored the original settlers of the community, first known as “Black’s Station.” In 1876, just after the completion of the Charlotte & Atlanta Air Line Railroad, there were 12 houses, 3 stores, a freight depot, a saw mill and a population of about 60.
Today, there are 7 churches, 2 schools with 324 pupils, 240 houses, 32 stores, 2 barbers, a livery, a market, 2 blacksmiths, a machine shop, a foundry, a sash and door factory, a planning and wood working mill, 2 ginneries, 2 grist mills, 2 saw mills, a spring hand factory, a tin shop, 2 shoe and harness shops, a barytic mill, a brick yard, 4 hotels, the machine shops and offices of the 3C Railroad, the Sulphuric Acid Mining & Manufacturing Company, the Magnetic Iron & Steel Ore Company, the Blacksburg Land & Improvement Company and 2 savings and loan associations.
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on July 27, 1887 – “The airline railroad will erect a new depot soon. The old depot is to small and dilapidated. The new standard design is commodious and artistic building.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on Sept. 22, 1887 – “At Black’s Station, the 3 C’s railroad tracts will pass under the Airline railroad, which will cross on an iron bridge. There will be a three story Union depot with the 3 C’s on the first floor, the Airline on the second, and the third for further uses. A freight depot and cotton platform will be nearby.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on Dec. 20, 1888 – “The last rail of the 3C’s Railroad was laid at Black’s last Saturday morning. The road will be open for passenger traffic next week.”
City Directories and History: The Blacksburg Freight Depot was originally built in the early 1880’s. However, due to several fires, the building was rebuilt around 1908. This particular depot lasted until the mid 1980’s. Historically, Blacksburg was known as a repair and maintenance station of the railroad. Mr. Mck. Albergotti was for years the railroad manager at this location.
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on May 1, 1879 – “New enterprises in Black’s Station include: the blacksmith shop of J.M. Biggerstaff, the boot and shoe shop of Z.P. Moore, the barber shop of Albert Deadmon, and the new hotel near the Depot which will soon be completed.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Oct. 18, 1883 – “In the news from Blacks Station new residences are being built for J.A. Deal, J.A. Abernathy, John Keetee, and A.B. Crosby. Soon to begin building houses are Dr. T.B. Whitesides and Dr. R.R Darwin. Business houses underway include: a grocery for D.C. McKinney, and a saddle-harness and furniture shop for Wm. S. Wilkerson.”
In December of the same year, 1883, western York saw another band formed—the Hoodtown Silver Cornet Band under Capt. S. S. Plexico. The band had 10 members, two of them just boys. Robert Lee Hood, 6, played the drum and Henry Hood, 12, played first E flat cornet. The Hoodtown’s first concert involved a parade from Black’s Station to the top of Whitaker’s Mountain where a newly-built observatory was unveiled. This was before the Blacksburg area was cut away (1897) from York county to become a part of newly-created Cherokee county. Article written by L. Pettus on Bands from Post-Reconstruction…Courtesy of the Pettus Collection
The Rock Hill Herald reported on Dec. 3, 1885 – “A corps of engineers in the employee of the Mass. and Southern Construction Company has been camped at Black’s Station to begin survey work for the 3C’s Railroad from here to Yorkville.” On Feb. 4, 1886 the paper further reported – “Construction is underway at Black’s Station for the 3C’s railroad. Mr. P.P. Dickinson has the main contract and has sup-contracted with Kirby and Colton for the section from Shelby to Black’s Station. They have 75 hands at work.”
The Herald reported on Jan. 3, 1889 – “The first regular passenger train on the 3 CCC Railroad went through Blacksburg on Thursday of last week. When the train arrived, it was greeted with a large concourse of people, bands, and the bursting of fireworks. All trains now run regularly from Camden to Blacksburg, at which point passengers can connect to the airline railroad for Shelby and Rutherforton. This has brought the remotest sections of the county together.”
On July 3, 1889 the Yorkville Enquirer reported – “The iron bridge of the Airline Railroad over the 3 C’s railroad was place into operation last week.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Sept. 11, 1889 – “Major Jones is having a large building erected for use by the 3 C’s RR as a general repair shop. Mr. Broad Gaines is the painter for the building.”
The YV Enquirer reported on May 17, 1893 – “Norcross, Green, and Mercer have begun the erection of a factory near the junction of the 3 C’s railroad and the RND railroad. The building will be 150 ft., long and the machinery is ready to be installed.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on March 13, 1894 – “The decision has been made to locate the machine shops of the CCC Railroad at Blacksburg. The necessary buildings will be erected and a force of 25 skilled mechanics will be employed. General John T. Wilder, V.P. of the railroad was in Blacksburg and visited local industries, including the Magnetic Iron and Steel Ore Mining Company, the ruins of the Cherokee Ironworks, the Kings Mount Iron Co., rolling mill site, and the Manganese Beds. *** The YV Enquirer reported on April 10, 1889 – “Gen. J.T. Wilder has purchased land on the 3 C’s Railroad in Blacksburg for a foundry and machine shop. He already has $40,000. worth of machinery and tools.”
The Yorkville Enquirer of June 17, 1891 – “The Standard Oil Company is finishing a very substantial warehouse near the R&D Freight Depot.”
The YV Enquirer reported on March 23, 1892 – “Mr. Thomas Earl of Indianapolis has bought a lot near the 3CCC railroad shop and intends to move to Blacksburg.”
On June 6, 1894 the Yorkville Enquirer reported, “Mr. Norcross, who purchased the Goforth property at the corner of Carolina and Academy streets, has transformed the plain building into a beautiful cottage and occupied it last week.” On June 27, 1894 the paper also reported, “The Richmond and Danville Railroad is enlarging the platform and building an office. Blacksburg will be the headquarters for all work done on the railroad between Charlotte and Central.”
The Rock Hill Record reported on Oct. 12, 1908 – “A new depot at Blacksburg is to be erected. The old depot and baggage room have been moved. The new Southern Depot will be twice as large.”
Blacksburg was also a product of the railway. The Black family had long lived in the vicinity of the present day town. They were the descendants of Joseph Black who as a boy, had migrated with his family from Pennsylvania. One of these was John Logan Black, a graduate of West Point, who was of much assistance to those responsible for the construction of the railroad, using his skills as an engineer to help solve the problems of grading the road bed in these rolling hills. Thus the station was dubbed Black’s Station by the officials of the Railroad.
The area abounded with minerals and was widely known as the Iron District. Many furnaces supplied the raw pig iron to the finishing mills where highly prized products were produced furnishing employment for the inhabitants in fairly large numbers. Some of these iron works were present prior to the Revolutionary War and the number grew and enjoyed prosperity until the advent of the Civil War. The burden placed on them to produce war materials for the South was tremendous and factors such as overuse, inability to obtain worn out parts for the machinery, the resulting ruined economy and almost complete consumption of hardwood necessary to the making of charcoal vital to the firing of the furnaces were all responsible for the demise of this formerly thriving industry. This was not to keep the economy at a low ebb for very long for many men of vision and ambition soon began to establish various types of industries and businesses. Principal among these were the manufacture of cotton products, a crop native to the area and easily obtainable. Later diversification of industry on a large scale has served to retain a healthy and growing economy. Need-less to say many communities in Cherokee County derived their names from biblical locations, Macedonia, Mt. Paron, Corinth, Antioch, Rehoboth, Mt. Ararat and others. Some of these will be further dealt with in that they have historical significance.
(Information from: Names in South Carolina by C.H. Neuffer, Published by the S.C. Dept. of English, USC)
Stay Connected
Explore history, houses, and stories across S.C. Your membership provides you with updates on regional topics, information on historic research, preservation, and monthly feature articles. But remember R&R wants to hear from you and assist in preserving your own family genealogy and memorabilia.
Visit the Southern Queries – Forum to receive assistance in answering questions, discuss genealogy, and enjoy exploring preservation topics with other members. Also listed are several history and genealogical researchers for hire.
User comments welcome — post at the bottom of this page.
Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.
Do you have information to share and preserve? Family, school, church, or other older photos and stories are welcome. Send them digitally through the “Share Your Story” link, so they too might be posted on Roots and Recall.
Thanks!