The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Feb. 3, 1876 – “Mr. J.F. Atkinson has opened a store at Lewisville in Chester County. He will keep a general assortment of goods.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on March 21, 1878 – “The Directors and friends of the Chester and Cheraw RR company, led by Pres. W.H. Hardin, Esq., enjoyed a ride to Rich Hill. The run took about an hour. The store of Barber and Drennon is the headquarters of the town. The partnership of Moffet and Atkinson have erected a storehouse but do not plan to open until the fall. Rich Hill has a Masonic Lodge. It is the present terminus of the railroad, but the line hopes to extend to Fishing Creek about five miles from Rich Hill.”
The Yorkville Enquirer noted on June 5, 1879 – “Married on the 29th, L.H. Dye of Chester Co. and Miss F.E. Sutton, daughter of the late J. Leroy Sutton of York County.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Jan .30, 1880 – “A friend made the trip on the Cheraw and Chester railroad to our neighboring town, Rich Hill or as it is now called Richburg.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on Jan. 17, 1884 – “Mr. George C. Gill and family have moved from Rock Hill to Richburg. Mr. Gill will go into the mercantile business.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on March 6, 1884 – “A fire at the Depot at Richburg destroyed the building and 15 bales of cotton belonging to Mr. O.S. Barber and Charlie Nunnery. A lot of machinery going to Mr. Barber’s factory was also burned.”
The Herald reported on April 3, 1917 – “Mr. William Reid’s home near Richburg was destroyed by fire.”
City Directories and History: The historic Richburg Depot, serving the Lancaster and Chester Railroad (L and C Railroad) , was originally located along the railroad parallel with Park Avenue. The depot was demolished in the 1960’s. In 2012, the Town of Richburg maintains their tennis courts at the location at the corner of Broad and Park.
The Rock Hill Herald reported on April 1, 1903 – “Lightning struck the house of Mr. Andrew Peden near Richburg. It demolished the chimney and mantle and a clock was thrown across the room.”
The Rock Hill Record reported on Dec. 3, 1908 – “A fire began yesterday morning in two hundred bales of cotton on the platform of the L&C railroad in Richburg. The fire spread to the building housing the passenger and freight departments of the railroad station. Then it spread to the Farmer’s Wholesale Grocery Company, to seed houses, the ginnery at Farmer’s Wholesale and three freight cars.”
The Record reported on Dec. 28, 1908 – “Mr. J.S. Starr has the contract for rebuilding the Depot at Richburg, which was burned recently.”
The RH Record reported on July 19, 1909 – “The Richburg Telephone Co., has been created with capital of $500. Petitioners for the state commission are R.H. Ferguson, J.P. Young, and J.O. Barber.”
THE ROAD TO RICHBURG by Arthur S. Lynn – October 19, 1986
The first house on the left was the Marion home which burned, later Ike and Mattie Hollis Hicklin built their home there, next the Presbyterian manse (now where Barney and Jean Nichols live); farther down, the home of Shaw Simpson, next door was the John McCrorey home. Beside the McCrorey home was the Jamie Drennan home which burned, beside it the Nelson McWaters home, then the home of Dr. Clawson, next the Blair Millen, then the Robert Anderson home.
Now we start back on the right coming into town – first was the gin house belonging to the Reid brothers and J. O. Barber. The first home on the right was the Robert Polk, next door the John Mize house, then the home of Francis Simpson, next the Methodist parsonage. Next was the Blaney home and the Joe Anderson home. Now we turn left on the street beside the railroad at Clawson’s Garage, then the home of Jake Clawson, next the Major Dye home. Also on that street was the home of Bessie Hicklin and Albert Orr. In front of the Dye home was the main street – on the left, the Anderson store, behind that the Julie Hardin house, next the two story store of Drennan and Gill, next the telephone office, next the post office, back off the street was Francis Simpson’s grist mill and shop. Around the corner on the left side of Lancaster St. was the J. R. Hicklin place, across the street on the right was the Banks Gladden place, then on down to the Methodist Church and Dr. DeKalb Wylie’s home. On the lot beside the Wylie home, the Chatauqua put up their tent each year and large crowds came from all over the county for this.
Now we come back on the right side of Main St. from the L & C depot. The first building on your right was the Robert Anderson and Banks Gladden store and livery stable, beside it was Dr. Septimus Jordan’s drugstore where you could get a coke and ice cream served in a silver dish with a silver spoon, next was Mr. Major Dye’s fancy grocery store, then the James Drennan, Jr. store. Behind the store on the corner was the Masonic Lodge, then the Marion home where Marty Marion of the St. Louis Cardinals was born, later home of Dr. Jordan.
On the corner across from the Jordan home was the Osborne Barber or Jay Barber home. In front of the Barber home was the Presbyterian Church which was destroyed by lightening in the 1940s. Beside the church was the home of Francis Gale and on the corner before you got to the church was the Will Reid and Henry Melton store. On the right beside the store was the home of Henry McFadden, then the two-story Gill house, next the Newton Hudson (Roper) house, next the Gregg Roddey home and P. F. and Jane Sponholtz house. I probably left some out, but it has been so long ago. (Information courtesy of and from: CDGHS Magazine)
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