The Yorkville Enquirer of Feb. 20, 1889 – “The Wilson and Summerton Railroad opened for business on Feb. 13. It runs from Wilson’s Mill on the Central Railroad to a point near Summerton, a distance of 13 miles.”
City Directories and History: R&R has divided the 1938 SCDOT map of Clarendon County into (26) sectional maps. Many of the individually listed schools and churches 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 on this link to view the original SCDOT maps at: ClarendonCoSCDOT.
If I am to use the Northwestern railroad as a guide line, it becomes necessary to explain the connection between St Paul and Summerton, both stations on this railroad. As Summerton was in a more direct line between Sumter and Wilson’s Mill, St. Paul formed a kind of shuttle station. The train going from Sumter south branched off a few miles before getting to Summerton and went to St. Paul. The train would back up to where the branch road entered and then go forward to Summerton. For this reason I am taking up next a large plantation below St. Paul, which probably shipped enough cotton bales to furnish the bulk of the freight loaded at this point.
In my hunt for the origin for St. Paul, I was fortunate to establish that of Silver also, the station between Paxville and Summerton, or Paxville and St. Paul—whichever branch you wish to consider. Mrs. W. T. Briggs, Sr., probably the oldest resident of that neighborhood, told me that Silver was named for a Mr. Silver who had laid the tracks of the railroad. Paxville, the station between Tindal and Silver.
Image of fine old home at Paxville. Courtesy of photographer Ann L. Helms – 2018
Paxville, which is nine miles southwest of Manning, lays claim to being the oldest town in Clarendon County. The first post office was named Packsville for the large Pack family which settled there. Joseph Pack was granted 10,000 acres of woodland in this locality by King George III of England. When Packsville was only a community, mail was delivered twice a week by pony express. In 1889 a railroad came through, bringing daily mail, much of which was sent by mistake to Parksville, another South Carolina town. While the Rev. J. D. Huggins was pastor of the Packsville Baptist Church, a sad incident occurred. Every year at Christmas the Church had a party with a Christmas tree and gifts for all the children in the community. This particular year a gift for each child had been ordered in ample time for it to arrive before the “Big Day.” Much to the consternation of the Pastor and others planning the event, there were no gifts.
to on Edisto Island one Easter. Late that Saturday night I found the Easter egg dye had been left in Manning, and we had six little boys waiting for the Bunny Rabbit to bring their eggs the next morning! It was later learned that the box of gifts had been mis-sent to Parksville. In about 1902 the Reverend Huggins recommended that the name be changed to Paxville. He explained that pax means peace and ville means village, and Packsville was a peaceful village.
(Information from: Names in South Carolina by C.H. Neuffer, Published by the S.C. Dept. of English, USC)
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