The Rock Hill Herald reported on June 30, 1887 – “There was a tragedy at the Valley Falls Cotton Factory, located five miles above Spartanburg. George S. Turner, the prop. of the factory, got into a dispute with an employee, a German man who came to the factory from Illinois, last fall. Several hours later, Turner shot him with a shotgun, killing him instantly.” Later on Oct. 26, 1887 the paper also reported – “Geo. S. Turner, owner of the Valley Falls Cotton Factory, has been found guilty of the murder of an employee named Metzkie. Turner was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary but is now out on bail and appeal.”
City Directories and History: “Valley Falls on Lawson’s Fork Creek was formerly called Lola, named for the textile plant there. It was later called Martel Mills.”
Courtesy of the Davie Beard Postcard Collection – 2017
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!
