Early 20th century postcard showing the McFadden Motor Co., as part of a promotional piece on Main Street. Courtesy of the AFLLC Collection – 2017 One of thousands of historic addresses – sites, in York County, to explore and enjoy on the pages of Roots and Recall!
1910 – Diagram of the Steele’s Mineral Water Bottling Works at 422 E. Black Street – “John Steele. Born July 18, 1783. Died August 21, 1865, in York District, S.C. Married on Dec. 24, 1807, to Margaret Barry. * John Steele‘s descendents in Rock Hill were numerous, well-known, and prominent in civic affairs. John Steele owned between 300 and 500 acres southwest of Rock Hill, on the road to Bethesda community. At the end of the nineteenth century, this land fell into the lands of a Rock Hill banker, R. Lee Kerr. In the first quarter of the twentieth century the land was acquired by E. L. Barnes, whose family owns the acreage today. It was also John Steele who acquired many hundreds of acres on the eastern fringes of Rock Hill. This tract included the famous Steele‘s tavern, or inn, called – “Traveler‘s Rest.” It also included the renowned Steele‘s Spring, which still flows today. The writer remembers older Rock Hill residents talking about Steele‘s Spring and its lithia water, which was bottled and sold widely by various men in the Steele family. It is too bad that the sites of the tavern and spring have not been marked for future generations.” Along The Land’s Ford Road – Vol. II, p. 39, Wm. B. White, 2008
Rock Hill architect and contractor, Julian Starr and his crew on the front of a project he recently completed in Union County, S.C.
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Tom Mills as a young African American entrepreneur in Rock Hill, S.C.
Pictured are Ruth Holler – Kimbrell, M.E. Kimbrell and Nell Pickett. Courtesy of the Kimbrell Collection, 2015
Ca. 1920 view of downtown Rock Hill as wagon and cotton are replaced with cars and fancy shops. Postcard collection – Allen.
The Rock Hill record of May 17, 1909 reported – “The foundation for the Friedheim home on East Main Street is being laid.”
The Arnold Friedheim home ca. 1940s. The Rock Hill Record reported on June 25, 1908 – “The home of Mr. Arnold Friedheim narrowly escaped destruction by fire on Monday evening.” The Record reported on July 30, 1908 – “Mr. Arnold Friedheim is making preparations to build a handsome home to replace the one destroyed by fire a short while ago. The new home will be much larger and have a basement.” On Aug. 6th, Mr. Friedheim is having the remains of his old home, which was practically destroyed by fire, torn down and will shortly begin the erection of a new home on the beautiful lot.”
Following the fall of the Confederate capital, Richmond, Va., President Jefferson Davis traveled south and spent one night at the home of John Springs and two days later passed the Russell house on his way to the Pinckneyville Ferry.
A shell of the once lovely home owned and cherished by both the community and the Rev. R.Y. Russell – 2013
The McConnell Family Cabin prior to moving to Historic Brattonsville for preservation. Image courtesy of the McConnells Family via the CHM.
1902 POSTAL – RAILROAD MAP SHOWING MCCONNELLS AS A WHISTLE STOP
A National Register district, image ca. 1979, showing North Congress Street. The Yorkville Enquirer contained an ad on May 10, 1893 for W.B. Moore and Co., offering coffins, caskets, and robes.
The Rock Hill Record reported on April 5, 1909 carried an article from the Yorkville Enquirer stating – “Ms. Rosa Lindsay will open a photography studio in Rock Hill. She will spend about half her time in Yorkville and half in Rock Hill. She has mastered ever detail of modern photography and has hundreds of pleased patrons in Yorkville and surrounding area.”
It was only natural that after the Charleston to Hamburg, South Carolina, railroad was a going thing that the Charleston promoters should look to a link to the north. So, they were not averse to lending an ear to ideas and saw fruitful advantages in meeting which was set for interested parties June 12, 1847, in Hibernian Hall, in Charleston.
Attending from Columbia were Robt. Latta, Col. Wade Hampton, Col. R. R. Goodwin, Dr. J. N. Parker, Dr. Edw. Sill, Jos. A. Black, James D. Tradewell, John Eryce, John S. Preston, James Martin, J. W. Bradley, B. Reilly, and J. F. Marshall.
Camden men were – W. K. Johnson, Col. W. J. Taylor, C. Matheson, J. R. Cureton, James R. McKain and C. J. Shannon. Chester’s representatives were – John A. Bradley, Jas. Pagan, and Samuel McAliley…… Later, it turned out, thtt Fairfield county’s representative that day would E. G. Palmer, who at that time was fighting for the route to Charlotte via Columbia.
Latta cotton shipping platform on East Liberty Street. Courtesy of the AFLLC Postcard Collection – 2017
Latta House as pictured in ca. 2014
The White – Rainey home originally had a handsome picket fence and fine English boxwood lining the front entrance.
Rainey House ca. 1950 by Eliz. Reed – Evening Herald
The Chester and Lenoir Railroad line was an attempt by York and other regional towns to have regular railroad service. It allowed large quantities of agricultural products to be shipped from the western areas of N.C. into the S.C. Railroad system and find the way to S.C. factors in Charleston, S.C. Printed in the Yorkville Enquirer newspaper, Oct. 31, 1895.
