Christopher Lowry Kennedy (1872-1951) married May Belle McGill and they had one of the first formal wedding recorded in Sharon, SC. The paper did an extensive report on the wedding, wedding party and decorations. Chris Kennedy was one of the two Kennedy bothers who owned and operated Kennedy Brother’s Mercantile Store in downtown Sharon, SC. They had at one time been partners of the W.L. Hill. Also see, the Porter Kennedy home next door for additional information.
In 1921 Sharon was in need of a new postmaster but Washington delayed for weeks. Twelve applicants had taken the test but Washington continued their delay. Postmaster William B. Caldwell doubted any appointment would be made until Harding was inaugurated. He was correct. In September Robert Luther Plexico was appointed as acting postmaster and then appointed postmaster in October. He remained in that position until 24 June 1930 when Porter B. Kennedy was appointed. With his appointment the post office was elevated to a third class level and according to the rules it has to be relocated into a separate building The first “international” money order was purchased in July 1938 when Postmaster W. S. Gibson sold one for $76 to “Greek fruitier” Sam Poulos. The money order was sent to Sam’s brother who was living in Greece. It was said that Sam had “chopped off about eight-tenths of his Greek Name when he came to America.”
Christopher Lowry Kennedy and his brother, Porter B. Kennedy, because mercantile partners in 1889 with William L. Hill and purchased the business of Lowry, Starr, & Ross, the largest mercantile business in Sharon prior to the town’s charter. They soon built a frame building at the corner of York and Shannon and did a thriving business. The partnership was dissolved in 1908 with the Kennedy Brothers taking the shorter end of the stick. During the height of the partnership “Chris” Kennedy was married on 19 June 1904 to Mae Belle Sims at the Woodlawn Presbyterian Church. This perhaps of the town’s first stylish marriage with fourteen attendants. Jennie Cain Edward Ratchford Belle Plexico Arthur Whitesides Anna Faulkner H. W. Shannon Bessie Robinson Clarence Ratchford Hattie Gist Dr. Wm. Thomson Della Rhyne John S. Rainey Iola Byers Dr. Wm. Kennedy In 1911 the Kennedy Brothers purchased more than twenty thousand dollars in stock from their former stock and opened business in the Shannon-Hope Building.
The Kennedy Brother’s former partner in 1922 told R. G. Dunn, “The Kennedy Brothers whom you rate at F3 -½ are being carried by their creditors, with little prospect of them being in good shape again soon.” As for Hill, he had built a large 3 storied, brick building and was doing a thriving business in a twenty-five mile radius. Chris Kennedy was also the manager of the Sharon State Warehouse, owned by John L. Rainey, and reported there was only one bale of cotton from
the previous year’s crop left in the five hundred bale capacity warehouse. When the prices for cotton plummeted, farmers calculated it was not wise to hold their cotton for a rise in prices and pay warehouse fees. Kennedy was politically active having served on the town council, he was re-elected to the seat in 1925. Then it was discovered the town need a fourth councilman and another election was scheduled on 30 January i926. As the election was approaching Chris Kennedy, who had served several years resigned saying he had enough and went on to serve as Trustee of the local School Board. [Contribution by J.L. West]
Charles Overton Burruss, MD was born 5 November 1881 and came to Sharon to practice medicine from Fredericksburg, VA abt 1905 under the auspices of W. L. Hill. He boarded at the Byers Boarding House where he med the owners daughter, Margaret, to whom he was soon married. The built a large home next door to the Hills, adequate for a large family, but the couple remained forever childless. After the Burruss’ death the home was destroyed by fire in the 1980’s.
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