The Yorkville Enquirer of March 25, 1886 – “Last Thursday the meat market of Roberts and Wallace was entered and 25 lbs of beef and 10 lbs of sausage was taken. The store is on Main Street. Ella Davies and Alonzo Hoffman have been arrested.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on July 22, 1935 – “The building of the new PO building in York is completed but has not yet been occupied. Post Master G.C. Cartwright stated that the furnishings were still being received and hoped to get the building open next week.”
City Directories and History: 1900 – York Post Office, 1908 – Ms. Maggie M. Moore, Postmaster, 1958 – Sanitary Barber Shop, John L. Marion, 1966 – Sanitary Barber Shop, John L. Marion
This historic building stands on one of the original lots laid out by Colonel William Hill when he planned Yorkville. This two-story building, reflective of Robert Mills design, displays simple symmetrical lines. Windows are 9/9 on the second floor. The “Moore House” was built in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, perhaps by Benjamin Chambers. He sold it to John Starr Moore in 1823 for $4,000. Moore died in 1860, leaving the property to his three sons. Remarkably for the chaotic times that followed the War Between the States, the house remained in the Moore family until 1937. John Starr Moore’s granddaughter, Miss Maggie Moore, was the last relative living here and supported herself by serving as Postmaster. The post office was located in the house. Frank Simrill, owner of an oil company then located next door, bought the property and converted it into a Chevrolet auto dealership, which greatly altered the downstairs and front structure. The woodwork and architectural
ornamentation in the upstairs are mostly original. The floors are heart pine.
An interesting detail is the Roman numeral windows. The windows are pegged and were evidently handmade to fit each space. To insure each was installed in the proper position, Roman numerals were carved in the frame of each. [Courtesy of the Yorkville Historical Society – 2002]
*** 1908 YCD listed J. Alex Bigger as clk at PO
Informative links: Federal Architecture
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Jan. 4, 1877 – “Mr. Leander Compton committed suicide a few days ago at the time of his death he was manager of the mill belonging to Major Julius Mills near Smith’s Turnout.”
The Rock Hill Record carried news from Edgemoor in its March 16, 1908 addition, it reported, “Edmond Moore, also known Edmond Eaves, died at Mrs. Robinson’s place. He was born in 1824 and was bought by Starr Moore of Yorkville at at the age of one year. He was later sold to Major Eaves of Chester when he was fifteen. He went to the Mexican War with Major Eaves and also in the Confederate army with Major Eaves. He was sent home from the war to run the (grist) mill at Fishing Creek, where Lando stands at present. He also ran a mill near Smith’s Turnout on the South Fork of Fishing Creek, for the late widow of Mr. Julius Mills. Edmond was a great mill and an honest and straight forward man. He turned his work over to his son, William, several years ago.”
YORKVILLE STOREKEEPERS
by Louise Pettus When Joseph Lyons, a Yorkville storekeeper, died in 1794 an inventory of his stock was made and filed with his estate papers. If Lyons’ business had a name it was not recorded but the contents would indicate that it was a cloth shop with a few notions thrown in. Lyons had on hand 43 yards of fustian, a sturdy twill made of cotton and flax and smaller amounts of cloth listed under various names such as cambelt, shaloon, Durant, thickset, plains, Calimanca, jeans, calico and broad cloth. There were handkerchiefs of flowered lawn, flowered muslin and Barcelona cloth. Four scarlet cloaks, 7 pairs of ladies shoes, 5 pairs of ladies colored gloves, 17 shawls, and wool hats completed the clothing offerings but Lyons also sold coarse combs, looking glasses, spurs, jacket buckles, needles (550 on hand), thimbles, tea spoons, fishing hooks (17 dozen) and mustard pots. Where did Lyons’ stock come from? Probably it was all imported. Once or twice a year, Lyon may have gone to Charleston and selected his wares from a wholesale merchant. If so, he then hired a shipper who brought the goods by boat up to Manchester landing near Stateburg, north of Sumter. At Stateburg, Lyon could hire a wagon or he might have stabled his own team and wagon there before going to Charleston. He would probably have gone to Camden, then up the
Camden to Salisbury highway and picked up the Steel Creek Road in northern Lancaster County that took him through Fort Mill township where he crossed the Catawba River on a ferry. The trip would have taken him about two weeks. David Leech, another Yorkville storekeeper, died in 1796, two years after Lyons. His inventory is extensive—10 pages long. Leech obviously catered to men although he had a few women’s clothes and some cloth on hand. Some of Leech’s stock: 2 jacoats (jackets), pinch back watch, pair of boot garters, 1 great coat, black silk stockings, 10 pair thread cotton stockings, silver monkey toy, 1 pocket pistol, crackers for a whip, silver plated spurs, striped silk and cotton jacoat, 72 pounds of gun powder, velveret breeches, leather umbrellas, cotton night caps, 1 green gin case with medicine, tea pots, and 2 volumes on Midwifery. Leech’s inventory indicates more wealth in the area than one would think possible in 1796. The cotton gin was invented only three years before and cotton plantations had not yet become the backbone of York County prosperity. Yorkville must have attracted trade from a rather wide area. There were only two other villages in the county, Pinckneyville in the western part of the county near the Broad River and Ebenezerville which was really no more than a crossroads. In 1822 a storekeeper named Edmund Chambers died. He left 166 acres of land in Pendleton County to 4 minor children and some unpaid store accounts. Benjamin Chambers, who was the York District Ordinary (Clerk of Court) and perhaps Edmund’s brother, submitted a “Memorandum of Articles sold to Young Ladies in the Female Academy” as part of the estate papers. The young ladies’ accounts with Chambers indicate some of the goods that he offered for sale. Miss Daniel bought $15.62 worth of goods in a three month period from Chambers. These items included drawing paper, satin, ribbon embossed paper, muslin, 40 pins, ribbon, ball of floss (embroidery thread), etc. Miss Childs obviously was constructing a notebook for herself when she purchased one and a half sheets of Morocco (leather), 2 inches of gold leaf and 6 inches of “plain old paper.” Miss Massey purchased a trunk lock for 12 and 1/2 cents and a paint box for $2.50. Miss Porter of Lancaster put “paist board”, India ink, an atlas, a lead line, set of copy plates and a list of bible questions on her account. Mrs. O’Bryan, a teacher at the Female Academy, purchased one pair of silver spectacles for $7 and a spectacle case for 25 cents. She also purchased an “ancient atlas” for 87 cents. Other than these few rare glimpses at the offerings of storekeepers as found in old court records, we must wait until the 1850s when the Yorkville newspapers begin to carry advertisements listing items arriving in the local stores to have an idea what York County people could purchase locally.
(Information courtesy of and from: YCGHS – The Quarterly Magazine)
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