Blairsville Community

City Directories and History: Blairsville is a rural community approximately halfway between Bullock’s Creek and Sharon, S.C. along Highway 49. The area had their own school and fine homes of prosperous farm families.

The Yorkville Enquirer of Aug. 5, 1878 reported – “The county commission will receive bids on Oct. 5th for building a bridge across Turkey Creek on the Pinckney Road about seven miles from Yorkville at Carroll’s Ford.”

The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Sept. 26, 1878 – “The Blairsville Steam Mill has recently been built by the Wells Brothers, millwrights of reputation, it is owned by Mr. Rainey.”

In 1883 the Blairsville Cornet Band was formed to represent the western part of York County under the direction of T. B. Herndon. The band had 11 members, 6 of them bearing Plexico as a surname, 4 Robinsons and William Lucas. They were frankly political, stating that their music was necessary to ensure a Democratic Party success in York County. They paraded the principal streets of Yorkville prior to elections. Banks From Post Reconstruction… L. Pettus, Articles

BLAIRSVILLE, A YORK COUNTY COMMUNITY (An unnamed correspondent of the Yorkville Enquirer wrote a letter to the newspaper on May 27, 1878 describing the village. We print excerpts and observe that Blairsville is no longer on York County maps— perhaps because it never had a railroad, the surefire route to growth in the late 19th century.) [Blairsville is]. .. noted as much for its antiquity as anything else; having its origin in a settlement made by Captain John Blair about the year 17%, half-way between the nine and ten-mile posts on the Union road, southwest of Yorkville. This is Blairsville proper; but since then she has spread over a much larger area, and almost every one that gets his mail out of Blairsville post-office, believes that the most interesting portion of the place is at his house and no where else. Therefore, we will not make any specific boundary, lest we might err and offend. We have any number of good-natured, healthy-looking inhabitants, most all of Irish descent; and this accounts for our health and fine spirits. We are not altogether temperate; but enough so considering our location—only one hour’s journey from Yorkville, with the Shelby road coming into our midst directly from Vance’s country of corn and wine.9 And this is so pure that it never causes a man to do worse than go squirrel hunting in a buggy. Farming seems to be uppermost in the minds of our people, as you can see many broad acres stretching far to the right and left…. Nor are we behind our sister villes in other pursuits adapted to the necessities of the human race. We have three steam engines—one of mammoth size—to do effective stationary work, earring a huge circular saw with the chisel tooth that never aches, and makes lumber of all kinds abundant and cheap. The others are of smaller capacity, suitable to move from house to house, to alleviate the labor of the husbandman in preparing his produce for immediate use and for marker. To all of which are attached grist mills of the different improved styles making the staff of life common to all who faithfully serve the curse of man’s disobedience. We have cotton gins, thrashing machines, sewing machines, blacksmith shops, wood shops and store-houses plentiful to lighten the distended purse and send the customer on his way, rejoicing over the panic in prices. We have two shoe and boot shops, with as good workmen in this line as the State affords—both excellent performers on the violin, and can and will stock cradles of all kinds—grain cradles, of course. Here we are also blessed with a sufficiency of skillful medical talent, one Doctor of Divinity, and a specialty in Elders. So, if we go untreated, either physically or spiritually, it will be sheer negligence of our own—not of the locality. …  (Information courtesy of and from: YCGHS – The Quarterly Magazine, June 2000)

*** The Blairsville PO was operated by John Blair, Postmaster) from 1815 – 1848. Operated later by both David T. Barratt and Lawson Jenkins as Postmasters. (S.C. Postal History by H.S. Teal, 1989)

Open the MORE INFORMATION link (found under the primary picture), to view an enlargeable, 1896 Postal Map of York County, S.C.

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.