FRIGHTFUL FIRE IN ROCK HILL – In a letter from Rock Hill to the Yorkville Enquirer, June 10, 1878:
Since my last letter, our little, beautiful and thriving town has undergone the saddest change of its existence, owing to the fearful, frightful and most terrible conflagration which occurred on Monday night last,16 commending about 10 o’clock, the origin of which seems to have been beyond a reasonable doubt, to have been the careless and thoughtless act of a youth—that of leaving a burning kerosene lamp sitting upon his bed post. The flames were rapidly communicated from one building to another, as the houses were very close together. The house in which the first started, was the oldest on in the place—a relic of the past—erected when the place was but a forest.
The merchants who suffered a loss of houses and goods are J. M. Ivy & Co., Ivy & Fewell, J. R. London, Dr. T. C. Robertson, W. L. Roddey, J. C. Sharpe, H. V. Desportes, W. L. Roach, Hagins Bros., J. P. Caston, J. M. Howe & Co., and Wm. Mitchell & Co., many of whom saved a portion of their goods without much damage, and have arranged them in different small places still left, and exposed them to sale. Some of the goods thus saved were insured, and consequently, since the sad occurrence we have a corps of insurance agents among us___ (Yorkville Enquirer, June 13, 1878)
The Rock Hill Herald reported on April 7, 1881 – “W.L. Roddey and Co., moved their goods on Monday to Roddey’s Hall. The building from which these goods were taken will be moved a short distance adjacent the store of Mr. J.P. Caston. Capt. Roddey will soon begin the erection of a magnificent building on the site of the old store. On April 14th the paper reported, “the building lately occupied by W.L. Roddey and Co., has been moved and now adjoins the store of Mr. J.P. Caston. It was moved successfully without any damage. On May 12th, 1881 the paper further reported- “Mr. A. D. Holler, the contractor is getting ready to work on Capt. W.L. Roddey’s new brick building.” On May 26th the paper reported – “A large quantity of brick has been made and the foundation of the Roddey building is now complete. The walls will begin immediately.”
The Rock Hill Herald contained an ad on April 29, 1886 for J.P. Gaston who offered – “pianos and organs from the best makers. Pianos made by Chickering, Mason and Hamlin, and Mathuseuk. He also has organs by Mason and Hamlin and Bay State. His office is at Andrae’s Jewelry in Rock Hill and he has offices in Iron Station, Lincolnton, and Norwood, N.C.”
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