{"id":9822,"date":"2013-12-17T13:07:54","date_gmt":"2013-12-17T13:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rootsandrecall.com\/york-county-sc\/?post_type=buildings&p=9822"},"modified":"2023-12-07T19:21:12","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T19:21:12","slug":"4000-cureton-ferry","status":"publish","type":"buildings","link":"https:\/\/www.rootsandrecall.com\/york-county-sc\/buildings\/4000-cureton-ferry\/","title":{"rendered":"4000 Cureton Ferry – Simpson’s Store \/ Catawba Depot"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Nov. 29, 1888 the Rock Hill Herald reported – “Petitions have been forwarded to the PO Dept. to establish new PO on the 3C’s RR at Lesslie’s four miles east of Rock Hill and at Catawba Junction.” (This is the first time recorded that the name Catawba Junction was used in print to describe this place.)<\/p>\n

The Herald reported on March 7, 1917 – “Unable to withstand pressure from the raging waters of the Catawba River, six sections of the Southern Railway bridge at Catawba Junction were swept away today.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

City Directories and History<\/strong><\/span>:<\/strong> Simpson’s Store at Catawba was an important economic and social site in the 19th and 20th centuries.<\/p>\n

The Greenwood, Carolina and Northern railroad on May 5th 1887 announced via the Herald – “Mr. C.L. Hope of N.C., a contractor, visited the site for the new GC&N railroad bridge over the Catawba River near Cureton’s Ferry.\u00a0 He intends on bidding on the building of the abutments and pears.”<\/p>\n

On June 23, 1887 the Herald reported – “The 3C’s railroad crew was put to work grading the part of the line where it will cross the GC&N railroad.\u00a0 This will give them the right to determine how the lines will cross and will put an extra expense of the GC&N of either going under or over their line.” Later on July 21, 1887 the Herald further reported: “The chief engineers of the 3C’s rr and the GC&N rr meet recently at the point where the two railroads will cross near Cureton’s Ferry and settled the matter of how the crossing will be made. The GC&N will pass under the 3C’s railroad line. The cut of 18 feet deep will be made by the GC&N and the 3C’s will make an enbankment of about six feet in height.\u00a0 This will give a dept of 19 feet and removes the danger of an at grade crossing.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Oct. 10, 1888 – “On Sept. 28, the gin house of Mr. John B. Cornwell of Catawba Township burned.”<\/p>\n

The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Oct. 8, 1890 – “Dr. Hill has lumber on the ground for building a drugstore at Catawba Junction.”<\/p>\n

The Yorkville Enquirer reported on July 29, 1891 – “At Catawba Junction, Ms. Sally Wylie has had her home painted.\u00a0 Mr. H.M. Lineberger has had his residence completed and will move in within the next month.\u00a0 He is also completing a new livery and feed station.\u00a0 The cornerstone of the ARP church was laid last week and the building is expected to be ready in August.” Earlier the Herald reported on Feb. 12, 1885 – “Mr. H.M. Lineberger has contracted with Green and Darr to build a storeroom for merchandising.”<\/p>\n

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Faris Home at Catawba, S.C. also known as the Dunlap – Faris home. Courtesy of the WU Pettus Archives – 2023<\/p><\/div>\n

August 24, 1895: The Post Office at Catawba was broken into last Saturday night and robbed of about $3.50 in coppers, 75 cents in stamps and other articles. The same night the chicken roost of Mr. Sep Massey was visited by the same thief. – Rock Hill Herald<\/p>\n

March 16, 1896: Monday night fire destroyed the store occupied by J.M. Simpson at Catawba Junction. The building also housed the Post Office. Nothing was saved except the Post Office books. – Rock Hill Herald<\/p>\n

The RH Herald reported on Aug. 2, 1899 – “The state railroad commission states that the Seaboard Airline System will build a passenger station at Catawba Junction.”<\/p>\n

The Herald on April 1, 1903 reported – “The house of J.A. Allen near Catawba was destroyed Monday night by fire along with its contents.\u00a0 Mr. Allen is a poor man and hard working farmer and the loose will be heavy for him. There was no insurance.”\"\"<\/p>\n

The Yorkville Enquirer of Feb. 2, 1917 stated Mr. J.M. Simpson had the misfortune to lose his store to fire.<\/p>\n

November 29, 1929: W.B. Simpson, well known merchant and citizen of Catawba, has received the commission as Postmaster, succeeding J.H. Caldwell. – Rock Hill Herald<\/p>\n

On May 2, 1942 the Herald reported – “Mr. and Mrs. Charles Crosby have purchased the Plyler home at Catawba and are remodeling it prior to moving in.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mr. Paul Gettys contributed, “I received a phone call from Lurline Simpson Mears. She is the grand daughter\u00a0of Mr. Will Simpson who ran the store at Catawba Junction. Her father was W.L. Simpson, who worked for the railroad, and her mother was Adeline Williams, the sister of Wade Williams, of Rock Hill.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Courtesy<\/a>

Courtesy of the Pettus Archives (Azer Collection), at Winthrop Archives. *** The Catawba P.O. was operated by Postmaster, Mr. Jacob A. Hill from 1855-1857.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

She said she has a large collection of materials on Catawba…. She stated, she was a child when her family moved to Rock Hill. They lived on East Main Street near the Gettys house. She often visited her grandparents at Catawba. She remembers when the Roddey\/Gettys home burned in 1943. She was staying with the Glasscock girls in Lesslie. In the middle of the night the phone rang and Jack and Bob were called to help fight the fire. She could see the glow in the night from the fire. She also said, that Will Simpson would open the store on Sunday morning for people to get their mail and pick up their Observer. On his way to church, he would always drop an Observer off at the Gettys house, leaving it on the porch for John.”<\/em><\/p>\n

The Herald reported on April 16, 1898, “On Monday night fire destroyed the store occupied by J.M. Simpson at Catawba Junction, which also housed the post office. Nothing was saved but the post office books.”<\/p>\n

From the <\/span>Rock Hill Herald<\/span><\/i>, March 4, 1903:<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. H. C. Simpson, the well-known apiarian at Catawba Junction, was in town Monday and remembered to call and renew his subscription to <\/span>The Herald<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Simpson has been in the bee business since 1880 and has had a great deal of experience in that very interesting industry.\u00a0 He related as a peculiar circumstance the fact that last year he took from his 145 hives an average of 11 pounds from the stands, while the year before the average was 29 pounds, and in 1900 the average was 45 pounds.\u00a0 Last year was the lowest yield in ten, though not as small as he has known. The yield one season a number of years ago was only four pounds to the hive, while in another year he has received a return of as much as an average of 60.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Simpson thinks the conditions in winter has much to do with the yield of honey \u2013 he believes that a winter with long continued rains will affect vegetation so as to warrant a rich supply, and a dry winter the reverse effect.\u00a0 Though the weather conditions at time of flow of nectar has the greater influence, provided the winter weather has been favorable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Simpson sells nine tenths of his honey in Rock Hill.\u00a0 His greatest return was in 1900, when he received 4,000 pounds, and that was nearly all sold in Rock Hill at an average of about 11 \u00bc cents per pound.\u00a0 He is an enthusiast on the subject of bee culture and in this country is an authority on the subject.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“What I think of most is how the history of Catawba Junction has all but faded.<\/p>\n

\"View

View of an early 1852 route map showing the location of the Catawba Nation along the Catawba River. Courtesy of the AFLLC Collection.<\/p><\/div>\n

I spent the first six years of my life living there and then the next 30 visiting there but each visit become sad that it was disappearing. Of course my memories began at \u201cSimpson\u2019s Mercantile and Transfer Store\u201d operated first by Great Grandfather Henry Simpson and then my Grandfather William B. Simpson. The business centered around the general store and \u201crunning\u201d transfer of people from the Seaboard Railway Depot to Rock Hill in order to connect to Charlotte and points north to New York City. The Southern Railroad intersected but the 2 were not connected \u2013 that being mostly Rock Hill to Camden I believe (needs more clarification). There were at least 3 additional stores (7\/11 type): Ford\u2019s, J.T. Faris, and John Sparks. All sold gasoline out<\/p>\n

1903 – Train Schedules printed in the Yorkville Enquirer<\/p><\/div>\n

front, then candy, groceries, \u201cfeed\u201d. In the late 1920\u2019s, the U.S. Post Office was then located in Simpson\u2019s (previously I think in Caldwell\u2019s store but I don\u2019t remember anything about it since I wasn\u2019t alive. Joe Faris, currently of Catawba knows some of the history since his grandfather was owner of the Faris store which I believe he had moved to the back of his property. Sadly, as you know, on my last visit to Catawba in 2013, I was saddened to see the abandoned appearance of Simpson\u2019s Store which we sold in the 1970\u2019s and I lost track. There were a number of homes, families, a school and white & black churches there.\u00a0I only know of maybe four people who would be descendants of \u201cThe Junction\u201d who still live in or near Catawba, a few large homes being kept up but that\u2019s about it.<\/p>\n

As always, my interest has been in the above along with my family home i Rock Hill on East Main from 1942 \u2013 1984 and we have exchanged info on that.<\/p>\n

I recently enjoyed Herald article of Friedheim home on E. Main since my father took me to visit Mr. \u201cDolph\u201d (Friedheim) when he became ill. I remember thinking I needed to whisper:) Sophie F. Beers did a great job of recalling so much about the \u201cmuseum\u201d I always thought it was.”\u00a0Information written and contributed by – Lurline Simpson Umenhofer, 3.12.15<\/p>\n

The Herald reported on Nov. 29, 1888 that petitions have been forwarded to the Post Office Dept. in Washington for the establishment of post offices on the 3 CCC railroad at Lessley’s (Lesslie), four miles east of Rock Hill, and at Catawba Junction.<\/p>\n

The Herald reported on Jan. 17, 1889 – “That a post office has been established at Catawba Junction on the 3 CCC railroad. \u00a0The name of the office is Catawba. \u00a0Mrs. Sallie P. Wylie has been appointed postmaster. On Feb. 14th, the PO was opened for the first time.”<\/p>\n

The Herald reported on Feb. 21, 1889 – “Gaston and Williams, of Black’s are building a store house at Catawba Junction and expect to begin business this spring.” Also on April 25, 1889 – “Gaston and Williams has opened their new store with a nice line of good.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t