Travelers Rest

By Travelers Rest Historical Society

The little town in upstate South Carolina, embraced by nearby Paris Mountain and the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is intriguing by its name alone, Travelers Rest. It sits at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, yet it is only a half-day s journey from the Atlantic Ocean. This village has always been a place where travelers stopped. Situated on a crossroad of Cherokee trade trails, it became a rest stop for drovers moving their livestock over the mountains. Inns and rest camps developed, and the town of Travelers Rest grew around them. Scots-Irish settled the former Cherokee lands, and patriots were ceded land for Revolutionary War service. In 1887, the new railroad afforded access to factories and markets and improved transportation for tourists. Travelers Rest is proud of its history and eagerly looks forward to a thriving future built on a solid foundation of education, commerce, and community activities.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Mar 21, 2011
• ISBN: 9781439640715

Travelers Rest Historical Society

To help tell the story of our town, the Travelers Rest Historical Society, established in 2008, selected images from its collection, which is composed of donated photographs from local citizens.

Book preview

Seigler.

INTRODUCTION

Nestled within the rolling hills of the northwestern corner of South Carolina at the junction of two main roads leading to North Carolina is a small town known for its beautiful mountain scenery and hometown feeling. The little city abounds in historic wealth that has left its mark on generations of people who have lived here as well as on transplants who have sought real Southern comfort. Once used as a stopping point for cattle drovers coming from Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee to areas in lower South Carolina and Georgia, the community received the name Travelers Rest. Originally, the name of the town was spelled Travellers Rest. Then for a number of years, the two versions of the name were used interchangeably until the mid-1940s, when postmaster William F. Griffin officially changed the spelling on the postal cancellation stamp to Travelers Rest.

The town was built on land that was long considered the domain of the Cherokee Indians, and their artifacts can still be found throughout the area. The Cherokees were extremely proficient in cultivating, harvesting thousands of bushels of corn, creating their own alphabet, and trapping deer. It is said that the deer hides were shipped around the world and that some were used in clothing for Napoleon himself. In 1776, a treaty was signed between the governor of South Carolina and the Cherokee chiefs giving Carolinians control of the land. By 1780, many of the Cherokees had left the area.

The town has always been populated with people of daring character and resolve. During the Revolutionary War, a young girl named Dicey Langston helped save the lives of many patriots in the battle for independence. She married one of the early settlers, Thomas Springfield, and they made their home in Travelers Rest. A memorial to her can be seen at the original homestead. Many have claimed that Travelers Rest is home to some of the most hard-working, independent, patriotic people, and that is in no small thanks to the forefathers who founded the town. Family ties were strong, and religion was held to the highest level, which made Travelers Rest a wonderful place to experience true Southern hospitality.

Travelers Rest was once considered a resort location. Many people traveled for days from the Lowcountry via stagecoach to escape the hustle, bustle, and sweltering heat of the lower cities. Homeowners opened their doors and welcomed travelers who were either in search of healing mineral waters near Caesar’s Head or just the cool mountain air and scenic views. As the years passed, more travelers became acquainted with the small town that overflowed with a feeling of warmth and spirit. A post office opened, businesses sprang up, the railroad ran through town, and train depots were built as stops between Greenville and River Falls.

Because of Travelers Rest’s location along rivers, businesses opened thanks to the abundance of good, pure water. Within a few years, gristmills, cotton gins, lumber mills, and a blacksmith shop were thriving. Manufacturing was introduced into the community, allowing many farmers the opportunity to leave their fields, especially in times of bad crop yields, to supplement waning incomes and help their families survive.

Some of the original homes can still be seen standing, while others are remembered through the pieces of original wood that have been recycled into other uses in homes and businesses. Churches were built, and free schools were introduced, allowing for the continued influx of visitors and settlers. Attracted to the town’s location on a main road wending from Greenville to Asheville and Knoxville, new companies opened their doors. Franchise companies have also seen the benefits of Travelers Rest’s location, and some have moved in to capitalize on a growing economic force.

Travelers Rest falls within the jurisdictional boundaries of Greenville County, South Carolina, and reaps the benefits of the county’s tax dollars. A new revitalization effort through the county is being felt in Travelers Rest. A beautification process on the city’s Main Street has been completed. The new Swamp Rabbit Trail challenges avid bikers, walkers, and runners, providing families with the opportunity for a small nature excursion in their own backyard. Businesses that closed as a result of a down economy are now being replaced in a new excitement for the city.

The authors hope that readers will take this book as a guide for their travels to this wonderful little city. Many direct descendants of the original founders of Travelers Rest still live in town. Their histories are strong and colorful, full of emotion and stories. The impact of their ancestors’ lives can still be seen.

One

INNS, POSTAL SERVICE, AND TRANSPORTATION

Commissioned in 1808, the first Travelers Rest post office was in the home of Maj. Thomas Edwards near the present-day location of New Liberty Baptist Church. Years before this event, the little village of Travelers Rest was becoming established. Nestled beneath Paris Mountain in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this area—along the trails running through the gaps in the mountains—had become a favorite place of rest and refreshment for drovers bringing animals to markets in Greenville, Augusta, and the towns along the coast. Travelers Rest was a place of respite and solace for the Lowlanders who came to the North Carolina Mountains to escape the heat and humidity of coastal South Carolina. In the late 1800s, the new railroad that ran through Travelers Rest and improved roads made travel and commerce easier. Each succeeding postmaster moved the post office south so that, by 1900, it was situated in the center of the bustling little community. This chapter will explore the early places of rest, railway travel, and mail service.

The White Horse Inn was built in the early 1840s by Squire George Washington McCarrell as a home for his wife, Caroline Phillips McCarrell, and their family. This 1896 photograph shows Squire McCarrell (standing by tree) with his daughter Carrie’s family: (from left to right) James; Carrie Nesbitt; Mary; Pauline; Carrie’s husband, Will Nesbitt, holding Clara; and Mills. Following the War Between the States, the home was used as an inn and was also the designated post