USA > South Carolina > History of South Carolina > Part 52
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He was born on a farm in Laurens County July 28, 1860, a son of Miles Hill and Margaret ( Patter- son) Hunter. His paternal grandparents were Wil- liam and Sophia (James) Hunter, the former a na- tive of Ireland who came to this country when a young man, living for a time in Norfolk, Virginia, then in Charlotte, North Carolina, and finally in Chester, South Carolina. Miles ' Hill Hunter was born at Charlotte, and was a Confederate soldier, rising to the rank of captain. By trade he was a painter. His first wife, Margaret Patterson, was of Trish lineage, a native of Orange County and a daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Waldrop) Pat- terson, the former a native of Laurens and the lat- ter of Spartanburg County. She was the mother of three children: Ida, William Joseph and Miles. Miles died at the age of two years. After the death
Theodor 6. Stone
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of the mother of these children Miles H. Hunter married Sallie Marshall and their children were Minnic, Marshall, Herman, Beatrice, Inez and Sam- mie.
William Joseph Hunter after the death of his mother was reared on the farm of his maternal grandfather in Laurens County. When his grand- father died in 1870 he went to live with his father at Chester for four years, but since then has been a resident of Laurens County. He was a farmer four years and for eight years clerked for a business at Laurens.
In 1886 he married Eliza Jane Owings, daughter of F. R. Owings, founder of the Town of Owings. After his marriage he moved to his wife's old home, and for four years was associated with F. R. Owings in merchandising. Since then he has been station agent at Owings and has also acquired extensive interests as a farmer and cotton buyer. His has been a successful career throughout. He is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church and a Mas- ter Mason.
He and his wife had the following children: John C., Joseph Johnson, Miles Rapley, Malcolm Earl, Nita, while another daughter Bonnie Sue died at the age of five years. The son John is a druggist at Liberty, South Carolina. Joseph J. is a merchant at Owings. Miles R. is a cotton buyer at Owings, and in December, 1917, joined the Aviation Corps, re- ceived his training at Austin, Texas, and was in sev- eral aviation fields and camps, being commissioned a second lieutenant of aviation and was honorably discharged in March, 1919. The son Malcolm E. is still at home and the daughter Nita is the wife of George H. Anderson of Greenville.
JAMES MARTIN Moss has been identified with so many business and public affairs in Oconee County that his name is probably known to every inhabi- tant of the county.
Mr. Moss, whose home is at Walhalla, was born on a farm near Richland in Oconee County June 20, 1869. He is a son of Warren W. and Arretha (Rob- ertson ) Moss. His father was born near Walhalla in 1837 and died there in 1910. His grandparents were Martin and Rebecca (Cox) Moss, the farmer a leading and substantial farmer of that section of the state. The Moss family is of Scotch-Irisli origin. Arletha Robertson was born on the old Robertson homestead on the Keowee River about sixteen miles north of Walhalla in 1838 and died at Walhalla in 1898 at the age of sixty. She was a daughter of James and Hester (MeKinney) Robertson, the Rob- ertsons being of English origin and coming to South Carolina from Virginia. Mr. Moss in the maternal line is descended from a Boone, of the famous Dan- icl Boone family.
Warren W. Moss served in the Confederate army- for four years in Orr's Regiment of Rifles. In 1865 at the close of the war he married and first located in the northern part of Oconee County, but in 1868 moved to the vicinity of Richland. He left his farm in 1888 to come to Walhalla, being elected sheriff of the county in that year. He filled the office four years and in 1896 was again elected and served until 1000. His successor in office was his son Boone Robertson Moss, who also served four years.
James Martin Moss, one of a family of eight chil- dren, grew up on his father's farm and attended country schools, the Westminster High School, and in 1892 graduated from Wofford College at Spar- tanburg. Since then he has had a busy career. For ten years he was a teacher, being principal of the Walhalla public schools for seven years of that time. He was postmaster of Walhalla two years, for seven years was secretary and treasurer of the Oconce Knitting Mills, and has since made a splendid suc- cess of the general insurance business. He is now district agent of the Mutual Life of New York. Mr. Moss was appointed to fill an unexpired term as sheriff of Oconee County in 1917 and served until the qualification of his successor in January, 1919. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and is a Master Mason and Knight of Pyth- ias.
Mr. Moss married Miss Kate Holleman, who died in 1916. She was the inother of James Marion, Sarah Robertson, Joseph Holleman and Eugene Bowen. The son James M., who was born in 1897, was in the National army, training at Camp Sevier and Camp Merritt, New Jersey, and was honorably discharged at Camp Lee, Virginia. He was a mem- ber of Company A of the Butler Guards, In 1917 Mr. Moss married for his present wife Kate Sharp. They have one daughter, Catherine Elizabeth.
WILKES BOOTH KNIGHT. Members of the Knight family have been prominent in Laurens County for several generations, and while a number of them have left names in professional affairs, it has been more or less characteristic of them to keep close to the soil and agricultural activities. Wilkes Booth Knight, a lawyer of twenty years experience and practice at Laurens, is likewise a farmer and keeps his home in the country, though busy every day in his office and in the courts.
He was born on a farm in that county August 23, 1874, son of Milton Augustus and Lucinda Keran (Drummond) Knight, natives of the same county, and a grandson of Rev. Silas Knight, who was a well known Baptist minister and farmer in the early days of Laurens County. Milton Augustus Knight was one of the sixteen year old boys who served in the Confederate army toward the close of the war. After the war he married Mrs. Lucinda Keran Bobo, widow of Burrel Bobo, who had been killed while a Confederate soldier. Milton A. Knight followed farming for many years in Laurens Coun- ty, but subsequently moved to Fountain Inn in Green- ville County, where he was mayor when death came to him in 1915 at the age of sixty-seven. His wife had died at the age of fifty-seven. They were mem- bers of the Baptist Church and he was a Master Mason. Of their children the daughter Sarah be- came a noted singer and teacher of vocal music, being connected with the musical conservatory of Greenville Woman's College and Holland's Insti- tute in Virginia. She became the wife of a Mr. Heavener of Chicago and she and her husband re- moved to Portland, Oregon, where she died a few years ago. Another daughter is Mrs. D. R. Mahaf- fey of Fountain Inn. A son Dr. George C. Knight is practicing medicine in Laurens County, but keeps his home on a farm. Another son, Henry D.
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Knight, died in 1901 at Rio de Janeiro, South Amer- ica.
W. B. Knight grew up on the home farm, had a high school education, also attended Furman Uni- versity at Greenville, and studied law there. He was admitted to the bar in 1800 and since then has had a busy and growing practice at Laurens. His home is five miles from the county seat and he has contrived with unusual success to fit in his duties and responsibilities as a farmer with his career as a lawyer. Ile has never held any public office. His fraternal associations are with the Knights of Pyth- jas, and the Woodmen of the World.
Mr. Knight married Miss Mary Cannon in 1899. Her father was William D. Cannon of Laurens County. The two children of their marriage are Josephine and Wilkes.
ALBERT M. RICKMAN who was a lieutenant in the Wildcat Division and spent nearly a year overseas, is a well known young business man at Greenville, formerly a banker and now in the stock and bond business.
He was born in Hendersonville, North Carolina, in 1892, a son of James P. and Valaree (Justus) Rickman. His parents are also natives of North Carolina. His mother is still living. James P. Rick- man was for several years a banker at Henderson- ville and in 1907, removing to Greenville founded the Fourth National Bank of that city. He remained its president almost to the time of his death, which occurred in 1910. He is remembered in several communities both in South and North Carolina as a high class business man and financier, and at all points presented such personal and business charac- ter that his comparatively early death was a distinct loss.
Albert M. Rickman finished his education in Fur- man University in Greenville. By several years of service he had reached the position of assistant cashier in the Fourth National Bank, when he vol- unteered in the summer of 1917 and joined the sec- ond training camp at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. In November of 19!7 he was commissioned second lieu- tenant, and subsequently was made first lieutenant. He was trained for the artillery and was assigned to the Three Hundred and Sixteenth Field Artillery, Eighty-first or Wildcat Division. With this organi- zation he went to France in August, 1918, and was on duty there until late in the spring of 1919. In the latter part of June he received his honorable discharge at Camp Jackson, and resumed his place in his home community of Greenville early in July.
During his absence the Fourth National Bank, of which W. C. Cleveland was president succeeding James P. Rickman, was merged with the First Na- tional Bank of Greenville. Partly for that reason and partly to establish himself in independent busi- ness, Mr. Rickman since returning home has been associated with the firm of Mills & Manning, stock and bond brokers of Greenville.
ADOLPHUS W. JONES. When during the first term. of Governor Manning's administration the State Tax commission was created and given power to cqual- ize the tax system, the efficiency of the body was
largely insured through the appointment of Adol- phus W. Jones as chairman of the commission.
Mr. Jones has had a long and varied experience in public affairs in South Carolina. He was born at Abbeville April 12, 1857, son of Robert and Mary Jones. His father was a teacher and for many years a public official. A. W. Jones had a public school education, later a business course and tol- lowed several occupations, being a painter and later a merchant and farmer. For a number of years he was auditor of Abbeville County. For nine years he was phosphate inspector and in charge of the state fisheries. Until he voluntarily resigned he served twelve years as comptroller general of South Carolina. Mr. Jones entered upon his present duties as chairman of the state tax commission in 1915. He was one of the organizers of the Gulf & Atlantic Insurance Company and was the first president of that company, but has since resigned. He married Miss Celia T. Miller of Abbeville, and they have six children, living.
HON. JAMES H. HAMMOND, who for four years represented Richland County in the State Legisla- ture, is a successful lawyer and farmer, and is one of the younger men of South Carolina who may well be trusted with leadership in the direction of public affairs for the present and the future.
He was born in Barnwell County, South Carolina, February 3, 1885, son of E. Spann and Laura Han- son (Dunbar) Hammond. His father was also a planter and lawyer. Mr. Hammond acquired his early education in the Blackville public schools and attended South Carolina's famous military school. The Citadel at Charleston, where he finished his course in 1907. He took his law in the University of South Carolina, graduating in 1910, and has since been busied with a growing general practice and with his interests as a farmer. He served continu- ously as a member of the State Legislature begin- ning in 1914 and through the year 1918. He is a member of the board of visitors of The Citadel.
Mr. Hammond married December 2, 1914. Janie Marshall of Columbia. They have two sons, E. Spann Hammond and James II.
COTESWORTH PINCKNEY SEABROOK for thirteen years has been connected with the Columbia, New- berry & Laurens Railway, and is one of the excen- tive officials of that road with home at Columbia.
He was born at McClellandville in Charleston County, South Carolina, October 6, 1887, a son of Archibald Hamilton and Portia (Leland) Seabrook. This is one of the historic English families of lower Carolina, kin to the Rutledges, Pinkneys and other notable names of the state. Mr. Seabrook's great- grandfather was Governor Benjamin Whitmarsh Seabrook, governor of South Carolina from 1840 to 18:0. His grandfather was Archibald Hamilton Seabrook, who married Miss Caroline Elliott Pink- ney of Charleston, sister of the late Capt. Thomas Pinkney and of Rev. C. C. Pinkney, a distinguished Episcopal clergyman, and daughter of Gen. Thomas Pinkney, one of the early governors of the state. Mr. Seabrook's father lives on a plantation near McClel- landville in Charleston County not far from where he
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was born. In earlier years he was a rice planter until rice planting became unprofitable.
Cotesworth Pinckney Seabrook was educated by private tutors, in public schools, and in the Porter Military Academy and Business College. After leaving school he had three years banking experience with the Palmetto National Bank. In 1906 he en- tered the service of the Columbia, Newberry & Lau- rens Railway as a clerk and since 1911 has been sec- retary and treasurer of that corporation with head- quarters at Columbia.
He is a member of the Trinity Episcopal Church. June 11, 1911, he married Miss Mary Thomas Childs. daughter of the late William G. Childs, who was the principal builder and was president of the Columbia, Newberry & Laurens Railway. Mr. and Mrs. Sea- brook have four children: C. Pinckney, Jr., Mary, Ellen Childs and Robert Childs.
EDWARD P. CUSHMAN. Every business man is to some extent a salesman, but the genius of sales- manship is a rare quality, and its possession means phenomenal success. Perhaps no man of his years has done more to manifest this particular quality than Edward P. Cushman of Greenville, whose re- markable record as an automobile salesman has been widely heralded in the automobile world.
Mr. Cushman was born at Georgetown, South Carolina, in 1807, son of Capt. Fred B. and Kate (Gillespie) Cushman. His mother, still living, was born at Conway, South Carolina, and was a member of the old time South Carolina family of Gillespies of Scotch-Irish ancestry.
The late Capt. Fred B. Cushman, who died at Greenville a few years ago, was a native of Wis- consin and came to Georgetown, South Carolina, in 1875. He was a practical steamboat man and became a prominent figure in the steamboat traffic between Georgetown and points on the Waccama, Pee Dee and Black rivers. He was captain of the "Mer- chant," the "Planter" and other well known steam- boats of former years. He finally retired and re- moved with his family to Greenville in 1901, pur- chasing for his home the former Julius Smith place on Rutherford Street, one of the most beautiful home sites in upper South Carolina. Captain Cush- man and wife had seven children, namely: Mrs. E. H. Lake, of Baltimore; Mrs. J. M. Charlotte, of Greenville; Russell Cushman, Harry Cushman, Ed- ward P. Cushman, John and Paul Cushman.
Edward P. Cushman attended the Greenville High School, the Fishman Military Academy at Waynes- boro, Virginia, and in 1916, when only nineteen years old, engaged in the automobile business at Green- ville. At that time he took the agency for the Chandler cars and nothwithstanding his youth went in boldly for large business. The first year his rec- ord of sales totaled over $200,000 worth of cars. Probably so much business has never been trans- acted in the first year by so young a man. The first year has been more than duplicated in succeeding years and in time there were more orders from the Cushman agency at Greenville than the Chandler fac- tory could allot. In 1919 Mr. Cushman sold the Cushman Motor Car Company and is now represent- ing the Hayne & Richardson, insurance, with offices in Greenville. His exceptional business qualities
Vol. 111-14
have earned for him almost unlimited credit ac- commodations, freely extended to him simply on his high character and his ability to produce busi- ness. In business circles generally in Greenville, he is closely identified with every progressive move- ment for the metropolitan growth and advancement of the city.
Mr. Cushman completed in 1919 what is probably the finest residence in Greenville, a beautiful home on Rutherford Street. He married Miss Frances Hawkins of Greenville, and they have a daughter, Frances Jeannette Cushman.
CHARLTON W. ESTES is a man justly fortunate, be- ing happy in his work and able to see his work abundantly prospered. In fact results achieved hy him have been such as give him an unrivalled posi- tion in the State of South Carolina as a builder of insurance business.
Mr. Estes who recently became superintendent of agents for the Southeastern Life Insurance Company, was one of the founders of that great Greenville and South Carolina institution. He entered the life insurance business as an agent for the Union Central Life Insurance Company when only twenty- one years old. No other business interests have ranked supreme with him since that time. He brought and brings to his work a genuine love and enthusiasm for it. Many years age he cherished the ambition to see a high class insurance company with its home in South Carolina and a recognized South Carolina institution. Under that laudable ambition and purpose he and his brother the late Elliott Estes became the chief promoters in the or- ganization of the Southeastern Life Insurance Com- pany in 1905. The first home offices of the com- pany were at Spartanbug, but in 1910, the company moved its headquarters to Greenville. The success of the Southeastern has fulfilled Mr. Estes' highest expectations, and no individual connected with the company organization has contributed more to the record of the Southeastern than Mr. Estes. For nine years out of twelve he was the largest producer of any representative of the company .. In one of those years the amount of his business was $425,800, the largest amount of business ever produced by any life insurance man in South Carolina in one year so far as is known.
Mr. Estes is a fine example of the American busi- ness man, and has come to success from a boyhood environment of rather humble though self-respecting circumstances. He wash born in Barnwell County in 1875. a son of Rev. A. B. and Anna C. (Willing- ham) Estes, and was only a boy when he lost his father by death. His father was a devoted worker in the cause of the Baptist ministry. The son at- tended country schools, one year in military school in Virginia, and took a business course in Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie, New York. For fifteen years he had his home at Cheraw, lived at Columbia three years, and in July, 1918, came to Greenville. In June, 1918, he was promoted from a position as general agent to superintendent of agents for the entire field covered by the Southeastern Life Insurance Company.
His new duties cansed him to remove his head- quarters from Columbia to Greenville. Since he he-
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came superintendent of agents Mr. Estes has made almost every month a record month in production of business for the Southeastern Company and that pro- duction is measured by three times the quantity of insurance writing that prevailed when he took charge.
It is said of Mr. Estes that he has but three main interests in life, his home, his business and his church. He was for thirteen years superintendent of the Baptist Sunday school at Cheraw, filled the same position in the First Baptist Church of Co- lumbia during his former residence there, and was also a deacon of the church. At Greenville he was made a member of the board of deacons of the Pendleton Street Baptist Church and assistant sti- perintendent of its "Sunday school. He served as a member of the board of trustees of South Caro- lina Baptist Hospital at Columbia, and was a vice president of the South Carolina Life Underwriters Association.
Mr. Estes' home and family circle consist of his wife, who was formerly Miss Kate Evans, and six children, named : Dorothy, Augustus, Kate, Marion, Louise and Annie.
COL. OSCAR W. BABE who was appointed super- visor of the census of the Fourth Congressional District of South Carolina, is member of that promi- nent family of upper South Carolina, that has long been associated with Babbtown. Colonel Babb gained his title from his military service in South Carolina. He was for several years a resident of Washington, and his position as supervisor of the census brings him back to his home town of Lau- rens.
He was born at Babbtown in the extreme lower part of Greenville County, in IS70, a son of Martin E. and Martha (Prior) Babb. He is descended from Sampson Babb, a Scotchman, who came to South Carolina before the Revolution and obtained a large grant of land on Raihurne Creek in the upper part of what is now Laurens County. Babbtown is on this creek and just above the Laurens county line. The Babbs have been a strong race of people and among the numerous descendants of the family have been men of substantial means and property, prominent in the professions, business and public life.
Martin E. Babb lost an arm in the battle of Man- assas in Virginia. He was a Confederate soldier from the beginning of the war. Many of his rela- tives were engaged in the same struggle. After the war Martin Babb taught school and in 1876 was elected clerk of the court of Laurens County. He was the first democrat in this district elected to that office following the restoration of the state to democratic rule. He served continuously by suc- cessive elections until his death in 1884.
Colonel Babb received his education in the schools of Laurens. and for some time was deputy county clerk and filled other positions. In the late '80s and early oo's he went West, was in the cattle husi- ness in old Indian Territory and Oklahoma, and par- ticipated in the opening of the Cherokee Strin in 1802. He spent about two years in business in New York. In 1915 upon the election of Hon. Sam Nichols to represent the Fourth Congressional Dis-
trict at Washington, he went to that city as a pri- vate secretary to Congressman Nichols and served continuously until July, 1919. At that date he fe- ceived appointment as supervisor of the census
Colonel Babb organized and was captain ut the Traynham Guards at Laurens, this being Company D of the First Infantry, National Guard of South Carolina. Later he received appointment as assist- ant adjutant general of South Carolina under Gen. John C. Boyd, with whom he served two years, and tour more years in the same position under fen. W. W. Moore. In this capacity he performed some valuable service in the State Military forces.
Colonel Babb is a Knight Templar Mason, Eli and Odd Fellow. He married Miss Clara Aduc Hart of Cokesbury, daughter of Dr. B. C. Hait. She is related to the noted Adger family of Charles- ton.
DAVID WISTAR DANIEL, who for twenty-two years has been a member of the faculty of Clemson Col- lege, is director of the academic department and head of its English division, but the range of his duties and influence has been by no means confined to this institution. He is one of the most popular men on the lecture platform in the South, and is working untiringly in behalf of new ideals and purposes that are vital to the health and vigor of our American people.
Mr. Daniel comes of a family which has pro- duced a number of prominent men, lawyers, doctors, of divinity, educators, patriot soldiers and effective business men. The ancestry of this branch of the Daniel family is traced to France, where they were Huguenots, and after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 some of them fled to Virginia. Jolin Daniel. a direct ancestor of David W. Daniel, was a soldier in the American Revolution. He married Priscilla Harrison, a daughter of Benjamin Harrison, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The Harrison family of Virginia in later generations produced two presidents of the United States. One prominent member of the fam- ily in Virginia was Peter Daniel, a judge of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
James Wright Daniel, a son of the Revolutionary soldier, was a native of Laurens County and was a merchant and farmer, a justice of the peace, and a man of the finest integrity and an unusual balance of character. James Wright Daniel married Eliza Anderson, whose grandfather, William Anderson. came from County Antrim, Ireland, to Charleston in 1792. He soon afterward settled in the upper part of Abbeville County and the Andersons were identified with the early founding of Erskine Col- lege.
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