USA > South Carolina > Williamsburg County > History of Williamsburg; something about the people of Williamsburg County, South Carolina, from the first settlement by Europeans about 1705 until 1923. > Part 36
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In 1878, Dr. Robert Henry conveyed to J. M. Keels, E. R. Lesesne, N. T. Pitman, W. S. Varner, and J. W. Net- tles, trustees of the Mount Hope Baptist Church, four acres of land whereon the church stood at that time. This church served the people of the Greelyville community for many years and until it was moved into the town. There
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is yet about this old church a well kept burying ground still used by the Baptists of that section.
In 1884, Mary Cade, Sarah E. Cade, and Charles W. Cade conveyed to H. J. Williamson, Jacob Rodgers, and C. W. McClam, trustees of the Midway Baptist Church, one-half acre of land in the present town of Cades, and the Midway Baptist Church was then moved to this new location.
During the past fifty years, the Baptist denomination has had a remarkable growth in Williamsburg. In 1923, there were fifteen hundred seventy-five members of the missionary Baptist Church in Williamsburg County and this denomination had the following active growing con- gregations: Antioch, Hemingway, Bloomingvale, Cades, Cedar Grove, Kingstree, Johnsonville, Lanes, Mount Tabor, Trio, Taft, Paron, Piney Forest, Piney Grove, Spring Gulley, Pleasant Hill, and Nesmith.
The following have served as ministers in the County during this period: J. B. Hicks, Elijah Hicks, J. D. Andrews, H. L. Oliver, T. P. Lide, L. T. Carroll, J. T. Burrows, William Moss, J. L. Rollins, S. M. Richardson, Simon T. Russell, J. M. Weaver, J. W. Kramer, J. T. Rollins, W. D. Moorer, A. M. Pitman, F. W. Eason, J. W. Bishop, G. T. Gresham, C. F. Ramsbottom, J. Henry Snyder, W. E. Hurt, and E. A. McDowell. The following were Baptist ministers resident in Williamsburg and serv- ing churches in 1923: J. W. Morris, B. D. Thames, Hem- ingway ; J. A. Turner, Cades; F. C. Hawkins, Kingstree; J. R. Funderburk, Greelyville.
The Methodist Episcopal Church in Kingstree used the building erected in 1853 as its house of worship until 1911, when it was removed and replaced by the handsome church now standing. At that time the Reverend W. A. Fairy was minister and the building committee was composed of F. W. Fairey, Chairman; A. C. Hinds, Secretary and
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Treasurer; J. F. McFadden, E. C. Epps, L. J. Stackley, P. H. Stoll, A. M. Gordon, and H. D. Reddick.
Hebron Methodist Church was built in 1874. W. E. Smith "for and in consideration of the love I bear for the Cross of Christ and for an earnest desire to promote His heritage on earth, I do give, grant, and by these presents convey unto W. D. Coker, Jesse Christmas, J. M. Kennedy, A. DuBose, C. W. DuBose, one acre of land on the East side of Long Branch and on the South side of the road leading by J. M. Coker's to Cades Turnout."
The Salters Methodist Church was built in 1875 on land donated by T. Edward Salters to W. S. Camlin, S. S. Britton, E. J. Park, J. M. Owens, and S. B. Green, trustees.
New Market Methodist Church was built in 1876 on land donated by G. D. Rhodus to W. R. Coskney, Joseph S. Cantey, William M. Tobias, Dr. James M. Burgess, and Gabriel D. Rhodus, trustees.
Concord Methodist Church was built in 1882 on land granted by D. Z. Martin to J. M. McCants, R. J. Morris, Charles Boyd, J. E. Timmons, Hugh Boyd, W. J. Jeffer- son, and William W. Boyd, trustees.
Prospect Methodist Church was built on one acre of land granted by James and Elizabeth Eaddy to William Johnson, James Snow, Edward D. Eaddy, B. H. Stone, and James H. Stone, trustees, on the sixth day of June, 1891.
Dr. Cleland B. Graham in 1901 deeded two acres of land to Jackson Gordon, Hugh Cooper, Sr., Thomas Press- ley, Samuel Mccutchen, William Morris, Benjamin Cun- ningham, D. S. Cooper, R. H. Cooper, trustees of Bethesda Methodist Episcopal Church.
S. E. Cade in 1901 donated one-half acre of land in the town of Cades to the following board of trustees for the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, S. B.
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Newsom, W. D. Coker, J. McB. Graham, W. Lawrence Graham, and R. Erasmus Cade.
In 1907 Orange Brewington conveyed to B. S. Smith, R. B. Marshall, and Lemuel Smith, trustees, one acre of land on which the church then stood for the use of the Elim Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
Among the Methodist ministers who have served the church at Kingstree and other churches in the County since 1876 may be mentioned : John A. Rice, R. W. Spigner, W. S. Martin, N. A. Brunson, W. B. Dun- can, J. C. Counts, W. H. Hodges, W. H. Elwell, R. M. DuBose, W. B. Baker, H. J. Cauthern, J. B. Wilson, A. W. Jackson, D. A. Phillips, W. B. Justice, T. J. Clyde, J. E. Mahaffy, W. A. Fairy, J. T. Fowler, G. T. Harmon, Charles B. Smith, J. W. Daniel, W. W. Daniel, J. K. Johnson, B. S. Hughes, W. S. Heath, J. E. Clark, G. T. Rhoad, B. G. Guess, T. E. Derrick, J. W. Jones, M. F. Dukes, W. A. Massibeau, C. C. Derrick, and J. P. Inabnit.
In 1923 there were the following Methodist Episcopal Churches, South, active in Williamsburg: Kingstree, Trio, Suttons, Concord, Harmony, Greelyville, Lanes, Cedar Swamp, Elim, Beulah, Cades, Bethesda, Hebron, Pergamos, Workman, Mount Vernon, Salters, Heming- way, and Ebenezer. There were twenty-six hundred and thirty-eight communicants of this Church in the County.
It has been practically impossible to secure accurate sta- tistics as to the membership of the Free Will Baptist Churches of Williamsburg. There were probably more than twenty places of worship for this congregation in the County in 1923. They were all small buildings in rural dis- tricts and several of them had considerable congregations. A conservative estimate of the number of members of this denomination, growing out of careful study for the pur- pose of securing accurate statistics, indicates that there
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were considerably more than seven hundred and fifty Free Will Baptists in the County in 1923.
Until the Constitution of the United States had been adopted in 1789, every person, man, woman, and child, who settled on land in Williamsburg, had been required to swear to and subscribe an oath that they were Protes- tants. The inhabitants of Williamsburg unanimously approved of this non-admission of Roman Catholics into the district. While the Constitution of the United States required religious freedom, public sentiment in Williams- burg continued strongly hostile toward Roman Catholics and much of this averse sentiment was existent in the County in 1923. There were, however, in Williamsburg in 1923 fourteen adults who were communicants of Roman Catholic Churches and twenty children who had been taken into this Church by baptism. Of these fourteen adults who were Roman Catholics, not one of them was born in Williamsburg County and only five of them were native born Americans. There has never been a Roman Catholic Church erected in Williamsburg County.
In 1923, there were twenty Hebrews in Williamsburg, still faithful worshippers of Jehovah, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. No Jewish temple has ever been erected in this County, but the Law that Moses brought from the summit of Sanai has ruled this land since Roger Gordon settled at the King's Tree.
This County has furnished a number of ministers and missionaries during the past fifty years, among whom were: Samuel Fulton, Presbyterian missionary to Japan ; Darby M. Fulton, the past thirty years pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Darlington; J. Screven Brockinton, a Presbyterian minister in New York, who died about 1915; N. B. Clarkson and G. F. Clarkson, Meth- odists ; F. A. Budden, now pastor Bethel Methodist Church in Charleston ; Ernest Epps, Methodist, serving on special board duty of his denomination; Miss Leila Epps, daugh-
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ter of Edwin Epps, Methodist missionary to Brazil; and Miss Hannah Plowden, daughter of M. H. Plowden, Baptist missionary to China.
In 1923 the number of white church members exceeded the adult white population in Williamsburg. In the town of Kingstree there were only six white adults who were not members of a church, and every one of this six was a new comer into the municipality. These facts are remark- able. It must not be understood from all this that Wil- liamsburg has actualized the Kingdom of Heaven within its domain, even though it is a good place in which to live. It is very much like other American communities, not- withstanding its almost unanimous church membership.
Ministers of Protestant religious denominations have labored in Williamsburg continuously since 1736. With two or three notable exceptions, they have preached that the Bible is the sole source of revelation of God to man, and that its King James version, supplemented by Ussher's chronology, must be accepted verbatim et literatim et punctatim upon pain of eternal Death. They have pro- claimed the Roman triune divinity, making God synony- mous with Fear, substituting the pope and king created Christ for the merciful Nazarene, and declaring the Holy Ghost too much clothed in power for human contempla- tion. Their Trinity is an arbitrary Thing working its will on helpless man for its own glory; their Heaven is a jasper walled city where these three awful Gods receive after death certain immortal souls to praise them forever; their Hell a lake of solid and liquid fire, where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched, into which are hurled the souls of those human beings who while on earth failed to please this awful Three.
Williamsburg ministers, almost without exception, have preached that this world exists only for life beyond the grave. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world" has been the basis of nearly all of their
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sermons. From these selections from songs these minis- ters taught the people to sing may be gathered some idea of their theology: "This world's a wilderness of woe, this world is not my home." "What is life? 'Tis but a vapor. Soon it is vanished away. Life is like a dying taper. Oh! my soul! Why wish to stay?" "We should suspect some danger nigh when we possess delight." "Oh could we die with those that die, and place us in their stead; then would our spirits learn to fly, and converse with the dead. We should almost forsake our clay before the summons comes, and pray and wish our souls away to their eternal home." "I am but a stranger here, Heaven is my home. Earth is a desert drear, Heaven is my home."
The Reverend Mr. Ervin, in 1830, recommended to Sam- uel McGill the singing of hymns instead of dancing as an amusement. Practically every minister who has preached in Williamsburg for the past century would have done the same thing. Their theology has made them preach that all human desires are evil and that the nearer a man can overcome them the purer his heart will be. Since these ministers preach the Bible is the sole source of knowledge of the origin and development of things, they have resisted strenuously everything along this line that biology, geology, and allied sciences have revealed. Prob- ably there is not in South Carolina in 1923 a denomi- national college president who would openly admit to a Williamsburg audience that the theory of Evolution is earnestly taught in his institution. Nor would any of them admit thus that India, China, Chaldea, Egypt, or even Greece taught the world anything about God.
These ministers of Williamsburg have talked a lot of Jesus Christ, but little have they known the Nazarene. In their pulpits, they have preached that monstrous god made by mediaeval papal and consistorial bulls. Jesus of Nazareth taught unmistakably of God in man, of Heaven here and now, and of worship as the love and ser-
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vice of humanity. These ministers have preached that the Devil is in man, that this world is a lesser Hell, and that true worship consists mainly in attending church, supporting its institutions, and paying tithes. From their pulpits they have never established the connection between Jesus of Nazareth and human life, although Jesus was the most intensely human personality of all the ages. The most passionate appeals revivalists have ever made were based on what is to happen to one after death.
A circuit rider in Williamsburg said the other day : "I was often unable to preach in three of my churches during last winter. It was so cold and these churches had no stoves for heating them." Not one of these churches has less than fifty members, and there is not less than three high powered automobiles owned by in- dividual members in each of these three congregations. There are ten members in each one of these three congre- gations any one of whom could have placed a stove in his church without considering the cost. Either these church members do not know Jesus of Nazareth or they are little concerned in promoting His cause.
Within the last few years, many men in Williamsburg have learned in spite of ex cathedra utterances that Jesus Christ is the most lovable character of the world and that His spirit shows the way, the truth, and the life. One of the most successful business men in Kingstree, a man of highest intelligence and most approved church standing, said the other day: "If every theological seminary in the country were burned to the ground and every book of theological learning abolished from the face of the earth, it would be easier to bring the world to a knowledge of Jesus Christ." This man was thinking of the Christ that he himself knew and of the monstrous god usually preached in Williamsburg as the only begotten Son of God.
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A man naturally follows the customs of his fathers. Normally he accepts the religion that he finds and tries to work out his relationship with his God along established lines. It has always taken an unusually strong man to contribute something to religious life. The priesthood in all ages has been powerful and has not hesitated to use any means within its control to suppress and to destroy any individual who even attempted to approach God other- wise than he had been taught. Jesus Christ was crucified on Calvary because he showed the Sanhedrin a higher God than it had theretofore known. Since Christ was crucified, priests and sanhedrins in every age have crucified as far as they were permitted by the laws of the land every man who has dared to evidence a closer walk with God. Even so has it been in Williamsburg.
Almost without exception the ministers who have served in Williamsburg have been good men-far more human and divine than the mediaeval Christ they have preached. God only knows how earnestly they have labored and how much they have suffered-how often they have preached to vacant pews and looked into empty lard- ers. The Reverend James Wallace has not been the only one who has realized that the more fervently he has preached the more certainly his congregation has turned away from his god. Their yoke has not been easy nor their burden light. The general moral influence of their lives on Williamsburg has been good, for they have lived better lives than their doctrine could have made. They have practiced a reasonable religion, and men have learned the way, the truth, and the life from their conduct much more than from their conversation. Their theology has been bad; their religion, good. Few of them have ever realized that active and productive faith comes only by way of understanding, and that the true God is best known to the man of the highest general mental development. Not many of them have ever touched the average normal man,
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and, not understanding, they have declared human nature altogether evil.
Many complaints from pulpits have been heard in Wil- liamsburg that so few of the "most promising young men" enter the ministry. The reason is perfectly clear to every- body but "orthodox" theologians. The very highest type of mind finds its supreme delight in the contemplation of God. The best young men of the age would enter the ministry if they did not know that ordination to the priest- hood means perpetual incarceration in darker prisons than mamertine walls can make. There were some of the "most promising young men" of Williamsburg in 1923 who were praying fervently for being allowed the privi- lege of preaching the Gospel, but whose divinely given honesty and intelligence absolutely prevented them from taking the required vows for ordination.
One of the most distinct outward evidences of the in- ward spiritual growth of the church members of Kings- tree was the formation in 1921 of a denominational feder- ation in which the Protestant Episcopal, the Presbyte- rian, the Baptist, and the Methodist churches, all in town, united for the purpose of holding union services in one of the four churches on the first Sunday evening in each month. In turn, these four denominations worship to- gether at the several churches and the four ministers preach in order to these massed denominational congre- gations.
In 1921, the Baptist Church in Kingstree secured the services of the Reverend Frank C. Hawkins as its minister. Mr. Hawkins had just completed his theological course at Harvard, having learned of some of the leading men of this age. Mr. Hawkins began his work in Kingstree quietly and earnestly. He felt that Jesus of Nazareth was first of all a teacher, and that teaching God is the primary function of a minister. Mr. Hawkins taught his congre- gation that God is Love and that Love Law rules the
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Universe. He taught his congregation the Christ that Peter and James and John and the lepers and the lame and the halt and the blind knew about blue Galilee. After about two years some people in Kingstree realized that Mr. Hawkins was preaching a more human Christ than they had theretofore known. These people could not understand the divinity of the Christ Mr. Hawkins preached. Whereupon, some of them began to declare that he denied the divinity of Christ and all other things religious teachers usually are charged with denying. The Reverend John Davis, minister of the Presbyterian Church, one of the four churches in the Kingstree federa- tion, asked his elders in official session, whether or not their church should withdraw from the Union on account of the "unorthodoxy" of this Baptist minister. When this was written, June 1, 1923, this Session of Elders had not withdrawn from the Union.
"The morning light is breaking;
The darkness disappears."
1
CHAPTER XXXVII.
BANKING IN WILLIAMSBURG.
The people of Williamsburg continued to do their bank- ing business in the city of Charleston until the first year of this century. But little money had been required to satisfy their demands. Until 1900, planters shipped their cotton to Charleston and drew drafts on their factors for all the required money. There had been a small de- mand for money in the County all during the years and this demand was supplied by individuals. After the War be- tween the Sections, for a long time L. W. Nesmith kept some currency on hand and supplied this need in the County. After him came R. H. Kellahan, who had grown wealthy in the turpentine business. In 1900, when the establishment of a bank at Kingstree was seriously agi- tated, Mr. Kellahan stated that not more than $30,000.00 would be necessary to supply the demand in the entire County and thought that a bank in Kingstree would be useless.
The Bank of Kingstree opened for business on Septem- ber 11, 1901, with a paid up capital stock of $15,000.00. It was the first banking institution established in Wil- liamsburg County. The original board of directors were R. D. Rollins, H. P. Williams, John A. Kelly, and Dr. D. C. Scott. The first officers: Dr. D. C. Scott, presi- dent; John A. Kelly, vice-president; and E. C. Epps, cash- ier. The first banking house of this institution was a little room in the rear of Dr. Scott's old Drug Store on Academy Street. The furniture and fixtures consisted of one home made pine table, one broken legged chair, and one shot bag for currency. When Cashier Epps had more currency on hand at the close of business on a day than he was willing to trust in one of the iron safes then in use by the merchants in town, he took this shot bag of
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currency with him to his room and placed it under his pillow during the night. At the close of business on Jan- uary 1, 1902, the deposits in this, the only bank in the County, were $11,043.99; loans and discounts, $3,567.00; profits, $542.59. In 1904 Director Rollins died and R. H. Kellahan was elected a member of the board of directors to fill the vacancy. In September, 1904, Nabor D. Lesesne was elected assistant cashier. In 1905, the capital stock was increased from $15,000.00 to $30,000.00. At that same time, H. P. Williams resigned as director and J. F. Cooper succeeded him. E. C. Epps resigned as cashier and Fred Lesesne succeeded him. Mr. Lesesne soon resigned when L. H. Fairey filled the vacancy made.
On January 1, 1906, the deposits in this Bank were $246,728.26; loans and discounts, $121,731.53; profits, $12,370.15. As soon as possible after the beginning of business by this Bank, it erected a building on Main Street, wherein it installed modern furnishings and equip- ment. It occupied this building until 1921, when it leased the ground floor of the Nexsen building, corner of Main and Academy streets, and there equipped very handsome banking quarters. During this time, J. F. Cooper and R. H. Kellahan had died and the number of the board of directors had been increased from four to six. Hugh Cooper, A. C. Hinds, F. W. Fairey, and W. E. Nesmith filled these vacancies. In 1920, J. A. Kelly, Esq., re- signed as vice-president and Hugh Cooper succeeded him.
At the close of business April 3, 1923, the Bank of Kings- tree had assets to the value of $654,656.95. Its capital stock was then $60,000.00, with a surplus fund of $15,000.00. The officers and directors were Dr. D. C. Scott, president; Hugh Cooper, vice-president; F. W. Fairey, cashier ; R. D. Mills and B. V. Singleton, assistant cashiers; and Mrs. Charlton Kelly, stenographer; direc- tors : Dr. D. C. Scott, Hugh Cooper, John A. Kelly, W. E. Nesmith, A. C. Hinds, and F. W. Fairey. Dr. Scott
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has served as president of this institution continuously from the time of its organization until the day this was written.
The Bank of Greelyville was organized in 1904 with a capital stock of $10,000.00. Its first board of directors were: T. A. Blakely, J. P. Gamble, T. W. Boyle, W. M. O'Bryan, S. J. Taylor, E. D. Rhodus, and J. F. Register. Its first officers : T. W. Boyle, president; W. M. O'Bryan, vice-president ; J. F. Register, cashier. In 1907 the capital stock was increased to $15,000.00. C. E. Register served as cashier from 1909 until 1920 and as active vice-presi- dent from 1920 to 1923, when forced to resign on account of his health. In 1920 the capital stock was increased to $50,000.00.
The board of directors in 1923 was as follows: T. W. Boyle, W. M. O'Bryan, P. G. Gourdin, J. R. Haynesworth, and H. D. Ferrell. Its officers were: T. W. Boyle, presi- dent; W. M. O'Bryan, vice-president; and G. W. Greene, cashier. Mr. Greene became cashier of this Bank in 1920. During the eighteen years in which this Bank has been doing business, the original stock holders have received a total of 112 per cent. in cash dividends and stock dividends of 100 per cent. At the close of business on April 3, 1923, this Bank showed resources to the amount of $147,843.72.
The Bank of Williamsburg began business on January 8, 1906, with a paid up capital stock of $40,000.00. The following were officers: C. W. Stoll, president ; F. Rhem, vice-president; and E. C. Epps, cashier. Board of di- rectors, Charles W. Stoll, W. T. Wilkins, P. G. Gourdin, W. I. Nexsen, J. F. McFadden, F. Rhem, T. A. Blakely, and J. C. Graham. In 1913, capital stock was raised to $100,000.00 and a stock dividend of 50% declared. At the close of business on April 3, 1923, the Bank of Williams- burg showed as resources $665,517.96. At this time the directors were: C. W. Stoll, W. I. Nexsen, J. F. McFad-
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den, Dr. I. M. Boyd, W. V. Strong, J. D. O'Bryan, and E. C. Epps. Its officers: C. W. Stoll, president; W. I. Nexsen, vice-president ; E. C. Epps, cashier; C. W. Bos- well, assistant cashier; R. N. Speigner, teller ; Miss Dulcie Lifrage, stenographer.
The Wee Nee Bank of Kingstree began business on July 1, 1910, with paid up capital of $13,800.00 and deposits of $1337.31. The following were first officers: Hugh McCutchen, president; W. V. Strong, vice-president, and E. L. Montgomery, cashier. Directors, H. Mccutchen, W. V. Strong, H. E. Montgomery, W. B. Cooper, W. R. Scott, T. K. Smith, and J. K. Smith. E. L. Montgomery resigned as cashier on May 1, 1911, and was succeeded by L. C. Dove, who served in such capacity until January 1, 1919, when he resigned and was succeeded by W. W. Hol- liday. In 1920 President Hugh Mccutchen died and W. V. Strong succeeded him. Mr. Strong began to exercise his office just about the time that "Deflation" set in and for three months he labored continuously for the Bank in that trying financial period. At the meeting of the board of directors at the end of that year, Mr. Strong resigned, telling the directors that he would not serve again as president of that or any other bank for any monetary consideration, that he had more respect for his body and his soul than to crucify them with the troubles of a bank president. Mr. Strong decided at that time that hence- forth he would live a farmer's life in the country.
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