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| PRESIDENTIALLY SPEAKING By Eddie Lee Our Society, obviously, does not take a summer vacation. Our May meeting was a wonderful covered dish meal coordinated by Marge Neary. In June, Josh Lucas, the new editor of Carolina Newspapers (which includes the Yorkville Enquirer), shared his love of Benjamin Franklin with our membership. Josh also spoke about the important role played by community-oriented newspapers such as the Enquirer. Later this month, at our July 31 meeting, Pat Veasey from the Museum of York County will speak about female education in antebellum South Carolina. Pat is a long time friend of mine, and I am delighted that she will be with us for our July gathering. In August, of course, we will participate in Summerfest. Thanks to Jan Ramsey for once again taking the lead with this project! At our June meeting, we agreed to purchase a few items, recommended by Peggy Enright's committee, for sale at Summerfest. Of special significance to me is the society's decision to honor the memory of our departed friend Floyd Allison with the "W. Floyd Allison Award For Local History." This award will go to the best South Carolina History student at York Junior High. Each year, we will honor a young historian who exemplifies all the positive things that Floyd did for preserving York's history. |
| Let's talk about the clock! By Ken Spaulding In York South Carolina it's very clear that when it's the right time and the right project everyone gets involved and things happen in a very big way. Such is the case of the Mel Ebersold Town Clock Project. The project was initiated and approved by The Yorkville Historical Society in early March this year. A site was selected on Congress St in the sidewalk median in front of the CCB Bank where it will surely become one of the landmarks of our busy, bustling, downtown area. On Thursday April 24th many wonderful donations of antiques, collectibles, delectable cakes and bags of peanuts were sold in both live and silent auctions. Beautiful artwork and even a motorcycle were also sold to a very good crowd of interested bidders. Donations from family members, friends, local businesses, organizations and acquaintances were also accepted. An unexpected grand surprise donation of $5,000 from the Pink Ladies of the former Divine Savior Hospital here in York helped us raise over $10,500 after expenses in our first venture .The projects successes at this point helps to reassure us that our goal of $17,500 will undoubtedly be met. We plan to have the clock ordered, installed and dedicated on Mel's birthday March 22, 2004. A yard sale and auction was held on June 21st in front of the York Chamber of Commerce building on East Liberty. We had a perfect summer day with a nice breeze and a warm but not a stifling sun. We had a nice selection of goodies and an appreciative buying crowd. When the day was done we had collected a little over $700! Our expenses were less than $200. So it was a very profitable day. Special thanks to the Chamber for the use of their lawn, tents and restrooms and to Genieve Polites for her help and the use of her three grandsons moving boxes the day before the sale. York Mini Warehouses generously donated the use of a storage unit for the entire month before the sale. Kudos to Grace Ebersold, her children and grandchildren for all their help and support during the yard sale and throughout the clock projects. We owe a very special thank you to Jan Ramsey our chairman. Even with a broken wrist and a full time job Jan continues to inspire us and keep us committed to our goals. Thanks again to all of you, who donated items, bought items or lent a helping hand along the way. Without each and everyone working together we could not of gotten this far!! The Clock Committee needs your support in another very special endeavor that if successful will greatly impact our community. We would like to enter a contest sponsored by ABC News The View and the makers of Quilted Northern called ' The View From Your Hometown Contest'. To enter we need to create a 3-minute VHS video talking about our hometown and the community project, which is closest to our heart. If selected The View will be broadcast LIVE from our hometown on November 10th. Plus the makers of Quilted Northern will donate $25,000 to our featured community project! The deadline for entries is August 29. If you are interested in helping with this wonderful project and have or know of someone with a video camera that we can use please contact Jan 684-3844, Grace 684-2822 or Ken 628-1818. For more details on the contest go to www.abc.abcnews.go.com/daytime/theview/hometown.html. We have tabled our plans on acquiring three antique items for a raffle to concentrate all our energies and resources on The View Contest. The raffle will be held in conjunction with the Christmas event. We plan to have a booth at SummerFest again this year and have some really neat things to sell as well as free York maps and walking tour booklets. Grace has donated some beautiful ceramic downtown mugs that will be sold to benefit the YHS and the Clock Fund. Please contact Jan Ramsey 684-3844 after 6pm to volunteer to help at SummerFest. MaryAnna Richbourg of Etta Belle Zorries annual Christmas ornament charity benefit has also chosen the Clock project as the beneficiary of this year's event. Watch our newsletter and your local newspapers for more information on this exciting community event. I never had the privilege to meet Mel Ebersold personally but it is quite evident that he loved York and that York loved him just as much. We all benefit even today from Mel's years of tireless dedication and loving community service. Mayor Eddie Lee was right when he said that it was time for our clock. |
| A Joke Grace Ebersold A Jewish grandma and her grandson are at the beach. He's playing in the water, she is standing on the shore not wanting to get her feet wet, when all of a sudden, a huge wave appears from nowhere and crashes directly onto the spot where the boy is wading. The water recedes and the boy is no longer there, he was swept away. The grandma holds her hands to the sky, screams and cries: Lord, how could you? Haven't I been a wonderful grandmother? Haven't I been a wonderful mother? Haven't I kept a kosher home? Haven't I given to ! charity? Haven't I lit candles every Friday night? Haven't I tried my very best to live a life that you would be proud of? A voice booms from the sky, "All right already!" A moment later another huge wave appears out of nowhere and crashes on the beach. As the water recedes, the boy is standing there. He is smiling and splashing around as if nothing had ever happened. The voice booms again. "I have returned your grandson. Are you satisfied?" She replies..."He had a hat!!" |
| Update on the Clock By Grace Ebersold  An e-mail arrived from Charlene Hracs telling us about a contest sponsored by THE VIEW… $25,000 will be given to a small town who can send a 3 minute video telling why The View should visit our city and why our project should win the prize. We decided to enter. So far Eddie Lee has enticed Bill Curry to be the MC and write the script, Frank Robard has enticed John Barnes from the Comporium to help us film and edit the video. The video has to be completed by August 20th. The problem on hand…. everyone is on vacation these days. So….if you are called to help in some way…either appearing in the video…..speaking or not…please help. Wouldn't it be super if we could get the girls from the View to visit York, South Carolina????? Let's continue dreaming. The initial $17,500…. the cost of the clock.... sounded like a dream in February, but now it looks like a reality…..York is bustling…. In time, if we all help…we can make this dream come true. |
| 4TH OF JULY By Grace Ebersold Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; anotherhad two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. |
| Collecting Today By Ken Spaulding Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a crystal ball to help us figure out the constantly changing trends of buying and selling to today's collectors? If you find one and are willing to share it we could all be fabulously rich and famous! Between Vacation Bible School, the clock auction and yard sale and other equally important obligations I haven't been out and about as often as I might have wished. We did make it to a few auctions, a very few yard sales and have done a little EBay buying and selling in between. Right now I am trying to figure out the best way to market and sell a rather large collection of baseball cards that I bought earlier this summer. It really has me overwhelmed and baffled, as baseball cards were never big with me. They came in a large blue plastic tote that took both Marci to lift and load. We have boxes upon boxes and several albums plus a few loose cards. Most of them are dated 1970 to 1990. Luckily for me the previous owner had a number of them sorted according to team and year, which makes selling them just a little bit easier. My son collected Pokemon and now has started with Yu gi oh cards that he seems to enjoy. Some of the names of the older baseball legends like Pete Rose are vaguely familiar to me…I once sold an antique ice box and delivered it to the home of Bob Feller which really excited my mom who was a lifelong Cleveland Indian fan. As I gazed at those fresh and enthusiastic faces I couldn't help but wonder how some of those players' lives had turned out. Was life as good to them as it has been to me blessing me with good health, a nice home and a loving family? I've read so often about the destructive lifestyles of the rich and famous that I wonder what the real cost of fame and fortune really is… I bought some 1950-1960 comic books at the same sale that I have already resold for slightly less than I paid for them. Several of them were badly tattered, torn and bedraggled, as I am sure my own comics would have been had they survived my childhood. Some of the old ads were almost more interesting than the comic books: Do you remember The Double mint Twins and Roy Rogers Fan Club??? My eight-year-old son Matthew and I visited the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum, which has recently relocated to Branson Mo. on our recent visit there. Matthew had no idea who Roy and Dale were or why I wanted to pay to see their things but he also felt it would be more fun than outlet shopping with his mom, so he reluctantly accompanied me on a trip down memory lane. We saw Trigger, Buttermilk and Scout in all their taxidermic splendor and many other items. Memories of playing cowboys and indians with my sister Jenni and our neighbors came rushing back to me…good memories of quieter, simpler times and places… Maybe that is why collecting today is such a challenging and fascinating field. I've bought, sold and collected many, many things in my life and will undoubtedly continue to do so as long as I am physically, mentally and financially able to so. A dear friend of mine summed collecting up quite nicely earlier this year. We were finishing up after selling her mother in laws things after a daylong estate sale. It had been a wonderful sale with over 80% of the tagged items selling. She said it made her feel good to know that all of Mary's extra things had gone to people who wanted or appreciated them. She knew that Mary would have wanted it that way… Now isn't that what collecting is really all about ??? |
| A True Memorial Day By Ken Spaulding On June 8, 2003, many members of our community joined with Yorkville Historical Society members Fred and Helen Jackson on a very unique occasion at Bethel Presbyterian Church. Helen's younger brother, Rob Jenkins, was laid to rest next to their parents in the old family cemetery after being shot down over sixty years before while serving our nation in the Second World War. There was limited parking and the congregation was standing room only in the beautiful old sanctuary as we celebrated the life of a young man that most of us had never known: a brave young man who paid the ultimate price to ensure our freedom. The hymns were the old familiar ones, and the Scripture verses contained words that we all knew only too well. The full military tribute was beautifully performed. Yet there was a special feeling among the people gathered together… Missing were the painful mourning and the awkwardness of knowing just what to say after a loved one's recent death… Missing were the feelings of emptiness, loss and despair that often overcome us at times like this… God was definitely there at that place and in our hearts assuring us once again that there is hope for a brighter tomorrow. We celebrated Rob's life and his victory over death over sixty years after the fact. We celebrated our nation and the countless brave young men and women who have served her since her noble birth over 200 years ago, many of whom paid the ultimate price for our freedom just as Rob did. We celebrated with Fred and Helen, their families, neighbors, and friends, and many of us buried our cares, concerns, and indifferences in a common bond at the beautiful historic site. At an earlier Memorial Day Ceremony, held on May 26th at Arlington National Cemetery, President George W. Bush quoted our own Helen Jackson: "We were very proud that the government would care that much. After all, it was such a long time ago." Bush added, "This nation does not forget." Editor's note: Helen and Fred asked me to remind everyone (or tell those of us who did not already know) that Robert Boyce Jenkins and Helen Jenkins Jackson are both the great-grandchildren of Louis Mason Grist, who bought The Yorkville Enquirer from his father in 1855 at the ripe old age of 20. |
| SUMMERFEST 2003! By Jan Ramsey It's almost here, folks! A day of fun, food, crafts, games, and entertainment. Summerfest will be held Saturday, August 23. This is an all-day celebration in the downtown area. Please come for awhile and enjoy the numerous events. The Society has rented a space to sell different items and to give out information. Volunteers are needed to work the booth during the hours of 9-11, 11-1, 1-3, and 3-5. If you can help, please call Jan Ramsey at 684-3844 after 6 p.m. |
| CHRISTMAS IN OLDE YORK 2003 By Jan Ramsey Plans for the "Christmas in Olde York" home tour are in the making. Thanks to Jeannie Ferguson and Grace Ebersold, we now have three houses and the York Place Chapel lined up for the tour. All are on Kings Mountain Street. Homeowners are Paul and Diane Hanlon, Tim and Teresa Rock, and Karen Bair. We need at least one more house (preferably two) in this area for the tour. There are several possibilities being pursued and hopefully, we will get a commitment. Three things are necessary to insure a successful tour: the houses, good weather, and volunteers. Society members have always been very cooperative and by working together, we can accomplish much. Organizational meetings will begin in September. If you are interested in being a part of the committee, please contact Anne Allison (684-6088) or Jan Ramsey (684-3844 after 6 p.m.). There is a place for you and we definitely need you. |
| SOME THOUGHTS ON LOSS By Jan Ramsey Late Sunday afternoon on Mother's Day, I walked to Rose Hill Cemetery and stood at the foot of a gravesite staring at the names so beautifully engraved in the granite markers. In the stillness, the sound of voices forever silenced invaded my mind. The tears that I had tried to hold back began to slowly flow down my cheeks. It was my first year without my mother and brother. They died within five months of each other, and although I know they have joined my father and sister in a better place, it does not take away the pain of losing another part of who I am. I can no longer drive my mother around York to look at the spring flowers and admire the vibrant colors of the fall leaves; nor can I take her for a cheeseburger, drink, and ice cream cone. I can no longer be drawn into an intellectual debate with my brother; nor can I tease him about having too much book sense and not enough common sense. As time passes, the hurt and sadness will surely diminish, and I can smile at the pleasant memories and rejoice in the knowledge that someday we will see each other again. In the meantime, I plan to treasure every moment spent with my remaining brother, two sisters, and other members of my family and build on the close relationship that we already enjoy. |
| TEACHING AMERICAN HISTORY By Cindy Jonas For two weeks in June, I was privileged to attend the Up Country Teaching American History Seminar that is sponsored by the South Carolina Archives. They also sponsor one for the Midlands and the Low Country. This was an intensive two weeks that dealt with American/South Carolina History from Pre-Columbian times until 1900 (this is the period covered in 8th grade). Each day we visited a different site to find out about resources that are available to teachers. Most of them were in the Greenville area, but we were able to visit Walnut Grove Plantation in Spartanburg, Cowpens National Military Park, and Brattonsville. If you have never visited Walnut Grove, you should take an afternoon and visit this plantation that was built by Charles Moore in the mid-1700s. It was a muster point for Morgan’s soldiers who were meeting to go to Cowpens. The plantation house and dependencies are very interesting and well-restored. We met in the Farmer’s Hall in Pendleton one day, and the next day we were fortunate to go to the Strom Thurmond Institute at Clemson. We toured Fort Hill, the home of John C. Calhoun (South Carolina’s other well-known and long-serving politician) and his daughter and son-in-law, Anna and Thomas G. Clemson. It was an interesting thing for us to learn that J.C. Calhoun had a neck beard-no facial hair-only on his neck. The explanation was that he was susceptible to colds and wanted to keep his neck warm. Fort Hill is in the middle of an extensive restoration. A couple of other places that you may not know about and might find very interesting are the Greenville Museum of Art which specializes in Southern art and artists and the new Greenville Museum of History. The museum is not open to the public yet; it will be about a year and a half, but it is going to be a wonderful exhibition of life in UpCountry South Carolina. Both of these are in downtown Greenville and are very accessible. The Oconee Station State Park sent a ranger who gave a very good presentation on frontier life in the late 1700s. The park has a great deal of information about history and nature. We also visited the War Museum in Greenville that is maintained by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, again, a most unusual experience. Our afternoon at Furman University was spent looking at some of the resources they have to make research possible. Furman is an excellent place for people doing research about the Piedmont of South Carolina. There are so many wonderful places to see in South Carolina-many of which make great one day trips. If you have children or grandchildren who are in school, why not spend some time with them this summer and discover the wealth of South Carolina History? |
| HISTORY AWARD ESTABLISHED By Cindy Jonas The Yorkville Historical Society is pleased to announce the establishment of the Floyd Allison Award for History to be awarded annually to the 8th Grade student at York Junior High who exhibits outstanding achievement in South Carolina History. This student will be chosen from the classes on the basis of academics, interest, and participation in history projects. She/He will receive a plaque, a check, and will have her/his name engraved on a permanent plaque for the school. We felt that to encourage young people to study and to love history was a fitting way to honor the memory of one of the founding members of the Society and one whose life was an example to young people. |
| WHAT'S UP DOWNTOWN By Grace Ebersold I must apologize for not actually interviewing new storekeepers this month. I have been a bit busy these days so I am relying on the facts of our three local papers, some York gossip, and a couple of newsletters this month. Forgive me? York is growing and is in good spirits. Downtown is bustling. The street work in front of the Courthouse is looking good. Mary Anna Richbourg reports that 60 new downtown banners will be installed on the light poles on Congress from Jefferson Street to Madison. The extra exciting news I heard is that we are possibly getting an "OutBack Restaurant" to be built in the vicinity of the new Lowe's store near Wal-Mart! The Herald printed an article telling us that by April 2004 Meritor will add possibly over 180 jobs after the 275,000 square-foot plant is renovated. Another boon to our community as Mark Ferris says that for every manufacturing job added another 2.5 jobs are created in retail and support industry. The Herald also noted that CCB Bank on Congress Street…you know…where First Union used to be…will be purchased bv First Citizens Bank - probably by the end of the year…pending regulatory approval, of course. Another different look downtown. The Hummingbird Forest… a new florist and gift shop…purchased Neely's Drug Store, Fifi's and the Beauty Shop. Ann Morrison is the owner and Newton Wells is the designer. Pay them a visit soon. They are open Mon.-Fri. 9-5:30 and Sat. 9-3. The Chamber named Ferguson and Youngblood as Business of the Month for July. It is one of the oldest family-run enterprises in the area---since 1915. Then last but not least, I did have a lovely chat with Janae' Plowden from Hospice and Community Care at 9 East Liberty Street. Their new upscale resale store "Beehives and Butterflies" will open July 18-19th. They are planning an evening of Art, Wine and Shopping on July 24th. On August 7-9 they will have a trunk show featuring Mustard Seed Pottery. Hospice will be the only store in York County to carry this unique, Scripture-based handpainted pottery. Hospice has a dual role in our community. Not only will the resale shop provide an opportunity to raise money for their patients, but it also will allow the organization to reach the community to provide an increased awareness of hospice services. My family and I can attest to the fact that their services can never be duplicated nor measured when needed. What a pleasure it is to work with them. They helped us especially through the last week of Mel's illness…they were always there when we needed them and gave us information we needed regarding both medication and care. Our family is in their debt forever |
| SEPTEMBER MEETING... EACH ONE REACH ONE Thursday, September 26th…7PM. McCelvey Center…..Reception Area By Grace Ebersold Peggy Enright and I were bemoaning the fact that the Christmas Tour was coming up and we needed some younger blood in our organization to help plan and decorate for this annual event. We came up with this solution --…In our September meeting we will each bring a friend who possibly might become a new member of our society. We will call it…'EACH ONE. REACH ONE". That can't be too difficult. The most important factor is that we have to actually pick up this friend and physically bring them…not just extend an invitation. It is easy to just invite someone but to actually pick them up and bring them to the meeting means that we have to extend ourselves a bit and make an effort to bring a new member. Are you all up to it? Can you take the challenge? Not long ago I attended a seminar with the premise of "How to get baby boomers involved in an organization". Evidently this particular generation is not happy attending just a meeting….but they will agree to work on a project where they are physically involved and needed. Let's keep this in mind…and continue our projects. When the society is involved in the community, everyone thrives. In order for this to be a more social time, Peggy and I thought that we should have a social event…. have another covered dish meal. How about it? We could come up with some unusual nametags that would put everyone at ease. Ken has volunteered to present a short hands-on discussion regarding early lighting. In appreciation of your help and support over the last several months, the meeting will be hosted by the Clock Committee. Door prizes will be awarded. Mark your calendars … you have two months to come up with a guest by… Thursday, September 26th…7PM. |